*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, KS, 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.
Role Summary
PLOS is a nonprofit, Open Access publisher empowering researchers to accelerate progress in science and medicine by leading a transformation in research communication. As the Publishing Operations Content Specialist, you are a key member of the Publishing Operations team at PLOS, responsible for providing oversight of the content publication proces s post-acceptance . The y will review, implement and adjust the production schedule as necessary, follow up with various departments to ensure established production targets, monitor performance reports, and communicate with vendors to ensure quality.
Th is person is the day-to-day point of contact for PLOS journals, and they work to ensure submissions are production-ready a nd published in a timely manner . This position plays a pivotal role in producing published content, ensuring high quality d eliverable s, monitoring vendor performance, and advancing mission-inspired goals.
Responsibilities
Content Management
Ensure the timely , efficient production and publication of accepted content
Identify and remove barriers to publication.
Troubleshoot persistent research output or system issues and exer cise j udgment to escalate to the Senior Production Operations Manager.
Ensure standard production workflows are maintained and well documented as established
I mplement, recommend improvement s and adopt process updates when approved by the Senior Production Operations Manager
Query Management
Execute and confirm completion of corrections and other updates to research outputs pre and post publication.
Ensure that manuscripts and other research outputs meet requirements and follow current policies and procedures.
Respond to production-related queries from contributors, internal and external stakeholders.
Ge neral
Proactively identify standard-workflow deviations, disruptions, or backlogs to diagnose persistent production issues or process inefficiencies.
Proactively raise data-driven recommendations for continuous production operations and workflow improvements to the Production team leadership.
Contribute to workflow project proposals as requested , and undertake operations projects as directed by the Senior Production Operations Manager
Stay abreast of industry best practices.
Work closely with other PLOS departments to ensure common goals are achieved, deadlines and deliverables are on track, and issues are resolved collaboratively.
Vendor Management
Serve as daily liaison with vendor representatives, monitoring quality and timeliness performance against target thresholds and KPIs.
Knowledge And Skills
Experience in peer-reviewed scholarly publishing
Experience of direct-to-XML-based publishing methods with the ability to troubleshoot issues with publishing staff and composition vendor.
Strong working knowledge of production workflow management systems, publishing and/or graphics arts procedures and related computer software and electronic communications tools.
P roject management skills a plus
Excellent communication and presentation skills, both written and oral
H ighly organized, detail oriented, and proactive in solving problems.
Work s under tight deadlines while achieving a high standard of quality and accuracy.
Sets priorities and work independently.
H a s a growth mindset.
Has a collaborative, team player mentality with internal staff and external vendors, and authors
Working knowledge of Excel, Word, file types and file conversions
Knowledge of and expertise with archival and syndication workflows is a plus.
Qualifications
A university degree or equivalent experience
Physical Requirements And Work Environment
Prolonged periods stationary at a desk and working on a computer
Some national and international travel may/will be required
Some flexibility to work across time zones
The base salary range we’ve established for this position is ( US) $26.44-$36.06 per hour. 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.
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.