The MIT Press welcomes applicants from diverse backgrounds. Candidates who have significant personal experience or engagement with low-income communities or communities that are underrepresented in scholarly publishing are strongly encouraged to apply.
Open Positions:
Journals Production Associate
The MIT Press is seeking a Journals Production Associate to assist in the production workflow – from manuscript receipt through print and online publication – for five to seven academic journals and to work on a defined set of journal titles, creating schedules, keeping issues running on time, and monitoring expenses, to be the primary production contact for editors, authors, and vendors, explaining and clarifying procedures and resolving issues/queries, and to take on projects not strictly related to daily production traffic that will help the department meet goals and improve efficiency.
Responsibilities include: organizing and maintaining editorial, production, and publication (print and online) flow for journals; preparing, distributing, and maintaining article- and issue-level publication schedules in a database; maintaining communications with editors, authors, vendors, and coworkers; generating and updating article records in a database; preparing manuscripts for copyediting and composition; trafficking manuscripts and page proofs to and from editors/freelancers/vendors; monitoring copyediting, proofreading, and composition; collecting and routing publication agreements; preparing and routing print runs for review by managers; preparing advertisements for each issue; assembling journal components for manufacturing; preparing digital content for publication online; and performing a variety of other duties as assigned or as a member of the journals team.
Job Requirements
Required:
A high school diploma or its equivalent; three years’ communications experience; strong interpersonal and communication skills using email, video conferencing, and telephone; strong organizational and time-management skills; ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously under deadline pressure; proficiency with Word and Adobe Acrobat Pro; and familiarity with Excel.
Preferred:
A bachelor’s degree in related field, knowledge of InDesign and XML, and familiarity with basic copyediting and proofreading standards.
The MIT Press offers a hybrid work environment. This position can be fully remote, partially remote, or fully onsite.
Art Project Manager
We are not currently accepting applications for this position.
The MIT Press is seeking an Art Project Manager to evaluate all submitted art for each title published by the MITP and determine what actions need to be taken to ensure all digital files are present, usable, and acceptably formatted, and that figures and illustrations are of superior quality and appropriate resolution. Responsibilities include evaluating new art packages and determining which work will be kept in-house and which will be outsourced; producing high-caliber graphics for digital/print books; managing scope of work, budget, and schedule for art packages sent to external vendors; ensuring art follows brand style guidelines and maintains visual consistency; assessing digital files for missing images and potential for printing and/or reproduction problems; completing the turnover of art packages for composition; approving files returned from external vendors; converting images for best reproduction in text layout; converting digital figures to TIF or EPS files; collaborating on making art corrections before files are released to the production department; uploading final art assets to a content management system; participating in strategic planning; and remaining current on best practices.
Job Requirements
Required:
B.F.A./B.A./B.S.; three years’ relevant work experience; experience with print publications; ability to assess and fix art files and project manage art packages that are outsourced to external prepress vendors; ability to work on Macintosh and Windows platforms and with current and older design software as many authors supply files created with older software; proficiency with Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, and Microsoft Word; ability to work with vector art, Adobe Acrobat, FileMaker Pro, FTP application programs, PowerPoint, and Excel; and meticulous attention to detail.
Preferred:
Book publishing experience and knowledge of LaTex/TeX.
The MIT Press offers a hybrid work environment. This position can be fully remote, partially remote, or fully onsite.
Editorial Director
This position directs the MIT Press’s acquisitions department of 20+ staff and a book publishing program that outputs 300+ titles per year. Reporting to the Director of the Press, and working in close conjunction with the other strategic managers and functional directors who each manage large areas of the Press’s operations, the Editorial Director establishes the editorial vision and sets the overall direction for the book publishing at the MIT Press, consistent with the MIT Press’s mission statement and its objectives for the distinction of its imprint. This position is responsible for ensuring that each book project is well selected, developed, peer-reviewed and prepared for publication. The Editorial Director administers the Editorial Board, manages the acquisitions department, and serves as a senior member of Press management.
Principal Duties and Responsibilities
Assigns general editorial direction to editors at all levels and monitors the implementation of publishing plans; helps plan future directions for the book program and the MIT Press as a whole; sets individual signing goals annually for acquiring editors in consultation with the Director; monitors the total pipeline of unpublished projects with an eye to yielding balanced and full seasonal lists in future years; reviews all contracts prior to signing by the Director and Publisher; ensures the accurate recordkeeping of author contracts.
As a member of the senior management team at the Press, works with the Director and other managers to explore and implement new areas of the publishing program or the Press infrastructure that support the Press’s healthy future.
Sets annual title targets and list goals (e.g., number and type of titles, sales per title) for individual editors; meets regularly with the department and with individual staff members, including assistants; works with acquisitions editors to propose sound financial projections and publishing plans for each book, setting short-and long-term goals for individual editors and reviewing performance regularly; directs and and supports acquisitions staff through supervision, goal setting, performance evaluation, and professional development.
Develops lists, acquire occasional projects, and assists as needed in the acquisition of journals.; acquires TBD titles per year in relevant subject areas, depending on the candidate’s areas of expertise.
Ensures the effective supervision of acquisitions editors and assistants including work allocation, performance management, training, and professional development; incorporates new responsibilities and new roles as necessary; establishes effective training and professional development programs for all department staff.
Keeps abreast of developments in the all aspects of the MIT Press’s publishing program; tracks emerging fields, Press backlist sales performance, e-book sales and other factors in order to recommend appropriate program shifts; develops and implements new workflows and procedures.
Coordinates the preparation of sales information sheets for the marketing and promotions departments.
Prepares and monitors annual department budget—including readers’ fees, conference attendance, and variance analyses.
