Assistant Editor

The American Academy of Arts and Sciences, founded in 1780, is one of the country’s oldest and most prestigious scholarly organizations. The Academy is both an honorary society that recognizes and celebrates the excellence of its members and an independent research center, convening leaders from across disciplines, professions, and perspectives to address significant challenges. The Academy is committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion and looks to its staff members to foster and promote its mission and values.

The Academy produces two quarterly publications – Dædalus, the Journal of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, and the Bulletin, the magazine of the Academy – as well as project reports, research papers, data publications, and other materials. The Assistant Editor works closely with the Publications team, other Academy staff, and Academy members and contributing authors. In addition to editorial responsibilities, this role is part of the Academy’s collaborative staff and may contribute to Academy-wide initiatives, such as providing logistical support for on-site events, including the annual Induction ceremony.

Responsibilities:

• Editing Academy publications: Dædalus, the Bulletin, project reports, data publications, and research papers
• Page layout of Dædalus using InDesign
• Communicating regularly with authors to lead them through the editing process
• Working with Academy staff and project members to produce their project publications
• Posting Dædalus essays and issues on the Academy’s website
• Some general writing, including the Dædalus email newsletter and articles about Dædalus issues

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or 3 to 4 years of full-time experience in an editorial role (or equivalent)
• Demonstrated ability to copyedit and line edit scholarly and journalistic prose
• Ability to self-motivate, work independently and collaboratively, manage one’s own time, and prioritize according to the needs and deadlines of the publications department
• Proficiency in Adobe InDesign or comparable desktop publishing software (e.g., QuarkXPress, Affinity Publisher).
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Word, including use of track changes, commenting, and formatting tools.
• Ability to juggle multiple projects at once without sacrificing attention to detail
• Excellent written communication skills
• Strong critical and analytical thinking skills; ability to comprehend complex multidisciplinary writing
• Experience working in a membership-based, constituent-focused organization and/or in higher education a plus.

Location and Work Environment: This is a hybrid position that requires on-site presence at the Academy’s headquarters in Cambridge, MA three days per week, including Wednesdays as the designated in-office day.

Application: Interested applicants are encouraged to submit a brief cover letter and CV.