Associate or Senior Editor, BMC Psychology

Springer Nature; Greater London; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Springer Nature is seeking a Senior Editor for BMC Psychology to drive content development and editorial excellence. You will manage editorial handling, build relationships with the Editorial Board, and coordinate cross-journal strategies to advance open-access publishing and high-quality research dissemination.

The role requires a PhD-level background in psychology or a related field, strong editorial knowledge, and excellent communication skills.

Qualifications

• PhD level in psychology, mental health, or a related field.
• Interest in open access publishing.
• Strong knowledge of editorial processes.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills.
• Customer-focused and collaborative.
• Willing to travel occasionally.
• Able to balance short-term deadlines with long-term goals.
• Editorial experience (for Senior Editor).

Responsibilities

• Develop a journal development strategy for BMC Psychology and coordinate with the Journals group.
• Oversee editorial handling and advise on content managed by editorial board members.
• Investigate and resolve publishing or ethics issues with guidance from the Research Integrity Group.
• Collaborate with internal teams to resolve editorial issues and support author service.
• Contribute to editorial policy development as appropriate.
• Engage with Editorial Board Members and authors to build strong relationships.
• Support recruitment and training of new editorial board members.
• Promote the BMC Series and increase journal visibility through content and events.

Skills

Editorial strategy

Editorial governance

Open access publishing

Communication

Analytical thinking

Travel willingness

Time management

Team collaboration

Editorial experience

Education

PhD level in psychology or related field

Job description

About Springer Nature:

Springer Nature is one of the leading publishers of research in the world. We publish the largest number of journals and books and are a pioneer in open research. Through our leading brands, trusted for more than 180 years, we provide technology-enabled products, platforms and services that help researchers to uncover new ideas and share their discoveries, health professionals to stay at the forefront of medical science, and educators to advance learning. We are proud to be part of progress, working together with the communities we serve to share knowledge and bring greater understanding to the world.

About the Brand:

BMC has more than 20 years of experience in developing open access and provides high-quality, impactful research and a supportive publishing experience for authors. We are committed to publishing the best open access journals in our portfolio of over 250 titles and we strive to drive progress in biology, health sciences and medicine.

About the Role:

You will contribute to the success of the BMC Series by supporting editorial handling of content in BMC Psychology and by driving the content development of the journal. This is a dynamic and varied role that will give you the opportunity to see content across a broad range of topics and contribute to the success of BMC as a whole.

Communication is a key part of this role, as you will need to build excellent and productive relationships with the external Editorial Board who manage the peer review process and with internal teams responsible for journal editorial office support such asEditorial Operations and Marketing.

Role Responsibilities:

Content Development –Scientific Comprehension

• Develop a journal development strategy for BMC Psychology, taking into account individual journal performance and development needs, as well as the overall strategy of the BMC series.
• Work with colleagues across the Journals group to support subject-specific strategy development at Springer Nature.
• Identify and commission reviews, collections and supplements, and work with the scientific community to drive these forward.

Peer Review Quality –Decision Quality, Manuscript Assessment, Critical Scientific Evaluation, Publishing Workflows & Systems

• Oversee the handling of the content published in BMC Psychology, primarily by advising on content handled by editorial board members, but also by handling individual submissions yourself where required.
• Investigate and resolve publishing or research ethics cases, both pre- and post-publication, with the guidance of Springer Nature Research Integrity Group when needed.
• Engage effectively with other teams to support the resolution of editorial issues and to prioritise author service while maintaining editorial standards
• Advise on editorial policy development as appropriate.

Editorial Board Management –Communicates Effectively

• Build excellent communication and relationships with Editorial Board Members and authors.
• Call Senior Board Members to discuss journal policy, specific content-related issues, editorial board recruitment etc.
• Contribute to the recruitment and training of new editorial board members
• Contribute to editorial board engagement initiatives across the journals
• Host regular Senior Board and Editorial Board Meetings, either in person or online.
• Ensure that all members of the Editorial Board are fully aware of the ethos and editorial policies of the journal and the BMCseries, andhave all necessary training and information to perform their roles.

Building Awareness of the BMC Series -Communicates Effectively, Scientific & Academic Writing

• Develop journal website content and features that are of interest to the community and raise the profile of the journal websites in the online environment.
• Attend conferences to promotethe journalsand develop a network of contacts within relevant fields.
• Increase journal visibility by writing blogs andparticipatingin social media activities to promote journal content and BMC values.

Contribute to the BMC team–Collaboration, Interpersonal Awareness, Being Resilient

• Contribute to the culture of the BMC editorial team by supporting your colleagues, covering for them when needed and sharingexpertiseand experience.

Experience, Skills & Qualifications:

Essential:

• Educated to PhD level (or equivalent), psychology, mental health, or a related field.
• An interest inopen accesspublishing
• An interest in scientific research and current knowledge of a relevant field
• Knowledge of editorial process and related matters
• Excellent communication and influencing skills
• Highly customer focused
• Strong analytical/critical appraisal skills
• Willing to travel occasionally and represent BMC at external events
• Able to respond to non-routine circumstances
• Excellent time management and prioritization skills, able to balance short-term deadlines with long-term goals
• Self-starter with a positive, can-do approach to problem-solving
• Ability to adapt to changing circumstances
• Ability to work cooperatively with colleagues at all levels
• Ability to work in a team
• Editorial experience (for Senior Editor)

At Springer Nature, our mission is to be part of progress – and that begins with inclusion: of people, perspectives, and ideas. We believe that diverse perspectives drive progress, and we are committed to creating an environment where people and ideas can flourish. If you have any access needs related to disability, neurodivergence or a chronic condition, please contact us so we can make all necessary accommodation.