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

Position Details

• Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK
• Grade: 5
• Employment type: Fixed Term contract (up to December 2029)
• Full time: 40 % of full time; part time: 0.4 FTE (14 hours per week)
• Salary range: £30,062 to £31,900 (potential progression to £35,883)
• Closing date: 3rd June 2026

Job Summary

The Editorial Assistant will undertake the day‑to‑day administration of the Educational Review journal, supporting the wider editorial team by managing article submissions, organising book reviews, liaising with publishers and other stakeholders, and coordinating meetings and events.

Main Duties

• Receive submissions and oversee their progress through the review process, using ScholarOne Manuscripts.
• Diagnose and resolve problems on behalf of editors, authors and reviewers; extract data, compile reports and liaise with the publisher to improve the system.
• Manage the book review process: secure reviewers, procure review copies, copy‑edit completed reviews, provide off‑prints to book publishers, and track 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 varying seniority and cultural backgrounds.
• Communicate with high‑profile academics independently.
• Build and maintain excellent relationships with national and international editorial board members, relevant university contacts and publisher departments (e.g., marketing, production).
• Organise bi‑annual editorial board meetings, arranging venue, catering, agenda, invitations, minutes and processing travel expense claims.
• Liaise with authors, the publisher and the editorial team to organise the annual Article of the Year seminar and promote participation internationally.
• Monitor expenditure and ensure events remain within budget.

Essential Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

• Educated to A Level standard, or an equivalent Level 3 qualification, or relevant work experience that demonstrates the required skills.
• Minimum grade C in Mathematics and English at GCSE or equivalent.
• Administrative experience.
• Highly proficient IT skills, including MS Office; confidence in learning new software quickly.
• Understanding of the academic publishing market.
• Proven ability to plan, anticipate requirements, prioritise tasks, and meet deadlines.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to write for varying audiences and maintain grammatical accuracy.
• Copy‑editing experience with attention to detail.
• Excellent interpersonal skills; ability to inspire confidence and command authority across diverse groups.
• High degree of professionalism, tact, diplomacy and discretion with sensitive information.
• Initiative, personal judgement, resourcefulness, flexibility and a self‑motivation approach.
• Ability to work effectively in a large, complex organisation such as a university.
• Evidence of independent, reliable work delivering results on time without supervision.
• Ability to solve editorial problems independently and identify enquiries requiring editorial decision.
• A methodical approach with strong numeracy and attention to detail.

Desirable

• Publishing/journal editorial experience.
• Experience working in Higher Education.
• Experience with editorial systems such as ScholarOne Manuscripts and CATS Informa.
• Knowledge and interest in education as a subject.

Planning and Organising

The post-holder will receive direction from the Journal Manager where necessary but will generally work independently, setting priorities and timetabling, and prioritising tasks for the Executive Editor.

Problem Solving and Decision Making

The post-holder will navigate university regulations, publisher policies and journal practice to inform decision‑making. They will use judgement to determine the best course of action and appropriate response to various issues, including sensitive authorship matters, complex technical/copyright queries and occasional complaints, maintaining confidentiality and publishing ethics.

Internal and External Relationships

The post-holder will foster excellent working relationships with the journal’s editorial team, publishing professionals and academics of varying seniority and diverse cultural backgrounds. They will recognise that their communications and decisions impact the reputation and standing of the journal, the university and the publisher.

Benefits

• 40 days paid holiday per year.
• One paid day per year for volunteering.
• Occupational sick pay and a pension scheme.
• Subsidised day nurseries (three high‑quality facilities).

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff, and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of university life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the university as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy.