K-12 Special Projects Manager I

Human Kinetics; Champaign (IL); Hybrid; USD 55,000 - 68,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote work options

Hybrid work model

On-site option

Job summary

Human Kinetics is seeking a K-12 Special Projects Manager I in Champaign, IL. The role oversees editorial, production, and e-learning workflows for K-12 projects, coordinating across departments to ensure on-time, high-quality releases.

Strong project management and collaboration skills are essential, with optional Spanish-language support when needed. The position supports on-site, hybrid, or fully remote work arrangements, with a compensation structure and opportunities for merit-based

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience managing complex details, projects, or processes in a publishing or professional environment.
• Strong attention to detail and adherence to style guides.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite (Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Outlook) and Adobe Acrobat DC or Acrobat Standard.
• Experience with publishing technology and collaboration, title management, and project communication tools.
• Ability to lead virtual meetings and work with freelancers or vendors as needed.

Responsibilities

• Plan and track progress on K-12 projects, and lead meetings with Product Development staff as needed.
• Communicate project status to stakeholders and prevent bottlenecks to meet release timelines.
• Manage K-12 print and nonprint projects through internal stages and coordinate with outsourced partners.
• Prepare project materials and ensure procedures meet quality, budget, and schedule expectations.
• Act as ProdDev point person for assigned projects and coordinate with internal departments and external partners.

Skills

Project management

Cross-functional collaboration

Editorial workflow planning

Attention to detail

Education

High School Diploma

Bachelor’s degree or higher preferred

Tools

Microsoft Office

Adobe Acrobat DC

CMS / publishing tools

Job description

All Jobs > K-12 Special Projects Manager I

Salary Range: The salary range for this position is $54,500-$67,500. We expect to hire in between $54,500- $58,000 for this position.

Human Kinetics is headquartered in Champaign, IL.This position is eligible for on-site, hybrid, or fully remote work. Remote workers may not reside in the following locations: CA, CO, Washington, D.C., HI, MA, Montgomery County, MD, MN, NM, NJ, NY, RI, & WA.

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.

Applicants are not obligated to disclose expunged juvenile records of adjudication, arrest, or conviction as part of the application process.

Human Kinetics is committed to building a more diverse workforce. We welcome BIPOC candidates and others who identify with underrepresented groups to apply.

Human Kinetics is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, Human Kinetics will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact HR at 217-403-7543.

Human Kinetics Compensation & Benefits Information

Our compensation philosophy is to value the contributions of all HK employees and to reward exceptional performance exceptionally. To do that, we provide a standard increase to all HK staff, and we award merit increases and bonuses to people who make extraordinary contributions to the work we do.

Job Summary

The K-12 Special Projects Manager I is primarily an editorial position and is responsible for overseeing the editorial, production, and e-learning workflows for assigned print and nonprint projects for the K-12 audience. They are responsible for managing these and other K-12 special projects through multiple processes across departments to ensure that all pieces are in place for the projects to move through efficiently and be released according to the quality, budget, and schedule expectations established by the Division. They develop a high-level understanding of HK systems and processes, as well as specialized knowledge of HK’s K-12 print, ebook, and ancillary processes, requirements, and content. If warranted, they may provide proofing or other editorial support for Spanish-language editions. The K-12 Special Projects Manager I is responsible for establishing, documenting, and refining procedures related to unique K-12 workflows, and is comfortable adjusting workflows to meet the needs of unique product types or to achieve aggressive timelines. They are experienced working through cross- project dependencies and can juggle multiple projects at once within tight time constraints.

