Scientific Copyeditor

JMIR Publications Inc; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Wellness days

Life insurance

Flexible remote work

Job summary

JMIR Publications is seeking a Scientific Copyeditor for a full-time, 12-month contract based in Toronto or remote. You will edit manuscripts for language, style, and formatting, ensuring accuracy and adherence to AMA guidelines and journal standards.

Key responsibilities include quality control, reference validation, and collaboration with authors and editors to enhance clarity and publication readiness. A STEM background and strong English are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher required; STEM degree preferred.
• Two or more years of professional copyediting experience in scientific manuscripts.
• Excellent command of academic writing conventions and AMA style familiarity.

Responsibilities

• Copyedit manuscripts for language, style, formatting and accuracy.
• Assess manuscripts for clarity and logical flow; verify statistical reporting face validity.
• Collaborate with authors, editors and vendors to address issues.
• Verify readiness for final proofreading and production per journal and AMA style.
• Collaborate to update style guides and improve workflows.
• Perform structured quality control checks and provide feedback.

Skills

Advanced English

AMA style knowledge

MS Word (Track Changes)

Google Suite

Asana

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

Tools

AMA Manual of Style

Job description

Job Type: Full Time, Fixed Term Contract

Contract Length: 12 Months

About JMIR Publications

JMIR Publications is a rapidly growing open access publisher of peer-reviewed STEM journals, with an emphasis on medicine, health, and technology titles. The ambitious vision of JMIR Publications is to lead the transformation to open science and to contribute to a world where people are empowered by health research and technology to make effective and informed decisions.

Come help us make a real difference in open science!

Job Summary

We are seeking an experienced, meticulous, and highly efficient individual to join our team as Scientific Copyeditor for a full-time position. In this dynamic role, you will play a crucial part in ensuring the quality and accuracy of academic research manuscripts before publication. Your primary job responsibilities will encompass copyediting manuscripts for language, style, formatting and accuracy, as well as conducting quality control checks on copyedited manuscripts.

If you have a passion for health care research, a keen eye for detail, and a desire to make a meaningful contribution in scholarly publishing, we encourage you to apply.

This is an in-house staff role that allows you to work remotely, with the exception of occasional in-person meetings at our downtown Toronto office. Preference will be given to eligible candidates currently residing in or around the Greater Toronto Area (Ontario, Canada).

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of work includes, but is not limited to, the following:

Copyediting and formatting:

• Copyedit manuscripts, with a focus on those from non-native English-speaking authors, to improve clarity, grammar, readability, style, and formatting.
• Use our integrated reference validation software to check, revise, and format references for accuracy and consistency.
• Consistently achieve monthly productivity goals.

Content evaluation:

• Assess manuscripts for overall clarity and logical flow, and identify potential areas for improvement or clarification.
• Verify the completeness and “face validity” of statistical reporting in manuscripts.

Issue resolution:

• Work with authors, colleagues, internal stakeholders, and vendor partners to promptly address complex or nuanced problems.

Publication readiness checks:

• Verify that manuscripts are ready for final proofreading and production stages by confirming adherence to journal and AMA style guidelines.

Process improvement:

• Collaborate with the team and manager to regularly update style guides.
• Recommend improvements to optimize workflow and processes.

Quality control reviews:

• Perform structured quality control checks on copyedited manuscripts and provide constructive feedback to the copyeditor.

Qualifications

Education

• A bachelor's degree or higher is required. While a degree in a STEM field is preferred, candidates with demonstrable equivalent experience in a scientific context will also be considered.

Experience

• Two or more years of professional experience copyediting scientific research manuscripts (in English).

Technical Skills

• Excellent command of academic and research writing conventions, including citation styles, statistical reporting, and research ethics.
• Familiarity with the American Medical Association (AMA) Manual of Style: A Guide for Authors and Editors (11th Edition).
• Proficiency in using MS Word (including Track Changes), Google Suite, Asana, and other related software.

Additional Desirable Skills

• Strong understanding of scholarly publishing workflows and processes.
• Experience with web-based editing systems is a plus.
• Sound understanding of statistical reporting in medicine.

Competencies

• Possess advanced written and verbal English language skills.
• Maintain a results-oriented work ethic.
• Demonstrate meticulous attention to detail.
• Exhibit proficiency in using digital tools and platforms relevant to editing and publishing workflows.
• Strong time-management and organizational skills.
• Show flexibility and adaptability to shift between tasks for effective prioritization.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary and benefits including fully paid monthly premiums for Canadian Extended Health Care and Dental Coverage, Wellness Days and Life insurance.
• A beautiful office space near the harbourfront, with free snacks and beverages, and organized social events as a company such as BBQs.
• Flexible remote work environment.
• Opportunity to make a significant impact on public understanding of science.
• Work with a leading publisher in the field of digital health and open access research.
• A dynamic and innovative work environment.

JMIR Publications is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to a diverse workforce and maintaining a learning and working environment that is welcoming to all.

Application Privacy Commitment;

By submitting your application to JMIR Publications, you acknowledge and agree to the following:

The personal information and resume you provide will be collected and used solely for the purposes of assessing your candidacy for the position applied for, as well as for any other suitable roles within JMIR Publications that may arise. We are committed to safeguarding your personal information in accordance with applicable privacy laws and company policies.

Your information will be handled with strict confidentiality and will only be shared with those directly involved in the recruitment and hiring process. JMIR Publications will not disclose, share, or sell your personal data to any third parties without your explicit consent.

If your application is not successful, JMIR Publications may retain your information for up to 3 years for future opportunities, unless you request its removal.

By applying, you consent to this collection, use, and retention of your personal data as outlined above.