Editorial Services Manager

Reporting to the Editorial Services Director, the Editorial Services Manager leads the day-to-day delivery of centralised editorial services through the Editorial Services Co-ordinator teams. The role is accountable for operational performance, quality and the flow of work across the function, ensuring that agreed service levels and customer outcomes are achieved consistently.

Using data and continuous improvement methods, the role holder tracks and manages key performance indicators (KPIs), performance against service-level agreements (SLAs), backlog health and throughput; identifies bottlenecks and capacity risks; and takes timely corrective action. The role translates strategic direction into clear operational priorities, develops team capability and provides the Director with accurate insight, escalation and recommendations.

Key Accountabilities:

• Lead the day-to-day operation of Editorial Services, setting clear priorities and ensuring work is allocated and delivered in line with agreed standards, deadlines and customer requirements.
• Own operational performance across the Co-ordinator teams, including quality, workflow, service stability and the consistent application of standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Monitor service performance and customer outcomes against agreed service levels and expectations, using performance data and stakeholder feedback to identify emerging issues and opportunities to improve service quality and customer experience.
• Establish and maintain effective performance routines to track KPIs, SLAs, backlog health, ageing, work in progress, throughput, productivity, quality trends and customer satisfaction.
• Use Kanban and other visual management tools to maintain a clear view of demand, capacity, dependencies and flow; identify bottlenecks, emerging risks and constraints before they affect service.
• Take relevant corrective action when performance is off track, including reprioritising work, rebalancing capacity, removing blockers, agreeing recovery plans and escalating material risks to the Editorial Services Director.
• Translate functional objectives into practical team plans, daily and weekly operating rhythms, measurable expectations and clear ownership.
• Lead, coach and performance-manage the Editorial Services Co-ordinator teams, building accountability, engagement, cross-team collaboration and a culture of service excellence.
• Ensure appropriate resource and capacity planning, using demand and performance data to highlight current and future capability or resourcing risks and recommend solutions.
• Maintain effective quality controls, root-cause analysis and feedback loops; ensure recurring errors and service failures result in sustainable countermeasures rather than short-term fixes.
• Drive continuous improvement using Lean Six Sigma, Kaizen and Agile principles to remove waste, improve flow, standardise processes and increase customer value.
• Maintain accurate process documentation, operating controls and governance records, ensuring changes are embedded, understood and sustained.
• Provide concise, data-led operational reporting to the Editorial Services Director, including performance commentary, risks, recovery actions, improvement opportunities and decisions required.
• Build effective relationships with Editors, Societies, internal stakeholders and partner teams; manage operational expectations and resolve issues constructively. Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have:

• Demonstrated experience leading and performance-managing operational or process delivery teams, preferably within academic publishing or a comparable service environment.
• Strong experience managing workflow performance through KPIs, SLAs, backlog analysis, throughput measures, quality data and capacity planning.
• Practical knowledge of Lean Six Sigma and continuous improvement methods; Green Belt qualification, or equivalent applied experience, is desirable.
• Working knowledge of Agile methodologies, Kanban systems, Kaizen and visual management.
• Experience of diagnosing operational problems, completing root-cause analysis and implementing corrective and preventive actions.
• Experience managing change while maintaining stable day-to-day service delivery.
• Strong Excel and data analysis capability, with experience producing clear operational reporting and visualisation; familiarity with project and workflow management software.
• Knowledge of Journals editorial processes and the needs of Editors and Societies is desirable.
• Experience working with global teams and stakeholders in a matrix environment.

Skills and Behaviours Required

• Visible, inclusive leadership with strong coaching, team-building and performance-management skills.
• Strong operational judgement, able to balance customer need, service risk, capacity and continuous improvement priorities.
• Highly data literate; able to interpret trends, challenge assumptions and convert insight into timely action.
• Structured problem-solving skills and the resilience to remove obstacles, manage conflict and sustain recovery plans.
• Excellent organisation and planning, with the ability to manage competing priorities and maintain focus on flow and outcomes.
• Clear and confident communication, including the ability to explain performance, risks and recommendations to a range of stakeholders.
• Collaborative and customer-focused, able to build trust across teams and influence without relying solely on authority.
• Adaptable and pragmatic, responding quickly to changing demand while maintaining standards and controls.
• Drive for continuous improvement, with strong attention to detail and a commitment to measurable results.
• Comfortable using Kanban boards, project management software and operational dashboards.