Senior Managing Editor

Job Description

SAPIENS is a digital magazine with the mission to deliver trusted, compelling, and relevant anthropology stories to public audiences. SAPIENS is a program of the Wenner-Gren Foundation, published through the University of Chicago Press as its partner. The Senior Managing Editor has responsibility for the oversight of the day-to-day operations of SAPIENS’ editorial office and staff. Liaises between editors, authors, and the scholarly community, on behalf of the journals and the University of Chicago Press (UCP). Contributes to discussions of publishing strategies and editorial initiatives for SAPIENS in cooperation with the UCP publication managers and other UCP staff. The senior managing editor reports to the Journals Director of the Press and works closely with the Wenner-Gren leadership to fulfill SAPIENS’ mission.

 

Responsibilities

• Manage the operation of the editorial offices of SAPIENS. Oversee the editorial review process and the day-to-day functions of the office, taking on routine tasks as needed. Track progress of pitches and drafts from submission through editorial review to final decision and manage pipeline.

• Supervise a staff of full-time editors and, on occasion, one or more part-time interns or contractors, including managing performance and the reviews process. Assist in hiring and training positions. Effectively lead small team, delegate and assign tasks, and empower individuals to work together.

• Ensure that all articles and content are delivered on time and meet the standards of SAPIENS and the University of Chicago Press. Work with production, editorial, and electronic publishing to troubleshoot and solve problems. Manage and track publication agreements, permissions requests, and perform other administrative management functions.

• Liaise between the Press, Editors, editorial board members, and authors. Maintain and nurture relationships with the Wenner-Gren Foundation and partners with SAPIENS. Responsibilities include daily and heavy correspondence with all stakeholders. Must be a problem solver, deadline-oriented, diplomatic, and comfortable working and communicating with representatives from administrative to executive levels.

• Prepare monthly and annual reports of publication-wide statistics as needed.

• Represent the magazine and the Press at academic meetings as needed.

• Oversee the social media presence, newsletters, promotional materials, and published content on the magazine’s website.

• Collaborates with authors to resolve routine and moderate problems using existing procedures and to clarify meaning. Assists with quality control by proofreading edited manuscripts.

• Coordinate all stages of manuscript editing and proof review up to the time the book is bound and edit and approve catalog and jacket materials with guidance from others.

• Performs other related work as needed.

Job Requirements

Minimum Qualifications
 

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

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Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

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Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

 

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree.

 

Experience:

• At least 5 years’ experience in journal, magazine, or newspaper publishing.

• At least 3 years’ experience supervising an editorial staff.

• Familiarity with research in archaeology, biological anthropology, cultural anthropology, and anthropological linguistics.

• Excellent written and verbal communication.

• Demonstrated ability to work independently with a high degree of initiative.

• Proficient ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously, set priorities, and meet deadlines.

• Manage stressful situations with ease.

• Manage complex projects with a high level of organization, excellent time management, and attention to detail.

• Experience in science communication, journalism, or popular magazine and newspaper writing and editing.

• Experience actively supervising staff, and day-to-day management of a team to ensure collaborative and productive work.

 

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Familiarity with Microsoft Office Suite. Knowledge of WordPress, MailChimp, SEO, analytics, and various social media platforms.

 

Preferred Competencies

• Communicate clearly in writing.

• Solve problems.

• Deal with others with tact.

• Respond quickly and appropriately to emails and queries.

• Maintain confidentiality.

• Coordinate with others and work in a team.

 

Working Conditions

• May requires some domestic or international travel.

• Hybrid/remote work arrangement may be considered.

• Must be U.S.-based.

 

 

Application Documents

• Resume (Required)

• Cover Letter (Required)

When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

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