Back to jobs

PLOS Medicine - Associate/Senior Editor

UK-Remote, US-Remote

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

In the US, this is a union represented position as part of the Pacific Media Workers Guild, Local 39521 of the NewsGuild-Communication Workers of America.

Role Summary

PLOS Medicine is a leading open-access medical journal. We seek an Associate/Senior Editor to help develop and strengthen this influential venue for outstanding research and commentary on the major challenges to human health worldwide. 

This is an intellectually stimulating position that calls for a keen interest in the practice and communication of science. As an integral member of the editorial team on this leading open-access medicine journal, you will be responsible for recruiting and assessing research manuscripts, partnering with the Editorial Board of Academic Editors, handling peer review and commissioning articles for our Magazine section. We pride ourselves on providing a top-class service to authors thanks to direct engagement with our Editorial Board, reviewers and authors. A key aspect of the job is interaction with the scientific community, including attending international conferences and visiting research institutes. The successful candidate must therefore be dynamic and outgoing, be prepared to travel and have excellent interpersonal skills. As a PLOS Medicine editor, you will work with the editorial team to think outside of the box, trouble-shoot and innovate when necessary to respond to the needs of the scientific community. 

Responsibilities 

  • Handling research manuscripts submitted to the journal
  • Commissioning articles for the Magazine section
  • Undertaking lab visits and travelling to conferences to represent the journal and PLOS, and to recruit high-quality submissions to the journal
  • Participating in writing of editorials, blog posts and other related materials
  • Participating in the daily running of the journal, including all editorial projects and initiatives aligned with the goals of the journal 

Knowledge and Skills 

  • History of mentorship within publishing preferred for the Senior Editor Position. 
  • Experience in cross- collaboration and ability to manage projects
  • Ability to understand and assess research on a broad range of topics within the medical sciences.
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills.
  • A keen eye for detail
  • Outstanding time-management and organizational skills
  • Ability to work collaboratively, with teams across two continents, and deliver against firm deadlines.
  • A passion for science, scientific communication and open access.
  • Previous editorial experience in assessing research manuscripts and handling manuscripts through peer review is desired, but not required.

Qualifications

  • A PhD in a relevant scientific discipline and/or an advanced medical degree
  • At least 2 years’ editorial experience within scholarly publishing required for the Senior Editor position. 

 Physical Requirements and Work Environment 

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

The base salary range we’ve established for the Senior Editor is (UK) £42,000 - £57,000 (US) $75,000 - $100,000. The base salary range we’ve established for the Associate Editor position is (UK) £35,000 - £47,000 (US) $65,000- $85,000. The salary will depend on several factors. PLOS also offers a comprehensive benefits package that will be shared with candidates in the interview process.

The Organization:

PLOS is a non-profit, Open Access publisher empowering researchers to accelerate progress in science and medicine by leading a transformation in research communication. PLOS journals propelled the movement for OA alternatives to subscription journals. We established the first multi-disciplinary publication inclusive of all excellent research regardless of novelty or impact and demonstrated the importance of open data availability. As we continue to lead the way in making research content more open, we need to make it a system that's open for everyone. We are intentionally spreading our roots deeper, globally. 

We believe in pushing the boundaries of 'Open' to create a more equitable system of scientific knowledge and understanding—it’s core to who we are, inside and out. Beyond accepting distinct perspectives, we seek and support divergent backgrounds among our staff because we know differences strengthen our teams, our work, and our communities. We’re ever-evolving in our journey for representation and equity, and strongly encourage applicants of diverse identities to apply: you’ll find a group of critical thinkers eager to challenge the status quo and learn with you as we continue breaking barriers to open science.

 

To learn more about how PLOS protects your privacy, see our Employee Privacy Notice.

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Resume/CV*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Cover Letter

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Select...
Select...
Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Public Library of Science’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.