Publication Ethics Publishing Editor

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

*This is a union represented position as part of the Pacific Media Workers Guild, Local 39521 of the NewsGuild-Communication Workers of America

PLOS is a non-profit organization on a mission to drive open science forward with measurable, meaningful change in research publishing, policy, and practice. We believe in a better future where science is open to all, for all.

Role Summary

The PLOS Publication Ethics team works to uphold the integrity and reliability of PLOS publications, supports PLOS journals in publication ethics-related issues and policy development, and engages with external parties and organizations to contribute to external publication ethics-related discussions and initiatives.  

We are hiring a Publishing Editor, Publication Ethics. This role is well-suited to individuals who have experience in publishing operations or in editorial assistant/associate roles; who bring operational strengths, an eye for detail, and a strong commitment to teamwork; and who would like to develop expertise in publication ethics and related editorial skills.  

The Publishing Editor, Publication Ethics will work closely with others on the PLOS Publication Ethics team to address PLOS’ ethics and integrity needs. You will collaborate with Publication Ethics editors and journal editors to help address ethics cases for all PLOS journals; develop expertise in image forensics, ethics case triage, and independent case management; own responsibilities for pub ethics workflows and reporting; contribute to team projects and discussions; and have opportunities to attend COPE forums and integrity-focused webinars. This is predominantly an operations role, but once the Publishing Editor, Publication Ethics is well-established in fulfilling the core operations responsibilities, this position also offers the opportunity to develop expertise in image forensics and independent management of some types of ethics cases. 

Responsibilities 

• Contribute to publication ethics casework (triage, follow-up, and resolution) in an organized, efficient, and timely manner. Fulfill Publishing Editor responsibilities as outlined in the team’s documentation.  

• Communicate rapidly and effectively with the editorial teams (Publication Ethics & journal editors), Editorial Board members, authors, external consultants/reviewers, Production, and other teams involved in ethics case follow-up or resolution.  

• Contribute to pub ethics workflow development and optimization. You may be asked to serve as the team’s point-person for workflows or other aspects of publication ethics work.  

• Attend and contribute to publication ethics team meetings.  

• Contribute as requested to team projects and initiatives, delivering your contributions according to set timelines.  

• Attend COPE Forums or other events as opportunities arise to develop your expertise in publication ethics.  

• Help to recruit and train for vacant team positions. Help to train PLOS staff on other teams in Salesforce for pub ethics and workflows relevant to publication ethics case work. 

• Develop expertise in image forensics and aspects of integrity case work. Contribute to team-level work on these issues and serve as primary case owner for a cohort of cases as outlined in objectives set by your manager.  

Qualifications and Experience 

• A bachelor’s degree and at least one year experience in publishing, preferably for a science, technical, and medical (STM) journal or publisher 

• Highly efficient self-starter and team player with an eye for detail and excellent organizational skills, problem-solving skills, analytical skills  

• Excellent communication, feedback, and presentation skills, both written and oral 

• Comfortable working with a remote team 

• A commitment to open access and research integrity. 

 Preferred 

• A bachelor’s degree in a scientific or social sciences discipline, or 1+ year experience in scientific or clinical research  

• At least one year of work experience in peer review operations or a publishing role that involves engagement with authors, editorial board members, and/or reviewers 

• Familiar with publication ethics issues and standards, COPE guidance, and editorial standards for research publications 

• Demonstrated record of discretion and good judgement 

The base salary range we’ve established for this position is (UK) £27,000 - £36,800 (US) $55,000 - $75,000. The final salary will depend on several factors, including the candidate’s relevant work experience, skills, education, and other qualifications; the region in which the candidate resides, and internal pay equity with current PLOS employees in similar jobs. PLOS also offers a comprehensive benefits package that will be shared with candidates in the interview process.

About PLOS 

Building on a strong legacy of pioneering innovation, PLOS continues to be a catalyst in open science, reimagining models to meet open science principles, removing barriers and promoting inclusion in knowledge creation and sharing, and publishing research outputs that enable everyone to learn from, reuse and build upon scientific knowledge.

Our work is supported by a highly skilled global in-house team, partnerships with local scholarly organizations, and the valued contributions of a diverse, international community of scientific researchers.

We’re committed to equal opportunity

We’re working to create a more equitable system of scientific knowledge and understanding. Removing barriers to inclusion and facilitating broad participation of voices is core to our success, 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 strongly encourage applicants of all identities to join us as we work towards a future where science is open to all, for all. 

Visit plos.org/careers to learn more.