Publishing Platform Lead

The Geological Society of London; Bath; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A prestigious geological society in Bath seeks a Publishing Platform Lead to maintain the Lyell Collection publishing platform. The role involves overseeing platform operations, collaborating with vendors, and ensuring quality control. Candidates should have experience with STM publishing, strong XML and HTML skills, and familiarity with web accessibility standards. The position offers a salary of £32,000 - £35,000 and requires a graduate-level qualification.

Benefits

25 days basic holiday entitlement

Contributory pension scheme with 10% employer contribution

Access to online GP services

Cycle to Work scheme

Free access to Royal Academy exhibitions

Qualifications

• Experience with Atypon’s WAT publishing platform experience console.
• Experience using ticketed support systems, such as JIRA.
• Strong project management skills.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the maintenance of the Atypon Web Admin Tool for the Society’s platform.
• Manage platform maintenance and change requests, including feasibility analysis and testing.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for reporting platform issues.

Skills

Experience with STM publishing platforms (Atypon greatly preferred)

Strong working knowledge of JATS and BITS XML and HTML

Experience at working with CrossRef and content registration

Experience with web accessibility standards (WCAG)

Experience in QA testing

Excellent IT proficiency

Strong troubleshooting and analytical skills

Organized and deadline-oriented

Education

Graduate (or higher) level qualification

Job description

Overview

The essentials …

• Permanent, full-time (part-time considered)
• £32,000 - £35,000 (depending on experience)
• Hybrid working with 2 days per week based in our Bath office
• Expected start date of 26th May 2026

The Geological Society Publishing House has an exciting opportunity within the publishing operations team for a ‘Publishing Platform Lead’ to maintain our established flagship publishing platform the Lyell Collection.

Who are we?

Founded in 1807, we are the oldest geological society in the world. Today, we are a world-leading communicator of Earth science – through publishing, library and information services, cutting-edge scientific conferences, education activities and outreach to the general public. We also provide impartial scientific information and evidence to support policy-making and public debate about the challenges facing humanity.

We have a membership (Fellowship) of c. 12,000, more than 2,000 of whom are based outside the UK. Approximately 3,000 are Chartered Geologists or Chartered Scientists - professionals who have demonstrated a high level of technical competence in their field and a commitment to professional ethics.

We have been a major publisher within the community since 1811. An independent and international publisher, we are dedicated to providing a high-quality service to geoscientists globally and any surplus is invested to support our discipline. We publish a diverse range of books and journals on the Lyell Collection, with over 10,000 pages of new peer-reviewed geoscience literature being made available every year.

Overall responsibilities / requirements

To oversee the smooth running of the Society’s publishing platform, which showcases our portfolio of online titles. Reporting to the Head of Publishing Operations (HoPO), you will be chiefly responsible for the management, support and maintenance of the Atypon powered Lyell Collection platform.

You will collaborate with vendors and internal stakeholders to ensure seamless operations and stay up to date with the latest emerging platform technologies. You will be responsible for maintaining the Society’s online publishing platforms, so an understanding of a range of standard integrations, workflows, html and XML is essential.

Key accountabilities

Platform maintenance

• Oversee and maintain the Atypon Web Admin Tool (WAT) for the Society’s scholarly book and journal platform.
• Manage a queue of platform maintenance and change requests, including triage, feasibility analysis, testing and quality assurance.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for reporting platform issues to Atypon (the hosting provider), managing communications, and monitoring the support ticket system to ensure timely resolution.
• Provide technical support and troubleshoot platform issues reported internally and communicate resolution statuses.
• Support development of new platform features and assist with implementation and QA.
• Maintain, validate, edit, and troubleshoot JATS XML while staying current with JATS and NISO standards and ensuring vendor compliance.
• Set up new pages and journal/book series sites within the platform as needed, ensuring all new website content is consistent with site templates and branding.
• Ensure that any new developments are tested and work as per requirements, utilizing the test facilities of the platform via sandbox areas.

Third party tools and services

• Act as the point of contact with vendors who provide supporting or downstream services for the Lyell Collection, e.g. CrossRef, Digital Science, indexing services etc.
• Oversee the smooth deposit of selected content via Zipline into the GeoScienceWorld (GSW) platform, hosted by Silverchair. This is published via multiresolution doi on both the Lyell Collection and GSW.

