ECS Job Opening: Director of Publications

ECS seeks Director of Publications

Reports to: Executive Director & CEO
Classification: Full-Time Exempt

Major function

Responsible for strategic planning and efficient operations of ECS’s publications, including the journals, Interface, ECS Transactions, and the ECS Digital Library, with the ultimate goal of maintaining and advancing the Society’s preeminence as a technical publisher. Leads efforts to ensure the effective acquisition of the most important research in our field and the broadest possible dissemination of this technical content; works with executive staff and volunteer leaders to curate ECS’s portfolio to ensure titles reflect the evolving technical and publishing needs of the community, and serves as the senior relationship manager for ECS’s publication-related committees and volunteers. Works closely with the senior staff and volunteer leaders to ensure ECS publications advance the mission and support the goals and objectives of the Society and provides outstanding management and leadership to direct and non-direct reporting staff on the ECS Publications team.

Essential functions

1. Provides strategic analysis and expertise to ECS staff and volunteer leadership to ensure publications are meeting the key performance measures and satisfying organizational goals and objectives.
2. Serves as the senior relationship manager between ECS and the organization’s publications-related volunteers, striving to support, inspire, and engage the volunteer corps so to ensure their best work and develop a volunteering ecosystem to support the Society’s ongoing publications operations.
3. Implements tactics to drive efficient and cost effective processes in production and distribution, and to utilize new technologies to advance content acquisition, discoverability and distribution, and the open access publishing initiatives.
4. Relationship manager with ECS publishing partners including the Institute of Physics Publishing (for journals production, digital library hosting, and subscription sales), Wiley Publishing (ECS books program), and other vendors/partners as required; responsible to drive maximum discoverability and distribution of content as well as maximum sales and revenue.
5. Directs the publications unit and provides coordination and motivation for the staff including: recruiting new staff members, preparing performance appraisals, and establishing objectives. Makes recommendations for hiring, promotions/advancement, and terminations. Ensures that the publications staff is meeting organizational and unit performance goals and objectives.
6. Working closely with senior volunteers and executive staff, leads the continuous curation of ECS’s publication portfolio (including journals, books, magazines, and proceedings) to ensure the Society offers its community a robust array of publishing options and venues.
7. Provides strategic direction on the promotion of the publications program and works collaboratively with the director of community engagement to execute a comprehensive plan.
8. Responsible for the publications unit annual budget and conducts cost–benefit analyses to determine the efficiency and value-added opportunities to the organization.
9. Develops, implements, and ensures adherence to standard operating procedures (SOPs) to facilitate successful publications and to enable greatest staff productivity.
10. Collaborates with the director of meetings to develop best practices for generating and distributing content and to capitalize on margin-yielding revenue-generating opportunities that are created by the changes to research dissemination, the core business of ECS.
11. Develops journal focus issues and special collections in collaboration with the editorial board members; works with the journals production manager to ensure execution.
12. Serves as main point of contact for the Interface editor; provides direction to staff and orientation for incoming staff and works with the Interface production editor for ensuring execution.
13. Responsible for oversight of the Society’s books program.
14. Responsible for the activities and agendas of the Publications Subcommittee, the Journal Editorial Board and Editorial Advisory Committee, ECST Editorial Advisory Board, and Interface Advisory Board.
15. Maintains frequent communications with authors/attendees and volunteers including the Society officers, division officers, committee members, and symposium organizers.
16. Directs the development and implementation of the publications projects, products, and services in the digital library.
17. Ensures that the products and platform support the organizational vision and meet industry standards of excellence.

Position relationships

1. Internal: Reports to the Executive Director & CEO; works developing strategy to advance department initiatives. Supervises the journals production manager, editorial manager, publications content manager, and publications specialist/Interface production editor. Works with the director of meetings to accomplish strategic content objectives, with the director of community engagement to promote ECS publications, and with the ECS Finance team for budget and actuals analysis and tracking. Has regular contact with other members of the staff.
2. External: Responsible for activities of the Publications Subcommittee, journal editorial boards, Editorial Advisory Committee, ECS Transactions Editorial Advisory Board, and the Interface Advisory Board. Has regular contact with editors, vendors, and consultants.

Prerequisites for the job

1. Bachelor’s degree in publishing, marketing and communications, or related field, and five years of experience in areas including editing, writing, editorial research, marketing and communications or any equivalent combination of education and/or experience from which comparable knowledge, skills, and abilities have been attained.
2. Minimum of 5 years’ experience in a leadership role, preferably within a technical society.
3. Strong financial and business acumen; ability to develop and manage budgets and provide analytics for decision-making.
4. Strong creativity and innovation skills to take a broad view, look for meaningful connections, translate new ideas into workable solutions, and encourage others to do the same.
5. Initiative and follow-through on important priorities to overcome obstacles, take appropriate risks, and keep moving toward goals. Ability to handle multiple priorities well.
6. Strong interpersonal and influencing skills to successfully manage demanding goals and objectives.
7. Exceptional, proven project leadership and management skills with experience in managing time sensitive programs and major projects, with demonstrated expertise in public speaking and advanced written communications skills.

Physical demands

The physical demands described herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The demands for this position include, but are not limited to the following:

1. Physical mobility is required and must be able to bend, lift, reach, and stand for long periods of time.
2. High-pressure demand to meet critical deadlines and goals.
3. Must be able to maintain high levels of concentration for long periods of time.
4. Requires sitting at computer and use of keyboard for long periods of time.
5. May be expected to lift boxes and other collateral materials of up to 20 pounds.

Work environment 

The work environment characteristics described below are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

1. Work usually performed in an office setting.
2. Frequent travel is required both domestically and internationally, for up to 7 days at a time.
3. Employee will be required to perform part of essential duties in a convention hall setting at meetings.

Interested in applying?

Send your resume and cover letter to Jessica Wisniewski, ECS Human Resources & Operations Manager, at Jessica.Wisniewski@electrochem.org, and Christopher Jannuzzi, Executive Director & CEO, at Chris.Jannuzzi@electrochem.org.