Associate Director, Publishing

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in United Kingdom, +1 more country.

📋 Description

• Provide strategic direction for the PLOS journal portfolio.

• Align portfolio priorities, publishing investments, and journal development strategies with organizational objectives and PLOS’s mission.

• Lead and nurture a team of Publishers responsible for the performance and strategic advancement of the journal portfolio.

• Act as the primary steward of publishing performance across the portfolio.

• Convert organizational strategy into clear priorities and ensure effective coordination throughout the organization.

• Utilize publishing data, financial insights, market intelligence, and insights from the research community to inform strategic decisions, identify growth and innovation opportunities, and manage risks.

• Guide, develop, and support senior publishing professionals.

• Set goals, priorities, and accountability measures.

• Offer coaching, professional development, succession planning, and performance management.

• Formulate and execute a comprehensive publishing strategy across the portfolio.

• Conduct portfolio reviews and suggest journal positioning, growth opportunities, performance enhancements, and future directions.

• Assess and cultivate new journals, products, services, and publishing models.

• Manage publishing budgets and forecasts while responsibly allocating resources.

• Act on behalf of the Director of Publishing & Publishing Operations when necessary.

• Foster partnerships across Editorial, Publishing Operations, Sales & Global Publishing Development, Product, Technology, Marketing, Finance, Research Integrity, and other departments.

• Enhance journal positioning, audience engagement, portfolio visibility, and demand generation in collaboration with Marketing and Communications.

• Drive organizational change, cultural development, cross-functional collaboration, and accountability.

⛳️ Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.

• Extensive experience in launching Open Access journals from proposal to publication.

• Strong commercial and financial acumen, including experience with budgeting, forecasting, business planning, and P&L ownership.

• Significant experience in STM publishing with progressively increasing levels of responsibility.

• Experience in managing senior publishing professionals or comparable portfolio leaders.

• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement strategic plans that achieve measurable business and operational results.

• Proven track record of leading and developing high-performing, geographically dispersed teams.

• Exceptional communication, relationship-building, and stakeholder management skills across various cultures, disciplines, and organizational functions.

• Commitment to open access and transforming scholarly communication, with a genuine interest in engaging productively with the scientific community.

• Preferred: Experience in leading high-volume journal portfolios and/or megajournals.

• Prolonged periods of being stationary at a desk and working on a computer.

🏝️ Benefits

• Private medical insurance.

• Life assurance.

• Income protection.

• Personal accident insurance.

• Pension plan with up to 10% employer match.

• 25 days of annual leave.

• Market-competitive maternity and paternity leave.

• Birthday and three winter holidays off.

• 2 days of paid time off for volunteering each year.

• Fully remote work environment with a stipend for home office setup upon joining.

• 401k plan with employer match (US).

• Employee-sponsored health, dental, and vision insurance (US; Dental and Vision 100% employer paid).

• Paid vacation, 11 public holidays, and sick leave (US).

• Parental leave (US).

• Short-term and long-term disability insurance (US).

• Occasional national and international travel may be required.

• Some flexibility to work across time zones may be necessary.