Essential Functions

• 1. Collaborates with the Academic Editorial Director and staff in other departments to plan and track progress on K-12 projects, both assigned projects and projects assigned to others. Assists in preparing meeting agendas and works toward independently leading meetings with other Product Development staff as needed to track projects in process, monitor progress and any barriers, and set priorities. It’s expected that by the end of the first 90 days, the K-12 SPM is able to successfully run most aspects of these types of team meetings.
• 2. Regularly communicates project priority and status updates to key stakeholders, and works to prevent bottlenecks in the process so that target release timelines are met consistently. Maintains open lines of communication to proactively anticipate, problem-solve, and resolve any potential issues that may cause delays or extra work. Seeks guidance from the Editorial Director, Division Director, and others as appropriate when problem solving or troubleshooting are needed.
• 3. Routinely completes project management responsibilities for K-12 print and nonprint projects, managing the project through internal stages across departments and acting as point of contact for outsourced projects. Ensures assigned projects meet the quality, budget, and schedule expectations established by the Acquisitions Editor.
• 4. Manages K-12 tasks and projects that have special requirements (e.g., packages, ancillary products, add-on lessons, Spanish language versions, creation of NIMAS files for the National Instructional Materials Access Center, obtaining Lexile text measures, specific school or district requests, accessibility-related requests), including collaborating with colleagues in other departments or with external publishing services companies, as needed, and modifying existing procedures or systems to best meet the needs of the project.
• 5. Acts as the ProdDev point person for assigned K-12 projects, collaborating with internal departments (acquisitions, editorial, production, e-learning, marketing, sales), authors, and external publishing services companies on scheduling, tracking, reviewing, and completing projects according to established procedures and timelines.
• 6. Prepares complete project materials for internal colleagues, authors, or outsourcing partners at various project management stages according to established procedures as needed (such as copyediting prep, art transmittal, photo transmittal, permissions, and so on). Communicates proactively when established workflows need to be modified to meet project objectives.
• 7. Ensures accurate art, photo, and permissions data are recorded according to established procedures so that reports are complete. Keeps the publication schedule updated with accurate schedule and project data.
• 8. Creates and maintains procedures for unique K-12 processes or workflows, including outsourced K-12 projects. Provides feedback about the quality of the work completed by non-HK freelancers and project managers.
• 9. Contributes to HK’s profitability by working productively and ensuring project budgets and schedules are met. Suggests improvements to publication processes or systems to increase efficiency and promote innovation. During periods of lighter workload, assists colleagues with light editing, proofing, data entry, or other editorial tasks as needed.

Secondary Functions

• 1. As needed, applies knowledge of grammar, usage, and house and CMS style on assigned projects. This could include proofing artwork, covers, and other limited print and non-print project components for accuracy, consistency, and adherence to HK and project quality expectations.
• 2. If appropriate, may work alongside Editorial Services Manager to review Spanish-language projects that have been completed by a freelancer or translation service company, may proof layout and text corrections for print or digital Spanish-language projects, or may provide translations as needed for small portions of text. May also collaborate with other Product Development team members to establish and adjust workflows for Spanish-language projects.

Job Qualifications

Education:

• High School Diploma required. Knows the rules of U.S. English grammar and style and can recognize errors. Has knowledge of the Chicago Manual of Style or another style guide and can apply it effectively in manuscripts, learning CMS if necessary.
• Demonstrated attention to detail on HK’s proofreading diagnostic test.

Preferred or Specialized Education:

• Bachelor’s or advanced degree, preferably in a language-related field or in one of the sport sciences
• Spanish language proficiency of at least R-3: Reading 3 (General Professional Proficiency) on the Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) scale
• PMP or equivalent certification

Required Experience:

• 5+ years’ experience managing complex details, projects, or processes in a publishing or other professional environment
• Experience working on projects that require careful version control
• Proficiency with the complete Microsoft Office suite (Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Outlook)
• Proficiency with Adobe Acrobat DC or Adobe Acrobat Standard
• Proficiency with publishing technology and productivity, collaboration, project management, title management, and communication software tools

Preferred Experience:

• Experience working with freelancers or vendors
• Experience leading virtual meetings
• Experience working on Macs in addition to Windows machines
• Proficiency with the Adobe Creative Cloud Suite, specifically InCopy, InDesign, Illustrator
• Experience ensuring learning materials meet accessibility requirements (such as color contrast, captioning, audio description, alt-text, and so on)
• Familiarity with pros and cons of using AI tools to speed up manual tasks, and an understanding of ethical perspectives around AI use in publishing environments

HK Values:

• Integrity
• Effort
• Respect
• Teamwork
• Stewardship
• Accountability
• Decision making
• Functional expertise and usage
• Planning and organizing
• Quality orientation
• Results orientation
• Stress tolerance

Plus, for this position:

• Conceptual thinking
• Continuous learning
• Initiative
• Oral communication
• Organizational awareness
• Self-confidence
• Technology expertise and usage
• Innovation orientation
• Strategic thinking
• Data gathering and analysis
• Leadership
• Negotiating

Job Demands

Office Equipment: Frequent Computer-Windows use. Occasional Computer-Mac, Telephone, and Copier/Printer/Scanner use.

Mental Demands: Frequent problem solving, organize, read/write, and manage one's own time. Occasional make decisions. Rare interpret data.

Working Conditions: Indoor office environment.

Physical Demands: Frequent sitting, typing, and seeing. Occasional walking, standing, talking and hearing. Rare lifting and carrying.

FT Remote or Hybrid: Frequent Online video/phone/text communications/availability during office hours, HR-approved home office setup, and HK's home internet specs/standards met.

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, Responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.