Managing Editor and Team Lead - AORN Journal

Colorado Psychiatric

Denver, Northern (CO, KY)

Hybrid

USD 90,000 - 120,000

Full time

14 days+

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Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage

Dental & Vision

HSA/FSA options

Paid time off

Holidays

Job summary

AORN, the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN), is seeking a Managing Editor and Team Lead to guide the AORN Journal’s editorial strategy, production, and day-to-day operations from a remote location. You will lead a talented editorial team and collaborate with the Editor-in-Chief, publisher, and internal partners to ensure accurate, timely, and valuable perioperative content.

The role includes developing the annual editorial calendar, coordinating web assets, managing

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, Publishing, or related field.
6+ years publishing experience, including as a Journal managing editor.
1+ years of experience leading or managing a team.
Experience with healthcare and/or scientific publishing (preferred).

Responsibilities

Supervises the content of the Journal and the work of the Journal team; ensures quality and timely content.
Reviews and edits Journal content; handles Editor-in-Chief columns.
Selects content for monthly issues and manages workflow schedules.
Creates annual Journal editorial calendar with leadership and updates stakeholders.
Plans and supports development of Periop Briefing content; edits and proofs articles.
Manages manuscript flow and coordination with publisher; oversees cover content.
Builds web assets for Journal pages; manages podcast selection and invoices.
Drives process improvements in author relations, guidelines, and peer review.
Maintains strong relationships with internal/external stakeholders; attends monthly meetings.
Oversees content for conferences and content coverage; arranges assets.
Recruits, trains, and manages editorial staff; collaborates across departments.
Ensures budget compliance and invoice payments; resolves production issues.
Identifies new Journal content features with senior leadership.
Supports advertising opportunities with publisher team.
Creates statements of work for freelancers and manages project timelines.
Contributes to Expo & Conference content and on-site activation.
Presents planning updates and editorial strategy to leadership.
Performs other duties as assigned.

Skills

Strong editing

Team leadership

Project management

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, Publishing, or related field

Tools

Manuscript management systems

Microsoft Office

Adobe software

Job description

Join AORN and Make an Impact

The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) is seeking a Managing Editor and Team Lead to help advance patient and staff safety through evidence-based practice, education, and clinical resources that support perioperative nurses. We welcome candidates from diverse backgrounds and career stages who are excited to bring their expertise to a mission-driven organization.

In this role, you will lead the editorial strategy, production, and day-to-day operations of the AORN Journal while guiding a talented editorial team and collaborating with the Editor-in-Chief, publisher, and internal partners. Your leadership will ensure the delivery of accurate, timely, and valuable content that informs perioperative professionals and supports AORN’s mission.

Location: Remote
Headquarters: Denver, CO

Why You'll Love This Role

Make a meaningful impact on patient and staff safety.
Work remotely with a collaborative and supportive team.
Contribute ideas that help shape the future of perioperative nursing.
Join a culture that values innovation, inclusion, and professional growth.

Why Join AORN?

At AORN, you'll find purpose-driven work, an engaging remote culture, and a team dedicated to advancing perioperative nursing.

Our values guide everything we do:

Innovation: Taking courageous and bold actions for growth and sustainability.
Communication:Exemplifying respect, collaboration, transparency and honesty.
Quality: Ensuring accountability and excellence.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusiveness:Promoting fairness, valuing differences, considering all perspectives.
Achievement:Achieving our mission, realizing the vision.

Whether you're early in your career or bringing years of expertise, you'll have the opportunity to contribute and make a difference.

