Journals Manager

We are working with an innovative academic publisher in the Social Sciences who are in the process of restructuring their books and journals programme with a view to develop a new strategy and champion Open Access. To do this, they wish to bring a new member of staff on board, and are looking for a Journals Manager that will help them achieve their goals.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary based on experience and skills
• End of year bonus scheme
• Hybrid flexible working with core hours of 10am-3pm
• 28 days of holiday (including bank holiday) + office shut down for Christmas
• Summer Fridays

About the role:

Reporting to Managing Director, the Journals Manager will play a pivotal role in overseeing the editorial management and growth of the social sciences and humanities journals portfolio. Responsibilities include managing day-to-day operations for over 40 journals, implementing budgets, seeking new acquisitions, maintaining partnerships, ensuring publication quality, and collaborating with marketing and sales teams. Additionally, the role will involve contributing to strategic goals, including governance and Open Access policies, offering a unique opportunity to influence the direction of the press.

Key accountabilities will include:

• Overseeing editorial pipelines to ensure timely publication and adherence to publishing standards
• Developing and expanding the journal program to align with organizational goals and industry trends
• Co-managing of one Production Associate as well as any future team hires to delegate tasks effectively and meet schedules
• Cultivating collaborative relationships with journal editors and society representatives to ensure high-quality content and editorial integrity
• Implementing citation strategies to enhance journal impact and readership
• Monitoring journal circulation and usage, coordinating growth strategies with internal and external stakeholders
• Ensuring compliance with Open Access and licensing agreements to maximise journal effectiveness
• Managing budgets, revenue projections, and expenses to support the sustainability of the journal program

About you:

The successful candidate for this role will demonstrate a history of success in senior journals list or portfolio management within scholarly publishing (ideally in the Humanities and Social Sciences field), with a keen understanding of the academic marketplace. You should should have a strong grasp of academic publishing processes, including peer review, publication ethics, copyright, and Open Access models. We'll be looking for proven familiarity with emerging trends and technologies in digital publishing, online platforms, and scholarly communication tools, and also for the ability to work independently while managing multiple priorities. This role will see you liaising with a range of stakeholders and society partners, therefore candidates should be comfortable negotiating contracts and managing relationships with a wide range of collaborators.

Overview of the company:

Our client is an independent publisher of distinguished scholarly books and journals in the humanities and social sciences, with a program that spans a backlist of 2,000 titles and 150 new book titles a year alongside a wonderful portfolio of 40+ journals. They cover a wide range of subject from History and Archaeology, to Film Studies and Anthropology. They have a lovely office in Oxford and are happy for staff to work mainly from home (however you may be required to commute to the Oxford office on a regular basis as determined by proximity).

For a full description of the role, please send your CV with a brief paragraph outlining your relevant skills.

Closing Date: Early applications may be prioritised.

** Inspired Search & Selection are a publishing recruitment specialist who operate an Equal Opportunities policy. We treat all employees and job applicants fairly and equally regardless of their sex, sexual orientation, marital status, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion, age, disability or union membership status.