Editorial Director

Columbia University Press; New York (NY); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Columbia University Press in New York seeks an Editorial Director to lead the acquisitions department and elevate the imprint across scholarly, general interest, and student markets.

You will supervise editors, shape policy, manage budgets, and collaborate with faculty and senior staff to develop strategic lists and digital projects. A strong record in scholarly publishing and outstanding communication are essential for this high-impact role.

Qualifications

• 7–9 years of related publishing experience.
• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree strongly desirable.
• Experience acquiring scholarly works.

Responsibilities

• Lead acquisitions department and supervise 7 acquiring editors and an assistant.
• Establish acquisitions policies in consultation with the Press Director.
• Manage department budget and oversee quality and success of editorial program.
• Set acquisitions goals and evaluation guidelines to meet high academic standards.
• Develop seasonal lists and influence promotional plans for titles.
• Monitor backlist sales, ebook sales, and other metrics to guide program shifts.
• Collaborate with COO on strategic lists and publishing plans.
• Support contract negotiations with Director and Rights Manager.
• Cultivate contacts with Columbia faculty and scholars for list direction.
• Acquire ~20 new titles per year in relevant fields.
• Participate in Press-wide initiatives and strategic planning.

Skills

Oral & written communications

Organizational leadership

Planning and budgeting

Networking in academia

Team management

Entrepreneurship in publishing

Diplomacy

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree

Job description

Reporting to the Executive Director of Columbia University Press, the Editorial Director will lead the acquisitions department and work to enhance the distinction of our imprint, ensuring that we are at the forefront of scholarship in each of our fields of publication. The successful candidate will be an accomplished, highly motivated publisher with a successful record of publishing important works for scholarly, general interest, and student audiences.

Responsibilities

• Supervises 7 acquiring editors and an assistant, and manages weekly editorial meetings and monthly faculty publication committee meetings.
• Establishes and implements acquisitions policies in consultation with the Press Director.
• Administers and manages the acquisitions department and is responsible for all aspects of the quality and success of the editorial program.
• Sets and monitors acquisitions goals and procedures for the department.
• Sets guidelines for manuscript evaluation to meet the highest academic standards.
• Ensures that sound financial projections and publishing plans are developed for each book.
• Develops, in consultation with the COO, seasonal lists, and makes recommendations regarding promotional efforts and overall publishing plans for individual titles and fields.
• Administers the departmental budget, approves spending and travel allocations.
• Regularly examines backlist sales performance, ebook sales, and other factors in order to recommend shifts in the program.
• Works with the director and COO to set and monitor acquisitions goals and procedures for the department.
• Tracks emerging fields, monitors academic and industry trends, and regularly consults with faculty advisors at Columbia University on the direction of our list.
• Works with the Director and Rights Manager to assist the acquisitions editors in contract negotiations.
• Consults closely with the production and manuscript editorial departments regarding schedules and seasonal lists.
• Manages annual list revenue analysis.
• Recommends born-digital products or other non-traditional formats for segments of the list or special projects.
• Conducts fundraising for individual titles and grant writing for major projects.
• Cultivates contacts with Columbia faculty, major authors, and scholars in our core disciplines.
• Acquire approximately 20 new titles per year, within appropriate subject areas.
• Serves as a member of the Press management team, participating in Press-wide initiatives and strategic plans.

Minimum Qualifications

7-9 years related experience requried, as well as a Bachelor's degree required. An advanced degree is strongly desirable.

Preferred Qualifications

• Outstanding oral and written communications skills.
• Strong organizational, managerial, and planning skills.
• Minimum of ten years’ experience in scholarly publishing.
• Minimum of five years’ management experience is preferable; the winning candidate must be an adept manager with a strong record of team-building.
• Strong networking skills.
• Entrepreneurship and demonstrated success in acquiring groundbreaking scholarly work.
• Diplomacy and ability to work closely and respectfully with colleagues and with faculty.
• Experience publishing digital scholarly products and platforms.
• Budgeting and forecasting experience.
• Ability to manage a large and diverse list of books.
• Demonstrated understanding of trends in the industry.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.