Commissioning Editor - Content Acquisition

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Job Title: Commissioning Editor

Permanent

Location: Heidelberg, Berlin, New York or Jersey City

Closing date: 30th of Mar 2023

The Springer Nature Journals Group aims 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.

The Content Acquisition Team is a division within the Publishing Performance & Intelligence group providing expertise and dedicated resources to support the growth of commissioned content across the SN Journal portfolio. 

The Commissioning Editor is responsible for attracting high-quality content into key Springer Nature journals via the creation of Topical Collections. Increasing commissioned content is an essential part of our strategy to grow our Springer journals portfolio and as such appropriate topic identification is critical. The Commissioning Editor will work with our Editorial Board Members and with our data scientists and analysts to ensure topic selection benefits from being data driven. Similarly, identification of an appropriate Guest Editor is key to a Collection’s success; the Commissioning Editor will reach out to high-level active researchers and encourage them to engage in Topical Collections in Springer Nature journals either as an editor or an author. This is a rare opportunity to join and help shape a new and growing team at a pivotal time.

Responsibilities:

• Overall responsibility for planning and implementing commissioning strategies on key journals

• Define and implement best practices across the Collections lifecycle

• Identify appropriate topics for Collections

• Ascertain and understand trends in market share at the level of specific topics

• Carry out strategic competitor analysis

• Build and leverage relationships with internal and external editorial communities

• Use a wide array of data analysis tools to ensure topic selection is data-driven

• Participate in the development of new technology aimed at solving complex topic modeling problems

• Manage Collections pipeline against ambitious publication targets

• Partner with our journals’ editorial teams so that Collections strategy is congruent with journal development plans and is translated into a consistent flow of opening and closing Collections, whilst ensuring the editorial teams retain ownership of their journals’ content

• Identify and engage with Guest Editors and potential authors by inviting them to edit a Collection or submit their research articles.

• Orchestrate the training of Guest Editors

• Engage with our Marketing teams to coordinate and improve the promotion of our Collections, and develop new ways to reach out to the external communities served by our journals

• Support the team of Managing Editors with overseeing the management of peer review for the Collections’ pipeline

Experience:

• Sound knowledge and keen interest in Science

• Familiarity with the Research Process and the Scientific community

Skills/Knowledge:

• An excellent understanding of the research publishing landscape and how journals and journal publishers serve the research community.

• Direct experience of managing a journal or journal portfolio is desirable

• Strong data analysis and reporting skills – ability to directly query data is desirable

• Practical awareness of the importance and key aspects of research ethics

• Excellent presentational skills

• Excellent communication skills – both written and verbal.

• Good interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of colleagues and stakeholders

• A creative mindset and the ability to bring energy, ideas and new approaches

• A strategic and commercial mindset, with experience in developing and implementing plans.

• Ability to adapt quickly to change, juggle a varied workload under pressure and work quickly and efficiently on own initiative as well as part of a team

• Experience in Tableau is desirable

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree, preferably in a STEM discipline

This role can be based in our Berlin, Heidelberg, New York or Jersey City offices on a hybrid working basis. Please indicate your preference of location in your application

At Springer Nature, we’re committed to creating a great working environment which includes the benefits you receive, opportunities for you to develop your skills and ways to get to know your colleagues. Some of these include:

• Support networks that focus on fostering dialogue around diversity, community building, advice and advocacy

• Wellbeing initiatives to support in maintaining a healthy work life balance

• 24 hour access to our learning and development platform LEAP and LinkedIn Learning to help develop your skills

• A fantastic benefits package

Further information about life at Springer Nature, hybrid working and the range of benefits available in your preferred location will be shared during the interview process.

Internal applicants please inform your line manager when applying for the role.

 

Springer Nature is a Disability Confident Committed Employer and we encourage applications from candidates with disabilities. If you consider yourself to have a disability or learning difficulty and wish to submit your application in an alternative format or would like to discuss reasonable adjustments during the application and interview process, please get in touch either by phone on +44 (0)207 014 4020 or by email SpringerNatureUKCareers@springernature.com so we can make any necessary arrangements. 

 

At Springer Nature we value and celebrate the diversity of our people. We recognise the many benefits of a diverse workforce and strive for an inclusive workplace that empowers all our colleagues to thrive. Our search for the best talent fully encompasses and embraces these values and principles. https://group.springernature.com/jp/group/taking-responsibility/diversity-equity-inclusion. 

 

US employees are eligible for benefits including, but not limited to, medical, dental, vision, short and long term disability, life and AD&D insurance, tuition assistance, employee assistance program, paid vacation and sick time, flexible spending accounts, and a 401k retirement savings plan.

 

In order to comply with various pay transparency laws and legislations in the United States, the salary range and benefits for this position are listed below. This information is only applicable to US-based candidates and the actual salary offer may vary based on work experience, education and skill level. Annualized Base Salary Range: $68,000-$72,000.