Associate Academic Editor

Word on Fire Catholic Ministries; Rochester (MN); On-site; USD 65,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Word on Fire Catholic Ministries is seeking an Associate Academic Editor to collaborate with the WOFA imprint head on scholarly publishing objectives. The role blends in-house peer review with acquisitions work, plus developmental editing tasks such as copyediting and preparing bibliographies.

The position requires a Master’s degree in humanities and experience in manuscript editing, with strong communication skills and deep knowledge of Catholic scholarly literature.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in humanities with focus in theology, biblical studies, or philosophy
• Professional experience in manuscript editing (copyediting and proofreading)
• Experience in scholarly research and writing
• Strong communication and networking skills within academic communities
• Familiarity with Catholic tradition literature (Bible, Catechism, magisterial documents)
• Practicing Catholic faith and alignment with Word on Fire mission

Responsibilities

• Evaluate manuscripts for scholarship and fit with WOFA objectives
• Assist in planning and hosting conferences
• Network with authors and extend WOFA's contributor network
• Provide input on policy, scope, and direction of publishing
• Conduct acquisitions research with imprint head
• Maintain familiarity with literature in assigned fields
• Copyedit book and essay manuscripts
• Write and review book indices and bibliographies
• Help manage Word on Fire Academic web pages and content

Skills

Scholarly peer review

Manuscript editing

Copyediting

Academic networking

Communication skills

Education

Master’s degree in humanities

Doctoral degree preferred

Tools

Chicago Manual of Style

Turabian

SBL Manual

Job description

Associate Academic Editor

Reports to Director of Word on Fire Academic

Word on Fire Catholic Ministries is a nonprofit global media apostolate that supports the work of Bishop Robert Barron and reaches millions of people to draw them into—or back to—the Catholic faith.

The Associate Academic Editor (AAE) works with the imprint head of Word on Fire Academic (WOFA) to carry out the imprint’s objectives. Key responsibilities of the role demand both scholarly training and experience as a manuscript editor. The AAE serves both as an in-house scholarly reviewer and as an acquisitions agent who follows certain scholarly topics and discourses and identifies prospective projects and authors. The AAE also contributes to the preparation of manuscripts as a developmental editor, copyeditor, proofreader, or as a writer of book indices and bibliographies.

Location: Remote

Employment Type: Full-time

Responsibilities

• Evaluate essay and book manuscripts, assessing the quality of scholarship and fit in relation to the publishing objectives of WOFA
• Assist in planning and hosting conferences
• Participate in key conferences, meet and contact new authors, and work broadly to extend the journal’s network of contributors and supporters through various outreach activities
• Give input on policy, scope, and direction of book and journal publishing endeavors, regularly assessing the success of the imprint in achieving its goals and maintaining high scholarly standards
• Conduct acquisitions research in collaboration with the imprint head to develop and refine new book projects and identify prospective authors in light of publishing objectives
• Maintain familiarity with research and literature in assigned fields and topics in order both to maintain competency as a scholarly peer reviewer in those topics and to identify key authors and discourses to be cultivated by WOFA
• Copyedit book and essay manuscripts
• Write and review book indices and bibliographies
• Help to manage Word on Fire Academic web pages and content

Requirements

• Master’s degree in a core discipline of the humanities, preferably biblical studies, theology, or philosophy
• Professional experience in essential manuscript editing tasks such as copyediting and proofreading
• Experience in scholarly research and writing
• Strong communication and social skills, suitable for networking within academic communities
• Extensive familiarity with the essential literature of the Catholic tradition, including the Bible, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Church’s defining magisterial documents, and the writings of its greatest doctors
• Practicing faith and commitment to the Catholic Church and to the mission of Word on Fire

Preferred Qualifications

• Doctoral degree in a core discipline of the humanities, preferably biblical studies, theology, or philosophy
• Familiarity with the key style manuals used in the humanities, especially The Chicago Manual of Style, Kate Turabian’s Manual for Writers, and the SBL (Society of Biblical Literature) manual
• Prior experience in scholarly publishing
• Foreign language competencies, especially in the primary languages of Catholic theology: Latin, Greek, German, and French
• Established network of contacts in the Catholic academy
• Familiarity with the writings and work of Bishop Robert Barron and Word on Fire

Compensation and Benefits

The estimated base pay range for this position is $65,000 to $80,000 annually. Word on Fire determines individual compensation on several factors, including but not limited to, experience, skills, alignment with the role’s responsibilities, and geographic location. This role may be eligible for annual merit increases based on individual performance.

Word on Fire also offers its team members a robust benefits package that includes:

• Several 100% Word on Fire-paid insurance benefits: life, short-term disability, and long-term disability
• Other insurance benefits: medical, dental, vision, HSA, FSA, accident, critical illness, and hospital indemnity
• A retirement plan with a 3% target employer contribution
• Generous paid time off and paid holidays
• Paid parental leaves at 100% of base salary
• Access to Word on Fire’s incredible wealth of content and resources, and more!

Word on Fire is founded upon and intent on prioritizing its Catholic religious mission and principles above all else. Word on Fire's religious mission may therefore require that it make employment decisions based on an individual's religion and adherence to the principles of the Catholic Church.