Associate Director, Peer Review Operations - Remote (UK or US*)

• The position is fully remote/home-based. Applicants can be based in, the UK, or selected states in the US only (AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, KS, MA, MD, MN, NY, OR, PA, TX, VA, VT, WA).

Summary

In this role you will be responsible for the end-to-end peer review workflow (submission to accept/reject) for an expanding portfolio of prestigious scholarly journals that advances the PLOS legacy as a trusted leader and catalyst for open science publishing. You will lead design and optimization of standardized workflows and safeguard process integrity while delivering a superior author, editor and peer reviewer experience. In this role, you will leverage collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders to develop disciplined strategies that integrate mission-inspired initiatives into content life cycles. The role is an integral part of the senior PLOS publishing operational leadership. As part of that leadership, you will champion projects that have portfolio-wide impact, including the execution of new journal launches and strategies to support Publishing and Editorial department priorities. You will actively engage with offshore vendors as it relates to operational performance and hold our strategic partners accountable to high standards and expectations that reflect the PLOS legacy. You will work closely with senior managers to instill a culture of transparency, collaboration and dynamic leadership across the organization.

The successful candidate will be a highly organized person with a growth mindset, who is adept at fostering collaboration among stakeholders. They will have a solid understanding of author, editor and reviewer needs and concerns, the scholarly publishing industry, the competition and future trends for the field.

Responsibilities

Editorial Operations Management

• Work closely with the Director of Publishing Operations to design strategies to remove barriers to submission, workflow obstructions and inefficiencies and protect content from threat and risk.
• Engage with offshore vendors as it relates to operational performance and hold our strategic partners accountable to high standards and expectations
• Collaborate with stakeholders to integrate Open Science features and actively support strategic initiatives.
• Demonstrate a growth mindset to identify and develop opportunities to continually improve operations and practices.
• Work closely with the Director of Publishing Operations to define and fortify operational performance standards for journal portfolio.
• Partner with the Director or Publishing Operations to ensure disciplined and responsible decision-making practices are maintained at all times.
• Maintain efficient resource allocation to meet both budget and quality standards and advise on adjustment projections.
• Work closely with Editorial colleagues and vendors to make sure workflows, systems and reporting are optimized and that all relevant stakeholders are aware of discussions for process improvements and updates.
• Ensure that the portfolio is protected by cohesive and consistent operational policies and quality standards, reacting dynamically to changing community needs while championing Open Science.
• Lead operational refinement and implementation of cross-journal initiatives such as Collections and Transfers, advising on the development of and implementing, systems and workflows.
• Develop an internal knowledge-sharing infrastructure, ensuring standard operating procedures and information exchange among Publishing Operations colleagues.

People management

• Lead a high-performing and cohesive team of Operations staff (up to 7 direct reports), fostering a cross-portfolio and cross-cultural mindset
• Achieve alignment/buy-in with other department stakeholders for their actions/project/preferred solution.
• Ensure strategy is collaboratively translated into well-defined and disciplined tactics for stakeholders and regularly monitor progress against established benchmarks.
• Lead by example, modelling open and clear communication and ensuring all stakeholders understand their roles and responsibilities.
• Build cohesive relationships with department leadership within a true partnership framework.
• Address underperformance swiftly, sensitively, and supportively, in collaboration with Line Manager and People & Culture team.
• Support staff as they continue to transition to work across a greater number of locations in a variety of formats (e.g. home-based, office-based, hybrid).
• Serve as an advisor to Director of Publishing Operations.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

• Work collaboratively with editorial colleagues and relevant stakeholders to incorporate inclusive practices and recommendations into our operations to eliminate bias in manuscript processing and editorial decision-making.
• Support initiatives to expand representation and preserve an inclusive publishing ecosystem.
• Foster an environment that supports and encourages diversity of thought.
• Oversee department participation in internal and external DEI initiatives.

Cross-sector

• Maintain in-depth industry knowledge, awareness of market trends, innovations and evolving customer needs
• Represent PLOS at industry events

Qualifications and Experience

• Analytically minded; able to analyze data to support thoughtful decision making, operating with curiosity to get to the root of the business problem to ensure the ultimate solution is grounded in PLOS’ strategy and mission.
• Extensive experience in optimizing processes and workflows.
• A demonstrated ability to lead high performing mid-sized to large teams. Acumen in budgeting and forecasting.
• Excellent vendor management skills.
• Experience with offshoring and outsourcing and the ability to drive cost efficiencies in all processes.
• Proven commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in science and scholarly publication.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Embraces change with a positive attitude.
• Able to make decisions in a dynamic, fast-paced, changing environment; determine priorities and execute on a plan.
• Dedication to open access and transforming scholarly communication.

The base salary range we’ve established for this position is (US) $114,750 - $155,250 | (UK) £68,000 - £92,000. The final salary will depend on several factors including the candidate’s relevant work experience, skills, education and other qualifications; the region in which the candidate resides, and internal pay equity with current PLOS employees in similar jobs.

The Organization:
PLOS is a non-profit, Open Access publisher empowering researchers to accelerate progress in science and medicine by leading a transformation in research communication. PLOS journals propelled the movement for OA alternatives to subscription journals. We established the first multi-disciplinary publication inclusive of all excellent research regardless of novelty or impact and demonstrated the importance of open data availability. As we continue to lead the way in making research content more open, we need to make it a system that's open for everyone. We are intentionally spreading our roots deeper, globally.
We believe in pushing the boundaries of 'Open' to create a more equitable system of scientific knowledge and understanding—it’s core to who we are, inside and out. Beyond accepting distinct perspectives, we seek and support divergent backgrounds among our staff because we know differences strengthen our teams, our work, and our communities. We’re ever-evolving in our journey for representation and equity, and strongly encourage applicants of diverse identities to apply: you’ll find a group of critical thinkers eager to challenge the status quo and learn with you as we continue breaking barriers to open science.