Tracks external factors such as competitor’s publishing plans, publishing industry trends, and authors’ concerns in order to keep the MIT Press book program healthy and forward-thinking.
Works with editorial, production, and design departments to ensure the efficient production of projects, and with marketing and promotion departments to ensure the most effective distribution of books to their intended audience; negotiates problems that may arise in production and serves as final arbiter between MIT Press and authors as necessary; establishes a culture of team work, continuous learning, and collegiality within the group and with other groups at the Press.
Creates the agendas for Editorial Board meetings and ensure that topic presentations and dockets are ready for distribution in advance of the meetings; assist the Director in recruiting faculty for the Board; works with editors and the Press Director to determine the agenda for Editorial Board meetings and oversees the preparation of materials.
Represents the Press to other Institute units; represents Press at scholarly conferences and at public events; furthers MITP’s brand reputation for publishing high-quality scholarly, text, and trade titles in vital fields that align with Institute priorities.
Qualifications
BA/BS required.
Experience managing a team or leading projects, programs, or functions is required.
Minimum 10 years relevant publishing/leadership experience.
Outstanding interpersonal and communication (written and verbal) skills, and demonstrated ability to work effectively with others across a wide range of constituencies.
In-depth knowledge of the publishing industry, and of publishing contracts and terms.
Demonstrated success as an acquiring editor; thorough knowledge of book markets and trends.
Acquaintance with academic community and the ability to communicate with authors required.
A proven acquisitions track record required
Preferred Skills and Experience
Advanced degree.
Experience working for a university press is preferred.
Demonstrated ability to manage editorial staff effectively, knowledge of and experience with electronic publishing initiatives.
Skilled at analyzing and re-engineering operations and procedures, formulating policy, and developing and implementing new strategies.
Experience in preparing budgets and analyzing results.
Thorough knowledge of copyright and fair use practices.
Supervision Exercised
TBD number of acquisitions editors at varied levels of experience. Manage workflow issues and job design issues among the acquisition assistants. Responsible for the total acquisitions department budget including travel.
Supervision Received
Supervised by the Director of the Press.
Acquisitions Assistant
We are not currently accepting applications for this position.
The Acquisitions Assistant assists two Acquisitions Editors with project management for the MIT Press’s book programs in computer science, education, and science fiction. The Acquisitions Assistant manages distinct and critical phases of project development for approximately 40 projects per year, across a range of publication types including textbooks, trade books, and scholarly/professional monographs. The Acquisitions Assistant also works with authors and MIT Press staff to facilitate effective review and consideration of project proposals and manuscripts, and manuscript production.
This job offers a great opportunity to learn the book acquisitions process at a major university press. We welcome candidates who bring new perspectives to the press. We publish authors from across the globe and this position can serve to introduce the assistant to working in STEM fields in the fast-paced and rapidly evolving areas of computer science and robotics. No subject expertise is necessary.
This position reports to two Acquisitions Editors. The level of daily supervision received may vary depending on the Acquisitions Editor.
Principal Duties and Responsibilities
- Work with authors to prepare manuscripts and artwork for production;
- Review final manuscripts to ensure that preparation guidelines have been followed.
- Data entry and maintenance of project data in title management system (Filemaker);
- Coordinate the peer review process by querying potential reviewers and making sure review process stays on schedule;
- Solicit endorsements for forthcoming books;
- Send contracts and tax documents to authors for signature and coordinating advance payments;
- Assist with preparation of various documents including contracts, publishing plans, and sales sheets
- Research and help identify competing books
- Track and oversee permissions clearance
- General administrative responsibilities, including assisting with planning around seasonal deadlines and maintenance of project schedules for both lists
Additional Responsibilities
- Responsible for projects assigned by acquisitions editor following contract signing.
- Identify competing books, potential course adoptions, and areas of growth in emerging fields.
- Develop financial projections as requested by editor.
- Research and prepare contracts and other documents, including project dockets, publishing plans, and sales sheets.
- Locate copyright holders of artwork for jackets and interior of books.
- Review final manuscripts to ensure that preparation guidelines have been followed.
- Collaborate with other departments and act as liaison with authors.
- Represent the Press at academic conferences.
- Participate in a wide variety of internal meetings.
- Additional duties as needed or required. This role requires extensive communication with acquisitions editors, authors, and colleagues in other departments.
Qualifications and Skills
Education: High school diploma or equivalent required. Bachelor’s degree in a related field preferred.
Experience: Minimum 3 years of administrative experience required. Previous publishing experience is helpful, but not required.
Skills
- Excellent organizational and communication skills,
- Strong administrative computer skills (MS Word, FileMaker, Excel, PowerPoint),
- Ability to coordinate and prioritize multiple task demands, and effectively manage time,
- Deals with confidential information and/or issues (including peer reviewer identities, tax forms, etc.) using discretion and judgment,
- Detail-oriented, self-motivated, and enjoy working in teams when necessary.
Preferred
- Experience or engagement with diverse communities or communities that are underrepresented in STEM fields, and a willingness to apply that knowledge in the daily work of publishing.
- Academic or professional experience in computer science and/or education and learning.
- Familiarity with LaTeX
To comply with regulations by the American with Disabilities Act (ADA), the principal duties in job descriptions must be essential to the job. To identify essential functions, focus on the purpose and the result of the duties rather than the manner in which they are performed. The following definition applies: a job function is essential if removal of that function would fundamentally change the job.
The MIT Press welcomes applicants from diverse backgrounds. Candidates who have significant personal experience or engagement with low-income communities or communities that are underrepresented in scholarly publishing are strongly encouraged to apply.
Employment is contingent upon the completion of a satisfactory background check.
Please apply for these positions with a cover letter, on the MIT Careers Site using the job cart portal.