Press Manager - PLoS ONE

Title: Press Manager - PLoS ONE
Organization: Public Library of Science
PLoS (the Public Library of Science) is a nonprofit publisher and advocacy organization located in San Francisco, CA, USA and Cambridge, U.K. Our mission is to accelerate progress in science and medicine by leading a transformation in research communication. Everything that we publish is open-access - freely available online for anyone to use and we maximize the value of this resource through technology.

We are looking for an energetic and committed person for the position of Editorial Press Manager for the open access academic journal PLoS ONE (currently the largest academic journal in the world and undergoing rapid growth). This full time position in our San Francisco office provides an excellent opportunity to learn about the changing publishing environment and contribute to a dynamic and mission-driven not-for-profit organization that is part of the free-knowledge/free-culture movement.

The Press Manager is a newly created position in response to the rapid growth of PLoS ONE. This position requires a professional who can quickly and accurately respond to information while under pressure, while coordinating effectively with various team members and stakeholders to ensure that a high volume -- up to 20 press releases weekly – achieve the mission of delivering scientific knowledge to the public.

As a member of the editorial administration team, the Press Manager should excel at communication skills and project management. This position requires a professional who is able to make sound judgment and take decisive action regarding the value of scientific research to the press and the public. The Editorial Press Manager should have a strong understanding of a variety of scientific disciplines and be keenly aware of the importance of timeliness when pitching stories to press and social media outlets. Key tasks include reviewing a large volume of incoming papers for potential press interest, tracking papers through the publishing process, collaborating with authors to ensure accuracy of details, creating press releases, and identifying and pitching stories to various outlets, including print and electronic media.

Responsibilities

- Review and process large volume of incoming papers for potential press interest
- Track papers through the publication process and take action at appropriate times (e.g. contact authors once the paper gets a first decision, coordinate with production department to publication timelines, etc
- Create numerous press releases on a weekly basis, quickly edit for accuracy and comprehension and position appropriately for target outlet/audience
- Pitch stories to internal team at the weekly ‘Press Selection Meeting’ (of accepted papers)
- Liaise with internal departments to ensure press papers publish on time
- Notify authors of selection status; collect quotes, draft press releases, etc.
- Liaise directly with authors and - when available - author’s Press Officers
- Build relationships and create solid network in order to develop a rolodex of Press Contacts; partner with those contacts to ‘place’ stories
- Research and utilize social media tools; contribute to Twitter feed and maintain Twitter following, etc.
- Contribute at least 1 blog post per week to EveryONE (PLoS ONE’s community blog)
- Identify videos and/or solicit videos from authors and upload to the video channel
- Proactively develop new processes and systems that lead to more efficient and effective practices in editorial administration and within the scope of the press manager role

Posted: 04/23/2012 - 04:37 p.m.

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