Reports to : Director of Publications Department: Publications Salary range: £37,500-£40,000 Per annum depending on skills and experience. Location: Hybrid: at least two days a week in RUSI’s London office Contract : Permanent, Full time About the Team RUSI’s Publications team manages and delivers a wide range of research and membership outputs. This includes approximately 80 research publications per year which are written by internal and external researchers and which combine scholarly rigour and policy relevance. The team supports the delivery of content for RUSI members, including the RUSI Journal, a leading peer-reviewed academic journal. It also manages the delivery of current awareness content, including RUSI Commentary, which provide insights and analysis on the latest developments in international affairs, defence and security. Main purpose of post The Assistant Editor – Research Publications manages the delivery of longform research papers, reports and briefs, most in pdf format on our website and some as webpages. The Assistant Editor is allocated publications to project-manage from handover through to publication. The role includes setting the publication schedule, liaising with stakeholders (including authors, the team’s graphic designer, the Communications team and, where necessary, printing houses), and managing the editorial process, including editing the paper and tasking editorial freelancers and colleagues with other editorial stages. The role also involves taking on editorial stages (edits or proofs) on publications project-managed by the Managing Editor and Director of Publications. The successful candidate will have a meticulous approach to editing, be proactive, adopt a positive, flexible and problem-solving attitude, and have the ability to work independently across a range of products and tasks and manage different publication projects. Key tasks Project-manage academic research papers from author handover to publication, including scheduling (in liaison with authors, the Research Editorial team and the Communications team), allocating tasks (to freelancers and colleagues), and meticulously tracking and managing projects, using project management software. Copy-edit and proofread academic research papers (as part of their own projects and others), including applying house-style, rigorous fact-checking, and editing for sense, grammar and impact. Manage relationships with expert in-house and external authors and stakeholders, using negotiating and influencing skills where necessary to manage competing expectations. Work with the team’s graphic designer and with authors to ensure effective, timely and copyright-compliant presentation of graphics elements in RUSI research publications. Input changes to proofs, and occasionally typeset simple publications, in InDesign. Upload finalised publications in a content management system, sourcing compelling imagery to accompany each publication, and occasionally using graphics platforms (e.g. Infogram) to create infographics. Provide editorial support for other Publications team work, as directed by the Director of Publications. The above list of duties is not exhaustive. The post holder will be required to undertake such duties that may reasonably be expected within the scope and grade of the role. Our expectations We expect all staff to abide by and promote our RUSI’s Vision and Values https://rusi.org/content/values and Equal Opportunities Statement. Person specification Essential skills and experience A strong interest in and understanding of international affairs, and in particular defence and security, ideally evidenced through education, work or both. Proven, extensive experience of copy-editing and proofreading to a very high standard, working on technical and/or academic longform content (10,000 words) for specialist audiences. Experience project-managing publications from author handover to delivery, and the ability to meticulously manage and track tasks on multiple projects at the same time. Experience working in a tight-knit, high performing team, working closely together to deliver projects to a high standard and tight timeframe. A forensic eye for detail, and excellent spelling and grammar skills. Excellent communication, interpersonal and negotiating and influencing skills, including the ability to communicate effectively and manage relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, including senior researchers. Excellent organisational and time-management skills and the ability to multi-task, juggling simultaneous tasks and managing competing deadlines and demands while remaining calm under pressure. The ability and confidence to spot and raise substantive queries as part of the editing process, for instance where meaning is not clear or insufficient evidence has been provided. Proven experience of publishing content in content management systems and writing and/or editing content optimised for the web. Desirable skills and experience A degree or similar in a related field, such as international relations, defence studies or war studies. Editorial experience on an academic journal or other academic content, including working with referencing and footnoting styles. Experience instructing and working with suppliers including printing and distribution houses and freelance editors. Experience using any of the following software: InDesign (or similar) for typesetting; Drupal; Infogram for infographics; project management software. The ability to source compelling imagery to accompany and amplify content. Experience of working in the not-for-profit sector organisation. Our expectations We expect all staff to abide by and promote our RUSI’s Vision and Values https://rusi.org/content/values and Equal Opportunities Statement. Benefits 25 days annual leave (rising with service) Additional days off during Christmas - RUSI Christmas closure days Generous pension contributions at 6% employer contribution, Access to 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme Season ticket loan Access to free access to RUSI's world leading programme of events and conferences, research materials and library Weekly staff lunch in our London office (one day a week) Trained Mental Health First Aiders Enhanced sick pay Enhanced maternity and paternity leave Depending on length of service Application Process To apply, please click on the apply button and follow the instructions. You will be asked to include your CV and a Cover letter of no more than one page. Closing date: Monday 2 0th January 2025 at 23:35pm. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and the closing date brought forward if needed. Early application is encouraged. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted. Interview will start on Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 January 2025. Equal Opportunity and Values At RUSI you will be appreciated and valued. Our stakeholders, transactions, and projects are international and diverse, so we work hard to create inclusive teams that support our efforts and each other. We are committed in promoting equality and diversity in our workforce and make it as diverse as the communities we serve. Our recruitment data helps us monitor the effectiveness of our recruitment practices in order that we can continue to improve on creating a more diverse workforce. We’re aware that the questionnaire may not capture the rich complexities of our backgrounds and identities, so we apologise if these are not best described. Please note that this data will be kept confidential and separated from your job application. If you are uncomfortable sharing, choose "Prefer not to say" or skip the questions entirely. If you have any questions, please contact [email protected]