Accessibility

• Manage web accessibility compliance in collaboration with internal teams and external vendors by overseeing the implementation of necessary improvements in line with publishing standards and directives.
• Check that any changes in XML tagging or online display meet accessibility requirements.

The duties and responsibilities highlighted in this Job Description are indicative and may vary over time. As required, post holders are expected to undertake other duties and responsibilities relevant to the nature, level and scope of the post.

What we’re looking for …

We recognise that the right person for this role may not meet all of the criteria but may also bring different strengths and experience. If you demonstrate most skills and are eager to work for the Society, please do go ahead and apply.

Essential

• Experience with STM publishing platforms (Atypon greatly preferred)
• Strong working knowledge of JATS (and BITS) XML and HTML
• Experience at working with CrossRef and content registration
• Experience with web accessibility standards (WCAG), including their application in evaluating, developing, or maintaining accessible digital content and platforms.
• Experience in QA testing, issue identification, and reporting to support platform quality and improvement.
• Excellent IT proficiency and full familiarity with the normal range of office/publishing software
• Strong troubleshooting, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Skilled in workflow documentation and technical communication.
• Effective facilitator and communicator with both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Organized, deadline-oriented, and able to manage multiple priorities.
• Graduate (or higher) level qualification

Desirable

• Experience with Atypon’s WAT publishing platform experience console
• Experience with Atypon Insights reporting system
• Publishing platform experience
• Multiresolution DOI knowledge
• Experience using ticketed support systems, such as JIRA, Freshdesk, Salesforce
• Google Analytics
• Strong project management skills
• Experience collaborating across teams and an ability to contribute to a culture of continuous improvement
• Experience of working for a learned or professional society (or other charitable organisation with trustees, committees and volunteers)
• Ability to update accessibility statements and VPATs.

Person specification

• Excellent interpersonal skills, and a commitment to collaborative working across the Society
• Self-motivated, proactive, with the confidence to act independently and with a flexible approach
• A commitment to personal development and learning
• Ability to work under pressure and to deadlines, prioritising work accordingly
• Positivity and enthusiasm

A bit about us …

The Geological Society is a registered charity and employs just under 60 staff at its offices in London and Bath. The Society Publishing House is based in Bath, from where we provide a full publishing service to an international geoscience community across a portfolio of books, journals, and associated products.

As an employee conscious company, we invest in our staff by emphasising training, growth and progression in every role. We firmly believe in creating a positive workplace wellbeing culture and offer a range of benefits to our staff including:

• 25 days basic holiday entitlement when you start, increasing up to 30 days with continued service (pro-rated for part-time staff)
• Option to purchase up to 2 days extra holiday days per year
• Contributary pension scheme with 10% employer contribution
• Access to 24/7 online GP with mental health & wellbeing counselling
• Free premium Headspace account for you and 2 members of friends/family
• Discounts and recognitions scheme
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Season Ticket Loan scheme
• Life Assurance and Income Protection schemes
• Free access to Royal Academy exhibitions
• Free Geological Society Fellow membership for qualified staff

The Society is committed to fostering an inclusive culture that promotes equality, values diversity and maintains a harmonious inclusive environment in which the rights and dignity of all its members visitors and staff are respected. We are an equal opportunities employer and the post-holder will be expected to adhere to and support the Society’s commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion.

How to apply …

To apply for this position, please click the 'Apply' button above to be taken through to our recruitment page with full contact details.

As part of our inclusive recruitment initiative, we have introduced the concept of anonymous recruiting in order to evaluate applicants solely on their skills and experience. With this in mind, we encourage you to:

• Anonymise your application by stating only your initials in your CV (including your file name) and cover letter.
• State your initials only in the subject line when sending your application.
• Ensure that you have included your contact email and number, as well as dates when you will not be available or might have difficulty with the indicative timetable.

First round interviews will take place remotely. Please let us know if you will require any special provisions to be made should you be called for an interview. We regret that unsuccessful candidates will not be contacted.

All applicants must have the right to work in the UK. We are currently unable to support visa applications.

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