Indexer

Job Summary

Prepare accurate, comprehensive, and reader-friendly back-of-the-book indexes for academic, trade, and professional publications (humanities, STEM, legal), in accordance with publisher guidelines and indexing standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Analyze content to prepare, review, and edit back-of-the-book indexes.
• Complete sample and pilot indexing assignments as required.
• Follow publisher-specific indexing guidelines and style requirements.
• Use indexing software and AI-assisted tools, where applicable, to develop and refine indexes.
• Perform quality checks on draft and compiled indexes, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and compliance with guidelines.
• Incorporate editorial feedback and implement corrections to improve index quality.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelors degree in English, Literature, Library Science, Publishing, or a related discipline.
• 2–5 years of experience in back-of-the-book indexing, preferably for academic, trade, or professional publications.
• Knowledge of indexing principles, entry hierarchy, cross-referencing, and locator accuracy.
• Proficiency in indexing software such as Cindex or equivalent is preferred.
• Familiarity with MS Word and PDF navigation.
• Experience with AI-assisted indexing tools will be an advantage.

Language and Communication Skills

• Excellent written English, with strong grammar, spelling, and vocabulary.
• Strong reading comprehension and the ability to interpret complex text and subject-specific terminology.
• Ability to identify key concepts, synonyms, variant terms, and relationships between concepts.
• Ability to create clear, concise, and consistent index entries and subentries.
• Familiarity with academic and technical writing will be an advantage.

Key Competencies

• Analytical thinking and conceptual understanding.
• Attention to detail and accuracy.
• Sound editorial judgment and problem-solving skills.
• Time management and ability to meet deadlines.
• Ability to understand and apply indexing requirements across humanities, STEM, and legal disciplines.
• Ability to understand client requirements and work on pilot indexing assignments for new enquiries.
• Ability to work as an individual contributor or take the lead during collaboration with other stakeholders where necessary.