Publication Ethics- Senior Editor, Team Manager (Fixed Term Contract)

Join to apply for the role at PLOS. The position is anticipated to be short-term, and not expected to exceed 12 months. Please note that there is no guaranteed duration of the position, and your employment will be at will and for no fixed duration. As such, it can be terminated by you or the organization at any time, with or without notice or cause, for any reason not otherwise prohibited by law.

This position is fully remote/home based. Applications will be accepted from candidates based in the UK and the following US states: FL, IL, MA, MD, NY, PA, TX, VA.

PLOS is a non-profit organization on a mission to drive open science forward with measurable, meaningful change in research publishing, policy, and practice. We believe in a better future where science is open to all, for all.

Role Summary

As a Senior Editor, Team Manager, you contribute to team strategy development and implementation in coordination with the Managing Editor and other Senior Editor Team Managers; you manage a cohort of staff within the Publication Ethics team, and you own primary responsibility for one or more aspects of the team’s work.

You recruit, train and develop team members, advise staff on case investigations and decisions, and help to lead or oversee publication ethics case decision-making together with the other Publication Ethics managers and journal leads. In addition to your managerial responsibilities, you contribute to investigations of publication ethics cases (particularly those requiring advanced expertise or urgent action), and you may be assigned to lead or otherwise contribute to projects, initiatives, or cross-functional partnerships that support the team’s objectives. You will also attend virtual COPE events, and may be asked to contribute to internal or external communications, policy development, and/or cross-industry initiatives addressing a need within the wider publication ethics community.

This role will join the management team for the Publication Ethics team’s standard case group. This group’s primary case work responsibilities cover a broad array of integrity issues (e.g., image/data integrity, animal/human research ethics, authorship or data ownership disputes, etc.) that typically involve individual articles or research groups.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Manage a group of Publication Ethics team members, which may include staff with operational and/or editorial responsibilities.
• Objective setting and performance evaluation for your direct reports.
• Provide training, feedback, and support for Publication Ethics team members (including staff who are not your direct reports).
• Inform the Managing Editor of any major achievements or performance concerns involving your reports.
• Inform the Managing Editor of any support or training needs for you or your reports.
• Support the professional development of your direct reports.
• Provide cover for other Publication Ethics managers, and arrange or provide cover for your reports, as needed.

Responsibilities

• Resolve publication ethics cases efficiently and in line with PLOS standards and COPE guidance; provide timely support for others’ publication ethics case work; liaise with Legal and Communications departments as needed for your and your reports’ cases; help respond to any COPE or Legal queries involving your or your reports’ cases; prevent reputational damage to PLOS journals as feasible.
• Together with the other Publication Ethics managers, contribute to team strategy development and implementation, prioritization and delegation of cases and projects, team retreat planning and delivery, and evaluation of efforts toward achieving team-level goals.
• Contribute as requested (may be in leading/responsible, advisory, contributor, or informed roles) to team-level and/or cross-functional initiatives and projects that address ethics and integrity needs at PLOS.
• Contribute to internal discussions about publication ethics, research integrity, and related issues in team-level and interdepartmental/cross-team forums.
• Address escalations and queries about publication ethics issues.
• Maintain an awareness of cross-industry issues and initiatives and attend COPE Forums that fall within your working hours.
• You may be asked to represent PLOS Publication Ethics at meetings, workshops, and/or other forums relevant to publication ethics and research integrity, or to contribute to outward-facing communications about publication ethics issues.
• You may also be asked to represent PLOS on an external project or working group related to publication ethics work.
• Help with recruitment and onboarding for vacant Publication Ethics team positions, and lead offboarding for your reports when/if they leave the team.
• Uphold high standards of professionalism in all of your work for PLOS, and provide training, feedback, or support as needed if you notice any unprofessional behavior or communications by your direct reports.

Knowledge and Skills

• Considerable expertise in peer review, editorial decision-making, and publication ethics case investigations.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, both written and oral.
• Highly organized and efficient self-starter with excellent attention to detail and excellent problem-solving and analytical skills.
• A collaborative team player who demonstrates strong leadership skills, is comfortable leading a remote team, is proactive in identifying and addressing issues, and is effective in delivering and receiving feedback.
• A commitment to open access and research integrity.
• Deep knowledge of Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) standards and guidance (Preferred).
• Reporting and data analytics skills; expertise in image forensics; project management; leading trainings; cross-functional collaboration.

Qualifications

• PhD in a scientific discipline or similar clinical qualification.
• Experience in STM publishing experience in senior editorial roles or senior publication ethics roles.
• Extensive first-hand experience investigating and resolving a variety of publication ethics issues in STM publishing.
• A demonstrated aptitude for critically evaluating scientific articles or publication ethics issues (Preferred).
• Post-graduate research experience in a scientific, clinical, or social sciences discipline; prior experience in a supervisory or managerial role.

Physical Requirements and Work Environment

• Prolonged periods stationary at a desk and working on a computer.
• Some national and international travel may be required.
• Some flexibility to work across time zones.

Salary

The base salary range we’ve established for these positions is US: $105,000-$145,000, UK: £58,000 - £80,000.

PLOS also offers a comprehensive benefits package summarized below.

Benefits

• US: 401k with employer match, Employee sponsored health, dental and vision insurance (Dental and Vision 100% employer paid), Paid Vacation, 11 public holidays and sick leave, Parental leave, Birthday and three winter holidays days off, Short term and long term disability insurance, 2 days paid time off for volunteering per year, Fully remote work environment with stipend on joining for home office.
• UK: Private medical insurance, Life assurance, Income protection, Personal accident insurance, Pension with up to 10% employer match, 25 days holidays, market competitive Maternity and Paternity leave, Birthday and three winter holidays days off, 2 days paid time off for volunteering per year, Fully remote work environment with stipend on joining for home office.

About PLOS

Building on a strong legacy of pioneering innovation, PLOS continues to be a catalyst in open science, reimagining models to meet open science principles, removing barriers and promoting inclusion in knowledge creation and sharing, and publishing research outputs that enable everyone to learn from, reuse and build upon scientific knowledge.

Our work is supported by a highly skilled global in-house team, partnerships with local scholarly organizations, and the valued contributions of a diverse, international community of scientific researchers.

We’re committed to equal opportunity. We’re working to create a more equitable system of scientific knowledge and understanding. Removing barriers to inclusion and facilitating broad participation of voices is core to our success, inside and out. Beyond accepting distinct perspectives, we seek and support divergent backgrounds among our colleagues because we know differences strengthen our teams, our work, and our communities. We strongly encourage applicants of all identities to join us as we work towards a future where science is open to all, for all.

Visit plos.org/careers to learn more.