Associate Editor

About The Role

Discover Journals aim to support researchers in communicating and advancing discovery for a better world. We do this by providing a trusted environment in which researchers can quickly, easily and transparently share their discoveries, data and research stories by publishing in peer-reviewed journals with an inclusive editorial threshold.

We are seeking an Associate Editor on our Discover journals to manage the launch and development of a portfolio of new journals in Computer Science focused on integrity of our publication process, speed of review, and excellent author service. Reporting to an Executive Publisher or Team Manager, you will be responsible for the management, strategic development and success of the individual journals, liaising with internal staff, external journal editors, and the scientific community.

You will contribute to the success of the Discover journals by owning the launch and development of journals and content development of a defined portfolio, overseeing and supporting editorial handling of articles in various stages of the review process. This is an exciting, dynamic and varied role that will greatly contribute to the success of Discover as a whole.

Responsibilities:

New Launches

• With support from the Executive Publisher and internal stakeholders, ensure new journals are launched on-schedule and meet required board member and content thresholds to open
• As needed, lead on the development of proposals for new launches in your subject area

Content development

• Develop a journal development strategy for each journal in your portfolio, taking into account individual journal performance and development needs, as well as the overall strategy of the Discover Series
• Work with colleagues across the Journals group to support subject-specific strategy development at Springer Nature
• Contribute ideas and support the collections pipeline managed by Content Acquisition team

• Proactive reaching out to potential authors either directly or through the editorial boards to attract submissions and develop the journal

Peer review quality

• Oversee the handling of the content published in the Discover Series journals, primarily by advising on content handled by editorial board members, but also by handling individual submissions yourself where required.
• Investigate and resolve publishing or research ethics cases, both pre- and post-publication, with the guidance of Springer Nature Research Integrity Group when needed.
• Engage effectively with other teams to support the resolution of editorial issues and to prioritise author service while maintaining editorial standards
• Advise on editorial policy development as appropriate.

Editorial Board management

• Build excellent communications and relationships with Editorial Board Members and authors.
• Ensure maximum engagement with the Editorial Board at all levels to maintain efficient manuscript handling, drive editorial board recruitment, and engage them with the strategy and development of your journals.
• Contribute to the recruitment and training of new editorial board members
• Contribute to editorial board engagement initiatives across the journals
• Host regular Senior Board and Editorial Board Meetings, either in person or online.
• Ensure that all members of the Editorial Board are fully aware of the ethos and editorial policies of the journal and the Discover series, and have all necessary training and information to perform their roles.

Building awareness of Discover in the communities your journals serve

• Contribute to the efforts of the marketing team, providing input into marketing plans and activities.
• Develop journal website content and features that are of interest to the community and raise the profile of the journal websites in the online environment.
• Attend conferences to promote the journals and develop a network of contacts within relevant fields.
• Increase journal visibility by writing blogs and participating in social media activities to promote journal content and Discover values.

Contribute to the Discover team

• Contribute to the culture of the Discover publishing team by supporting your colleagues, covering for them when needed and sharing expertise and experience.
• Develop strong working relationships with colleagues in marketing, production, IT and other departments to ensure journal success, and work together with department contacts to resolve any problems that may arise
• Take part in cross-departmental projects and/or company-wide task forces and working groups.
• Represent the team in projects with Production, Sales, Marketing, Finance and other Editorial colleagues.

Experience, skills and qualifications:

• Educated to PhD level (or equivalent), or MS with research and publishing experience, in Computer Science or a closely related field with specialization in areas such as Cybersecurity or Networks
• A clear interest in open access publishing
• An interest in scientific research and current knowledge of a relevant field
• Knowledge of editorial process and related matters
• Excellent communication and influencing skills
• Highly customer focused
• Strong analytical/critical appraisal skills
• Willing to travel occasionally and represent Discover at external events
• Able to respond to non-routine circumstances
• Excellent time management and prioritization skills, able to balance short-term deadlines with long-term goals
• Self-starter with a positive, can-do approach to problem-solving
• Ability to adapt to changing circumstances
• Ability to work cooperatively with colleagues at all levels
• Ability to work in a team
• Previous editorial experience a strong plus