JMIR Publications Job Board
Managing Editor
Description
About JMIR Publications
JMIR Publications is a rapidly growing open access publisher of peer-reviewed STEM journals, with an emphasis on medicine, health, and technology titles. The ambitious vision of JMIR Publications is to lead the transformation to open science and to contribute to a world where people are empowered by health research and technology to make effective and informed decisions.
Come help us make a real difference in open science!
Job Summary:
JMIR Publications is seeking a full-time Managing Editor to join our editorial team. We are interested in applicants who are enthusiastic, outgoing, and service-focused Master’s level graduates (preferably from a health-related, library science, or publishing program). Previous experience working for a peer-reviewed journal is strongly preferred.
This is an exciting opportunity to join a growing editorial team as it supports a world-class community of editors-in-chief, editorial board members, reviewers, and authors. We are seeking someone with excellent administrative and organizational skills to coordinate communications and provide support to academic editors, authors, peer reviewers, and editorial staff.
Your Impact:
Reporting to the Editorial Operations Manager and working in close collaboration with the editorial team, the Managing Editor oversees the day-to-day operations of a selection of journals within JMIR’s portfolio of 30+ titles. This role works cross-functionally with internal teams, including Editorial, Copyediting, Production, Marketing, and Product & Technology, as well as externally with Editors-in-Chief and Editorial Board members to support the strategic growth and success of each journal. The Managing Editor is also responsible for the timely development and publication of theme issues and may lead special projects, such as the launch of new journals.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities
Scope of work includes, but is not limited to, the following:
Oversees the peer-review process
- Manages email communications with authors and peer-reviewers.
- Ensures the peer-reviews adhere to JMIR policy and guidelines.
- Monitors manuscripts to ensure a timely peer-review process.
- Monitors manuscript progress and ensures that authors adhere to JMIR guidelines and acceptance criteria.
- Manages author initiated withdrawals and other author concerns during the peer-review process.
Editor support Editorial Board management
- Monitors articles in their JMIR portfolio and works with editor to ensure timely decisions.
- Managing Editors facilitate author and Editor communication.
- Provide resources and support to Editors so they adhere to JMIR policies and guidelines.
- Manage the Editorial Board (Associate Editors, Advisors) and plan annual board meetings.
Editor onboarding and training
- Conduct virtual onboarding sessions with new Editors.
- Train Editors on JMIR policies and how to use the manuscript management system.
Journal strategy and key performance indicators
- Collaborate with the marketing department for promotional activities (i.e. call for papers and webinars).
- Work with the Editors and the marketing team to identify conferences for journal promotion.
- Monitor journal statistics, trends and key performance indicators (i.e. turnaround times).
Qualifications:
Education:
- Preferably a health, medicine, science, information technology, library/information science degree with demonstrated scientific experience (not journalism, media, or arts degrees); MSc or Masters in these fields are typical, although applications may also be considered when there is applicable experience below.
Experience:
- Excellent communication skills in (American) English, especially written communication.
- Experience in peer-reviewed scholarly (STM) publishing is a plus.
- Work for a peer-reviewed journal is strongly preferred.
- Work for higher-volume journal publications is preferred.
Technical Skills:
- Proficiency in using Microsoft Office (including MS Word and Excel), Google Suite, and Project Management tools (i.e. Asana).
- Familiarity with data collection software, academic databases and indexing databases.
Additional Desirable Skills:
- Familiarity with open access publishing, and open source platforms for scholarly publishing.
Competencies:
- Customer Focused: Is dedicated to meeting the needs and expectations of key relationships with editors, authors, and peer reviewers.
- Communication Skills: Communicates effectively and in a timely manner with all stakeholders, such as authors, peer reviewers, editors, scholarly industry, and internal staff.
- Teamwork: Interpersonal savvy, collaborative and supportive team player. Builds constructive effective relationships, particularly with current and prospective Editors-in-Chief and Editorial Board members.
- Process-Oriented: Skilled at identifying, understanding, and streamlining workflows to improve efficiency. Understands how to organize people and tasks to create effective processes, and actively contributes to ongoing departmental improvements.
- Organized: Coordinates with Editor-in-Chief or Editorial Director on setting and monitoring targets for their journals. Able to effectively manage and develop Editorial Boards. Can marshal resources (people, funding, material, support) to get things done.
- Problem-Solver: Independent problem solving (within procedure and guidelines). Uses rigorous logic and methods to solve difficult problems with effective solutions.
- Quality of Work: Highly detail-oriented with strong organizational and prioritization skills. Delivers consistently high-quality work on time, ensuring accuracy and excellence across all tasks.
- Time Management: Able to manage journals effectively day-to-day, meeting deadlines and targets while maintaining quality. Working with the Peer Review Manager to ensure articles in review meet expected turn-around times.
- Honesty and Integrity: Transparent in their approach and is trusted widely by others. Is seen as open, truthful, and direct. Operates with respect, and transparency, committed to maintaining a high level of integrity. Maintains ethical and scientific standards for the journal.
- Scientific Expertise: A committed advocate for high-quality, ethical research. Supports the evaluation and dissemination of top-tier scientific content and maintains high standards in scholarly publishing.
- Passion for Digital Health: Demonstrates a deep interest in health research, innovation, and technology. Stays informed about trends in digital health and scholarly communication.
What We Offer:
- Competitive salary and benefits including fully paid monthly premiums for Canadian Extended Health Care and Dental Coverage, Wellness Days and Life insurance.
- A beautiful office space near the harbourfront, with free snacks and beverages, and organized social events as a company such as BBQs.
- Flexible remote work environment.
- Opportunity to make a significant impact on public understanding of science.
- Work with a leading publisher in the field of digital health and open access research.
- A dynamic and innovative work environment.
Application Process:
Interested applicants are requested to submit the following documents as PDF files:
- A current CV or resume.
- A cover letter that details your qualifications, current location, availability, and explains why you are a suitable candidate for this role.
Shortlisted applicants will be contacted regarding the subsequent steps in our recruitment process. This process includes a phone interview with HR, and two video interviews with the hiring team.
We wish to thank all those who apply; however, only those applicants whose skills and experience most closely match our requirements will be contacted by a member of our team.
JMIR Publications is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to a diverse workforce and maintaining a learning and working environment that is welcoming to all.
Application Privacy Commitment;
By submitting your application to JMIR Publications, you acknowledge and agree to the following:
The personal information and resume you provide will be collected and used solely for the purposes of assessing your candidacy for the position applied for, as well as for any other suitable roles within JMIR Publications that may arise. We are committed to safeguarding your personal information in accordance with applicable privacy laws and company policies.
Your information will be handled with strict confidentiality and will only be shared with those directly involved in the recruitment and hiring process. JMIR Publications will not disclose, share, or sell your personal data to any third parties without your explicit consent.
If your application is not successful, JMIR Publications may retain your information for up to 3 years for future opportunities, unless you request its removal.
By applying, you consent to this collection, use, and retention of your personal data as outlined above.
Compensation
$75,000.00 - $85,000.00 per year