Job Overview

Job Title: Publisher

Contract: Permanent 

Salary: Competitive Package

Location: Hoboken, New Jersey, United States / Hybrid

Application Closing Date: Friday 16th August 2024

The Publisher is responsible for the editorial management, strategic development and financial performance and success of the subject based portfolio, including journals they directly manage and those managed by their direct reports. This involves conducting and overseeing the prioritisation of journals for development and the setting and implementation of journal plans accordingly.

Communication is a key part of this role, developing and maintaining excellent working relationships with our stakeholders (Editors, authors, reviewers, and societies) both directly and through management of Associate Publishers/Publishing Executives.

The role requires close liaison with other departments to optimise the publishing service, maximise commercial opportunities and increase market share of submissions and citations. The Publisher translates company and team strategy into journal development actions and provides experience and information to help shape the company strategy.

You will work with internal teams to strategically grow your portfolio including improving the publishing experience for authors, implementing open science initiatives, hiring editors, diversifying editorial teams, improving profitability, and contributing to design and implementation of new workflows and initiatives (e.g., Author engagement PM initiatives).

Your portfolio meets all contractual commitments, improves profitability, and maintains an excellent reputation within relevant subject communities.

Responsibilities

• Cultivating effective relationships to ensure the efficient day-to-day running of journals, in close cooperation with relevant internal staff, e.g. marketing, production, finance, sales
• Building knowledge of the field and the relevant scientific communities to offer market insight, sound advice to identify development opportunities and translate them into actions to maintain a competitive advantage and financial stability. This will involve engaging with external stakeholders and community leaders to obtain their advice.
• Setting and managing annual Journal Development/Improvement Plans and overseeing their implementation and successful conclusion by providing and interpreting data to enable evidence-based decision making for strategic and editorial development including (Associate Publisher/Assistant Publisher/Publishing Executive shared – PEs/PAs to gather data):
  • Bibliometric analysis to understand drivers for impact factor
  • Competitor analysis
  • Emerging trends
  • New journal launches
  • Content growth
  • Financial modelling

• Working collaboratively and productively with other functional groups (especially production, marketing, digital) to deliver an excellent service for all stakeholders
• Working with finance to set and manage costs for the portfolio
• Driving content development discussions using analytics and evidence through regular communication, hosting strategy meetings, and presenting at editorial board meetings
• Monitoring initiatives, including open access, from competitors, funders, institutions and other stakeholders within your portfolio subject area, identifying developments such as new business models and agreements or new OA policies and funds and evaluating their relevance and significance in relation to your portfolio’s business activities
• Ensuring that all KPIs (annual targets for journal submissions, publications and transfer volumes) are regularly monitored, reported and met, and that action is taken as needed
• Working with the Research Integrity team to resolve pre- and post-publication issues raised by staff, Editorial Board Members and readers (e.g. authorship, scope, ethics and consent, misconduct, policies)
• Meeting portfolio-related objectives with regard to market share, editorial succession, cost per article, operations, and growth
• Reviewing new journal and commercial opportunities in consultation with Management and contribute to journal proposals

Skills & Experience

• Stakeholder management
• Relationship management
• Organisation and time management
• Strategic development and project management
• Well developed verbal and written communication skills, including excellent presentation skills to a range of audiences
• Financial management
• Commercial acumen
• Negotiation and diplomacy
• Excellent understanding of the key publishing disciplines of sales, marketing, financial management, technology and business development, and a thorough understanding of print and online journal production