Associate Director, Publishing

About This Opportunity

Our talent team is representing a confidential open-access publishing organization seeking an Associate Director, Publishing to provide strategic leadership for their journal portfolio. This is a fully remote position open to candidates in the UK and select US states (FL, IL, MA, MD, NY, PA, TX, VA).

In this senior leadership role, you'll guide a team of publishers responsible for journal performance and strategic development, ensuring that portfolio priorities align with organizational goals. You'll translate strategy into actionable priorities, using publishing data, financial insights, and market intelligence to drive growth and innovation across a portfolio of scientific journals.

Responsibilities

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead and develop a team of senior publishing professionals responsible for journal and subject portfolio performance
• Establish clear goals, priorities, and accountability measures aligned with organizational strategy
• Provide coaching, professional development, succession planning, and performance management
• Foster a culture of collaboration, inclusion, accountability, and continuous improvement

Portfolio Strategy & Performance

• Develop and implement portfolio-wide publishing strategies aligned with organizational objectives
• Lead regular portfolio reviews and develop recommendations regarding journal positioning and growth opportunities
• Balance individual journal needs with broader portfolio and organizational objectives
• Support team in identifying and responding to changes in research communities and the publishing market
• Guide evaluation and development of new journals, products, and publishing models
• Develop consistent decision-making frameworks for evaluating opportunities across the portfolio

Strategic & Business Leadership

• Translate organizational strategy into clear portfolio priorities and plans
• Oversee publishing budgets and forecasts, ensuring responsible resource allocation
• Build productive partnerships across editorial, operations, sales, product, technology, and marketing teams
• Support development of impactful relationships with editors-in-chief, editorial boards, and research institutions
• Partner with marketing to strengthen journal positioning and portfolio visibility
• Model culture change and lead transformation initiatives effectively

What We're Looking For

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
• Substantial experience in STM publishing with progressively increased responsibility
• Proven track record launching open-access journals from proposal to publication
• Experience managing senior publishing professionals or comparable portfolio leaders
• Strong commercial and financial skills, including budgeting, forecasting, and P&L ownership
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute strategic plans that deliver measurable outcomes
• Track record of leading high-performing, geographically distributed teams
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills across cultures and disciplines
• Dedication to open access and transforming scholarly communication
• Business problem-solving approach with curiosity and strategic thinking

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading high-volume journal portfolios and/or megajournals

Work Environment

• Fully remote position with home office stipend provided
• Some national and international travel required
• Flexibility to work across time zones as needed

How We Work with You

When you apply through Get A Job.ai, our recruiting team will review your qualifications and conduct an initial screening. We'll discuss your experience in publishing leadership, portfolio strategy, and team management. If there's a strong match, we'll submit your profile to our client for consideration. Please apply exclusively through Get A Job.ai and do not contact the employer directly.

Pay

Pay via Get A Job.ai varies by location. This search encompasses candidates in both the US and UK markets.

Equal Opportunity

Get A Job.ai is committed to equal employment opportunity. We celebrate diversity and are dedicated to creating an inclusive environment for all candidates and employees.