Editorial Assistant - School of Education - 107457 - Grade 5 in Birmingham

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £30,062 to £31,900, with potential progression once in post to £35,883.

Part Time 0.4 FTE (14 hours per week)

Fixed Term contract up to December 2029

Closing date: 3rd June 2026

Role Summary

The Editorial Assistant will undertake the day-to-day administration of the Educational Review journal. Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Monitoring the journal’s email account and answering author queries.
• Managing article submissions through the review process.
• Organising book reviews and liaising with publishers, the production office and editorial board members.
• Organising meetings and events and other ad hoc administrative duties.
• Working independently and on their own initiative to support the work of the wider editorial team.

Main Duties

• Receive submissions and oversee their progress through the review process, using ScholarOne Manuscripts.
• Use ScholarOne to diagnose/resolve problems on behalf of editors, authors and reviewers; extract data and compile reports; and liaise with the publisher to make improvements to the system.
• Manage the book review process by securing reviewers, procuring review copies, copy editing completed reviews, providing offprints to book publishers, and tracking progress in Microsoft Excel.
• Respond to emails from the journal’s email account, either by signposting or directly resolving queries independently.
• Communicate respectfully and patiently with authors and reviewers of different levels of seniority and from different cultural backgrounds.
• Build and maintain excellent relationships with National and International editorial board members, relevant University contacts and various Publisher departments.
• Organise biannual editorial board meetings to take place either in person or virtually.
• Liaise with authors, the publisher and the editorial team to organise the annual Article of the Year seminar.
• Monitor expenditure and ensure events remain within a designated budget.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

Essential

• Educated to A Level standard, or equivalent level 3 qualification or relevant work experience.
• Minimum of grade C in Mathematics and English at GCSE or equivalent.
• Administrative experience.
• Highly proficient IT skills, including MS Office.
• Understanding of the academic publishing market.
• Proven ability to plan and anticipate requirements.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Evidence of copy-editing experience with a high level of attention to detail.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• A high degree of professionalism, tact, and diplomacy.
• Ability to work effectively in a large, complex organisation.
• Evidence of working independently and reliably.
• Ability to solve day-to-day and more complex editorial problems.
• A methodical approach; an aptitude for accuracy, numeracy and attention to detail.

Desirable

• Publishing/journals editorial experience.
• Experience of working in Higher Education.
• Experience working with editorial systems such as ScholarOne Manuscripts.
• Knowledge and interest in Education as a subject.

Planning and organising

The post-holder will receive direction where necessary from the Journal Manager but will generally work independently.

Problem solving and decision making

The post-holder will navigate University regulations, Publisher policies and journal practice to inform their decision-making.

Internal and external relationships

The post-holder will foster excellent working relationships with members of the journal’s editorial team, as well as with publishing professionals and academics of varying seniority and diverse cultural backgrounds.