Temporary - Sr Editorial Assistant

IEEE•Piscataway, NJ

About The Position

As a member of the IEEE RAS team, the Sr Editorial Assistant provides comprehensive administrative and leadership support for one or more RAS journals. This role serves as a critical liaison between the Editor-in-Chief (EiC), editorial boards, and authors to ensure a high-quality, timely peer review process. Beyond journal-specific duties, the Associate acts as a versatile resource for the RAS Executive Director, assisting with society-wide initiatives, governance support, and special projects as needed.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in a curriculum stressing excellence in research, writing, and communication.
5+ years of business experience, ideally in technical program management, scholarly publishing, or non-profit administration.
Advanced competency in PaperCept (or similar manuscript systems) and Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
Proficiency in social networking tools (LinkedIn, Facebook) for professional promotion.
Superior English grammar and proofreading skills for high-stakes correspondence.
Ability to interact diplomatically with senior-level volunteers, staff, and international partners.
Strong multitasking skills with the ability to balance multiple journal accounts and society projects simultaneously.

Responsibilities

Journal Management & Peer Review Support
Daily Operations: Manage the daily workflow for assigned journals, handling high volumes of emails (30–50 per day) and troubleshooting user issues.
System Administration: Maintain proficiency in PaperCept or other designated peer-review systems to manage manuscripts, update rosters, and configure sites for special collections.
Quality Assurance: Conduct detailed side-by-side file comparisons to ensure all citations, keywords, and metadata meet IEEE Xplore specifications prior to publication.
Workflow Monitoring: Track the progress of thousands of submissions, sending reminders to Senior and Associate Editors to ensure editorial deadlines are met.
Board & Volunteer Leadership
Recruitment & Training: Manage the bi-annual cycle of recruiting, data compilation, and voting for new editorial board members.
Onboarding: Conduct training for new editors and ensure all documentation and system access are properly configured.
Strategic Meetings: Prepare comprehensive presentations for board meetings and society reviews (e.g., PAB or PRAC reviews), identifying performance trends and opportunities.
Financial & Operational Oversight
Budget Management: Oversee the operational budget for assigned journals, including salaries, travel, supplies, and awards.
Logistics & Events: Plan and host board dinners and meetings, managing venue sourcing, menus, and travel logistics for the EiC and staff.
Award Administration: Coordinate annual "Best Paper" awards, managing the nomination and voting processes over several months.
Digital Presence & Communications
Social Media & Web: Maintain journal social media accounts, post weekly updates, and coordinate with authors and Science Communications Editors.
Promotion: Work with IEEE Publishing to unlock specific articles for promotion and link papers to relevant conference programs (e.g., ICRA, IROS).
Executive Director & Society Support
Special Projects: Assist the RAS Executive Director with research, information requests, and the development of new society initiatives.
Governance Support: Arrange committee meetings, schedule calls, and prepare correspondence on behalf of society leadership.
Flexibility: Perform additional administrative or strategic tasks as requested by the Executive Director to support the broader goals of the Robotics and Automation Society.