Peer Review Associate

The Peer Review Associate is responsible for supporting and managing the journal peer review process through Sage Track. This role ensures the timely progression of manuscripts from submission through peer review and acceptance, while maintaining high standards of quality, stakeholder communication, and operational efficiency.

Key Responsibilities

Manuscript Management

• Review and process submitted manuscripts in Sage Track to ensure compliance with journal submission requirements.
• Coordinate reviewer invitations and assignments, providing ongoing support throughout the review process.
• Monitor editorial workflows and follow up with editors, associate editors, reviewers, and authors to ensure timely completion of pending tasks.
• Facilitate the efficient progression of manuscripts through all stages of peer review.

Post-Acceptance Processing

• Ensure authors complete and submit all required contributor documentation through Sage Track.
• Conduct quality checks on accepted manuscripts, including verification of author information, editable files, permissions, and reference formatting.
• Prepare and export accepted manuscripts to the Sage Production Editor in accordance with publication schedules and deadlines.

Stakeholder Communication & Support

• Respond promptly and professionally to inquiries from editors, associate editors, authors, reviewers, and internal teams.
• Maintain and update journal-specific email templates within Sage Track.
• Liaise with ScholarOne support teams to resolve technical or system-related issues.
• Deliver a high standard of customer service to all stakeholders.

Journal Oversight & Relationship Management

• Monitor and maintain overall journal health and peer review performance.
• Build and sustain productive relationships with journal editors and editorial boards.
• Provide guidance and support to Editorial Assistants where applicable.
• Serve as the first point of escalation for journal-related operational issues.
• Act as the primary liaison between Sage and journal editors, ensuring clear communication and collaboration.
• Communicate Editorial Board updates to relevant Publishing and Production teams.

Reporting & Performance Monitoring

• Maintain accurate records of daily activities and manuscript-related tasks.
• Prepare and submit weekly performance and productivity reports.
• Update overdue task reports with relevant journal status and commentary.
• Generate and distribute system reports as required by management.

System & Site Administration

• Troubleshoot functionality and workflow issues within Sage Track.
• Ensure journal sites remain current and aligned with organizational standards and initiatives.
• Support the setup, migration, and implementation of peer review systems for new and existing journals in collaboration with global teams.

Productivity & Quality Standards

• Manage assigned manuscript workloads in accordance with the annual Work Allocation Plan (WAP).
• Deliver timely, accurate, and solution-oriented support to stakeholders.
• Adhere to journal-specific editorial policies, procedures, and best practices.
• Support additional projects and operational initiatives as required.

Teamwork & Collaboration

• Actively contribute ideas and recommendations to improve team processes and service delivery.
• Collaborate with colleagues and provide support across journal portfolios when required.
• Participate in departmental projects, committees, and organizational initiatives.
• Foster a positive, professional, and collaborative working environment.

Required Skills & Competencies

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong attention to detail and organizational abilities.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet tight deadlines.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Proactive and customer-focused approach.
• Ability to work independently while contributing effectively as part of a team.
• Adaptability to evolving processes, systems, and business requirements.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's Degree (required).
• 1-2 years of experience in academic publishing, peer review operations, editorial support, or a related field.
• Experience working with manuscript management systems such as ScholarOne or similar platforms is preferred.
• Familiarity with scholarly publishing workflows and editorial processes is desirable.