What You’ll Do

The Managing Editor and Team Lead is responsible for the AORN Journal publication. They manage and oversee the work of the Journal editorial team and work closely with the Journal Editor-in-Chief and the Journal’s publisher. The Managing Editor and Team Lead also contributes to the overall Publications Team, taking on assignments identified by the Sr Director of Publications.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

Supervises the content of the Journal and the work of the Journal team, from planning through distribution; responsible for the quality of all Journal content and for ensuring the publication of accurate, relevant, timely and valuable content that meets the needs of authors, members, and other readers/subscribers.
Reviews and edits Journal content, including feature articles, columns, special reports, etc. Serves as the handling editor for the President’s Message column.
Selects and assigns the content for each monthly issue; creates and manages the workflow schedules for the Journal team members. Considers and tracks the annual page budget as part of content planning.
Creates an annual Journal editorial calendar with the Editor-in-Chief and Sr Director of Publications and updates and distributes it for internal and external stakeholders on a monthly basis.
Works closely with the Publications Editor to plan and support the development of Periop Briefing content; conceptualizes, reviews, edits, and proofs Periop Briefing articles.
Provides monthly issue lineups, along with cover information, and selects and coordinates approval of the cover image.
Builds and coordinates web assets for the Journal homepage on aornjournal.org and Journal pages on aorn.org; this includes managing the podcast selection, distribution, and invoice process.
Ensures team efficiency and productivity. Identifies and helps implement process improvement initiatives related to author communications and relations, Author Guidelines, author outreach/solicitation efforts, peer review, etc.
Tracks and manages manuscripts in the manuscript & peer reviewing platform. Manages the export and transfer of all articles to the publisher.
Establishes positive and effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including the AORN Membership, Creative Services, Digital Marketing, and Nursing Departments, as well as the Journal publisher and ad sales team.
Co-manages the review of the monthly issue proof stage (1st and 2nd revises) and notes all corrections needed at these final production stages.
Manages pre- and post-conference content coverage in the Journal, including speaker interviews, conference highlights, poster and award winners, etc. Coordinates with internal stakeholders to acquire necessary assets for layouts.
Recruits, trains, and manages performance of the Journal editorial team.
Meets regularly with the Journal’s Editor-in-Chief, as well as the publisher editorial, production, marketing, and ad sales teams.
Responsible for meeting the Journal expense budget and managing the payment of Journal related invoices.
Manages the day-to-day Journal operations with the publisher and troubleshoots any problems that may emerge related to the print and/or digital editions.
In collaboration with the Editor-in-Chief and Sr Director of Publications, identifies and develops new Journal content features.
Works closely with the publisher’s ad sales team to notify them of content that would interest advertisers and contributes to new advertising opportunities.
Creates and oversees statements of work and contracts for editorial freelancers. Coordinates content project requirements, schedules, and payments.
Helps manage and lead the Publications department’s tasks and activities for the annual AORN Expo & Conference, including identifying the Journal booth objectives and activities, the creation of signage and forms, coordinating onsite events and meetings, creating supporting messaging for different content vehicles, etc.
Creates and gives presentations as needed.
Assists the Editor-in-Chief in planning, implementing, evaluating, and improving the editorial content of the AORN Journal.
Other duties as assigned.

What You’ll Bring

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor’s degree required in Journalism, Publishing, or related field.
Minimum of 6 years relevant publishing experience, including as a Journal managing editor, with demonstrated strong performance in writing, editing, and proofreading, as well as project and team management.
1+ years of experience leading or managing a team.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Scholarly and/or association publishing experience.
Experience with healthcare and/or scientific publishing.
Knowledge of American Medical Association (AMA) style guide.
Experience and comfortable with new and developing publishing technologies, formats, and platforms.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite, including PowerPoint, Word, Excel, and professional Adobe software.
Proficient in use of manuscript management systems.
Strong attention to detail.
Deadline driven, able to manage multiple tasks simultaneously and work efficiently under deadline pressure, strong time management, organization, and prioritization skills.
Ability to work collaboratively and independently, excellent communication skills.
Ability to cultivate positive relationships within the department as well as outside the department, with AORN members, staff, and partners.
Ability to demonstrate and hold others accountable for organizational values of: Innovation, Communication, Quality, Diversity, Equity, & Inclusiveness, and Achievement.

Benefits & Well-Being

We offer a comprehensive benefits package that supports your health, well-being, financial future, and professional growth.

Supporting Your Health & Well-Being