Senior Editor - The Lancet

The Senior Editor will join The Lancet’s internationally respected editorial team, a collaborative group of editors, researchers, and publishing professionals based primarily in London and working closely with colleagues worldwide. The team is committed to publishing research and commentary of the highest scientific and ethical standards, addressing the most important issues in global health and clinical medicine. Working under the leadership of Helen Frankish, Senior Executive Editor, the team places strong emphasis on editorial rigor, integrity, inclusivity, and constructive engagement with authors, peer reviewers, and academic editors in a fast‑paced, mission‑driven environment.

Your skills and experience should span the full spectrum of material published in The Lancet and you should be able to work in a team‑based, fast‑paced environment with international reach. You will need first‑class writing skills to present complex clinical, public health, and policy topics of worldwide importance, guide experts of international standing in producing relevant content that aims to achieve change, evaluate research papers, attract research papers, organise peer review, and see research papers through to publication. You should also be able to lead meetings, chair conferences, and represent The Lancet externally at high‑level meetings.

• Read and critically evaluate all papers allocated, apply in‑depth and up‑to‑date scientific and medical knowledge, present them to the editorial team, arrange peer review with appropriate experts, and participate in consensual decision‑making.
• Take part in the critical assessment of other editors’ papers across the Lancet family at pre‑review and post‑review stages.
• Negotiate revisions with authors, ensuring that manuscripts accepted for publication meet the highest standards of medical and scientific reporting.
• Monitor ongoing research activity in allocated specialty areas, regularly communicate with international key medical researchers, and proactively attract key clinical trials to The Lancet.
• Commission seminars and reviews in agreement with the commissioning team.
• Work closely with the Senior Executive Editor (global) and the Editor‑in‑Chief in commissioning Global Health Series and Commissions.
• Work closely with the Senior Executive Editor (clinical) to contribute to the programme of Clinical Series and Commissions, suggesting ideas and commissioning series and commissions in clinically important areas.
• Lead and proactively shape such series and commissions by holding face‑to‑face meetings and ensuring first‑class novel in‑depth scientific work to effect change in areas of clinical and global importance.
• Foster relationships with commissioners, series authors, and relevant conference organisers and societies to achieve the widest possible dissemination and continuing attention to the topic.
• Take part in the weekly rota of leader writing.

• MD or PhD level education with research experience.
• Experience in a variety of health settings, both globally and by institution.
• Previous editorial experience in a leading general medical journal is an advantage.
• Ability to participate in team decisions and planning.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Organisational and planning skills to meet deadlines and continuously improve processes.
• Ability to communicate with authors, reviewers, commissioners, and high‑level international leaders in health with authority and confidence, applying broad and in‑depth clinical, scientific, and health policy knowledge.
• Solid grasp of technologies used in day‑to‑day editorial work.
• Ability to provide coaching and mentoring to less experienced editorial colleagues.
• Passionate about research, researchers, science, health care, and global health.
• Purposeful, driven, and results‑oriented; resilient and seeks to overcome challenges or barriers.
• Proactively seeking out content and making connections with research, clinical, and global health leaders.
• Intelligent and intellectually curious.
• Highly collaborative within a large team of different skill levels.

• Generous holiday allowance with the option to buy additional days.
• Health screening, eye care vouchers and private medical benefits.
• Wellbeing programmes.
• Life assurance.
• Access to a competitive contributory pension scheme.
• Long service awards.
• Save As You Earn share option scheme.
• Travel season ticket loan.
• Maternity, paternity and shared parental leave.
• Access to emergency care for both the elderly and children.
• RE CARES days, giving you time to support the charities and causes that matter to you.
• Access to employee resource groups with dedicated time to volunteer.
• Access to extensive learning and development resources.
• Access to employee discounts via Perks at Work.

This role is included in the pay bargaining unit represented by the National Union of Journalists (NUJ). We are an equal opportunity employer: qualified applicants are considered for and treated during employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, citizenship status, disability status, protected veteran status, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.