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Our client, a leading scientific publisher, requires a new Senior Desk editor to manage a team supporting the peer review process. The Senior Desk Editor is accountable for efficient peer review administration procedures using online peer review systems; using tools such as PubMed Central to research international experts suitable to act as peer reviewers for cutting edge biomedical research.

The Senior Desk Editor will manage a team of Desk Editors. With responsibility for the recruitment, performance management and training of their direct reports, the Senior Desk Editor controls resource allocation, ensuring effective team working and prioritisation to accommodate competing demands.

This post would suit someone with experience in monitoring team progress, performance management and team-building within a journals publishing environment. Familiarity with process improvement principles would be a distinct advantage as delivery of increased capacity with minimal impact on head count is a standing objective.

Skills & Experience:

• Overall responsibility for the peer review process to agreed speed and quality targets
• Managing the quality of peer reviewer selection including spot checks
• Effective handling of team administration, including maintenance of team workflows and process tracking, ensuring that optimal workflows are used
• Resource planning
• Managing, coaching and developing a team of Desk Editors, including team recruitment.
• Staying up to date with internal and external guidelines on ethical publication practices and ensuring the team also adhere to these standards
• Creating, maintaining and controlling process documentation
• Collaborating with stakeholders internally and externally and managing relationships with them
• Regular liaison with global editorial teams
• Developing a detailed knowledge of how systems and processes work to collaborate on problem solving, defect management and best practice • Creating reports for different audiences

Skills & Experience:

• A postgraduate qualification, PhD or equivalent, in biomedical sciences
• Knowledge of or experience in publishing and production processes
• A strong command of English spelling and grammar
• Experience of coaching, mentoring, and adapting to others’ learning styles
• Exceptional organization skills and confidence in completing multiple tasks to deadlines
• Excellent communication (oral and written) and interpersonal skills
• Commitment to excellent customer service
• Openness and ability to embrace change, and act as an agent for change management
• Demonstrated ability to make decisions and deliver results
• Belief in continuous improvement
• Ability to drive improvements based on data analysis and evidence-based learning
• Persuasion and influencing skills
• Fluent in Standard Chinese/ Mandarin

Our client, a leading scientific publisher, requires 4 new Desk Editors to join their Beijing office. We are looking for ambitious individuals with backgrounds in academic research to join a new team supporting the peer review process.

We seek highly motivated candidates who enjoy keeping up to date with the latest in biomedical research, are detail-oriented, have great customer service skills and enjoy working as part a team.

As Desk Editor you will be accountable for efficient peer review administration procedures through online peer review systems, using tools such as PubMed Central to research international experts suitable to act as peer reviewers for cutting edge biomedical research. Reporting to the Senior Desk Editor, the successful candidates will form a new team of Desk Editors.

Key Responsibilities:

• Managing the peer review process to agreed speed and quality targets for journals
• Using internal and external databases to research and select appropriate reviewers
• Staying up to date with internal and external guidelines on ethical publication practices
• Corresponding with reviewers regarding deadlines and standard queries
• Conducting data analysis, recognizing process improvement opportunities and making recommendations
• Maintaining accurate records and updating content management systems
• Daily liaison with our internationally-based editorial teams
• Managing external stakeholders’ expectations.
• Providing excellent and empathic customer service.
• Assisting on department projects as required.

Skills & Experience: 

• A postgraduate qualification, PhD or equivalent, in biomedical sciences
• Knowledge and understanding of the process of journals peer review process
• An interest and awareness in academic publishing, and an up to date knowledge of market trends
• A strong command of English spelling and grammar
• Knowledge and experience of process-driven workflows
• Experience of working in a customer-facing role
• Ability to be detail-oriented, accurate, and a problem-solver
• Excellent organization skills and confidence in completing multiple tasks to deadlines
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills and a desire to provide to excellent customer service
• The ability to recognize process improvement opportunities
• Good persuasion and influencing skills, showing empathy for others’ viewpoints
• Have flexibility to adjust to change in works plans or assignments
• Familiarity with Microsoft Office software
• Fluent in Standard Chinese/ Mandarin