Assistant Managing Editor -Transportation Research Record

Job Description Summary:

** Cover Letter Required **

At the Transportation Research Board (TRB), we care about the complex transportation challenges facing us today, including those that address equity, safety, climate change, congestion, and sustainability. We monitor the direction of emerging technologies like drones, 3-D printing, artificial intelligence, and driverless vehicles, and we study the impact they have on our nation. We are a division of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, which provides nonpartisan, objective guidance for decision and policy makers.

Job Description:

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES

Peer Review and Production:

Leads a team of in-house and vendor editorial support for all aspects of scholarly peer review and journal production. Leads weekly meetings to ensure schedules are met and production goals achieved.

Serves as primary contact for the 250+ volunteer Editorial Board. Assigns ~1700 papers per year. Works with Editor in Chief (EIC) to identify gaps in expertise and assist in recruiting new editors as needed. Provides editor training and support to ensure integrity throughout the review process.

Works with publications team to process and support review of ~6500 paper submissions for the Annual Meeting. Coordinates with TRB Senior Program staff to manage the transfer of potential journal content from the committee-based review platform to the TRR Editorial Board.

Communication:

Responsible for the timely, professional resolution of production matters escalated by the in-house and vendor Editorial Staff. Ability to recognize when a situation requires escalation.

Identifies, researches, and, with the Director of Publications and Outreach, resolves all allegations of ethical misconduct. Follows the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines with a high degree of professionalism.

Analysis:

Proactively tracks and analyzes editorial data, identifying trends. Suggests workflow improvements based on data analysis. Implements changes and updates documentation as needed. Compiles reports for Director of Publications and Outreach.

Keeps abreast of the evolving industry landscape. Ability to quickly change gears and consider emerging viewpoints.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

Skills and Experience:

• Demonstrated ability to thrive in a fast-paced and results-oriented environment.

• Experience resolving issues with authors, reviewers, and editors and demonstrated ability to lead a production team.

• Digital proficiency and understanding of online workflows is essential.

• Proven expertise in web-based peer review platforms, xml-in editing, and digital proof markup.

• Excellent customer service skills, with an emphasis on customer-centric innovation.

• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to handle multiple, often conflicting, priorities under strict deadline.

• Ability to manage ambiguity; can operate and lead effectively in an uncertain or changing environment.

• Excellent writing and editing skills, including summary and report writing, as well as correspondence.

• Experience analyzing and presenting data using Google Analytics a plus.

• Ability to convey complex concepts succinctly using Excel and Powerpoint.

• Expertise with current trends and best practices in scholarly publishing.

Minimum Education/Training Requirements: Bachelor’s Degree in English, Journalism, Communications or related field, or equivalent knowledge.
Minimum Experience: 4 years experience with peer review and production of a scholarly journal
Physical Capabilities: Ability to work at a computer for extended periods of time.
Required Licenses, Certification or Registration: None.
Supervisory Responsibilities/Controls: Reports to Director/Editor. General direction is provided. Supervises assigned staff.
Compensation Range: The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine support equity, fairness, and transparency in our compensation programs. An estimated compensation range for this position is $70,880 - $88,600. Compensation offered to the selected candidate will be based on the candidate’s relevant knowledge, skills, and work experience, commensurate with compensation of current employees in comparable positions with similar knowledge, skills, and work experience, and subject to budget parameters. Note it is not typical for a candidate to be hired at the higher end of the range.   This is a benefits-eligible position.  Our Benefits Plan offers competitive and comprehensive benefit options, including medical, dental and vision insurance, life insurance, disabili