"Alerted.org

Director of Publications

Association Management Washington, D.C.

Apply

Description

Smithbucklin , a 650-person, employee-owned professional services company with more than 70 years of success serving the association market, with primary offices in Chicago and Washington, D.C. is seeking a Director of Publications to join its Washington, D.C. office.

The Director of Publications will work with the Executive Director in implementing the strategic objectives of the Society’s Council and Executive Committee as a member of the Senior Management Team. The Director is responsible for the operation of the Society’s two peer-reviewed journals, Journal of Bone and Mineral Research and JBMR Plus, and the Primer, a 150+-chapter edited work published in print and online every several years. The Director is also serve as the primary liaison for the Publications Committee, which is tasked with oversight of the policies and procedure of all publications owned or sponsored by ASBMR. As innovation and novel technologies are entering the publication space, the Director will also be responsible for ensuring such innovations are explored and incorporated into ongoing activities. The Director will act as liaison to other organizations, societies, government agencies, associations and other entities on behalf of ASBMR as needed and in support of the Executive Director.

At Smithbucklin, we embody a culture driven by optimism, ambition, expertise, and thoughtfulness, where every team member is empowered to exceed expectations and deliver exceptional results for our clients. Join us in shaping the future of association management, where our values serve as the cornerstone of our success.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities:

Publications

+ Monitor, evaluate, and direct our Publishing partner Oxford University Press (OUP) in performing contractual obligations

+ Serve as the ASBMR’s primary liaison with the Editors-in-Chief, Editors, and Editorial Boards of the journals and the Primer and the staff of the publisher, OUP

+ Manage and direct the operations of the editorial office of both journals, provided by the vendor Technica and subcontracted by OUP

+ Support the Executive Editors of the journals and the Primer with new and ongoing editorial and marketing initiatives and liaise with OUP as appropriate

+ Report regularly on the status of the journals and the Primer to the Editors-in-Chief, Publications Committee, the ASBMR Council, and the ASBMR Executive Director

+ Monitor developments, practices, and standards in scientific and scholarly publishing that may affect the ASBMR’s publications and help to formulate new and/or revised guidelines or changes to policy as needed

+ Seek new publishing opportunities, to include enhancement or expansion of current publications or the development of new publications

+ Seek opportunities to incorporate innovative ideas or technologies into the publications processes.

+ Draft budgets, monitor revenue and expenses, and develop financial projections for ASBMR's official scientific publications

+ Assist the Executive Director in negotiating publications-related contracts and oversee vendor performance

+ Review and proofs of all publications materials outside of the journals and Primer and assistance with production as needed:

+ ASBMR e-news

+ Annual Meeting Program book

+ Annual Meeting Abstract book

+ Membership marketing materials (multimedia or print)

Participate in Senior Management Team

+ Assist the Executive Director and staff managers with any staff training and onboarding

+ Lead and manage the annual budget process and monitor monthly statements

+ Assist in preparation of forecasting for all programs

+ Monitor P&L

+ Research feasibility and assist in or manage special projects as they arise in support of the Executive Director and Society Leadership, including

+ LMS, AMS, abstract management and other platform vendor selection

+ Society strategic planning and multi-year plans

+ Monitor legislative and NIH action related to publications, clinical practice, and advocacy and science policy in industry, and support preparing ASBMR responses, external and internal

+ Reporting to Council as requested

+ Serve as Liaison to the Publications Committee and Secondary Liaison to

+ Finance Committee

+ Ethics Committee

+ Generative AI Task Force

Education & Work Experience Required:

+ Bachelor's degree required

+ 5-10 years of progressively responsible experience in scientific or medical journal publishing, including oversight of online submission systems and timely workflow and production, budget development (of $1 million or more preferred), monitoring and forecasting of revenues and expenses, managing staff performance, overseeing and evaluating the performance of vendors and business partners, and serving as staff liaisons to governance groups or editorial boards

+ Experience with contract negotiations and oversight of RFP processes

+ Experience overseeing editorial offices of scholarly publications

+ Experience working with scientific or medical societies on scholarly publications

+ Experience with the development of new publication initiatives

+ Experience with promoting publications, including social media tactics

+ Experience working with scientific or medical societies on scholarly publications

+ Experience in book publishing, particularly with edited multi-author works, is preferred

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:

+ Scholarly Publishing Practices – Strong knowledge of peer-reviewed publishing processes, including manuscript submission, peer review, editorial workflows, production, indexing, and dissemination.

+ Scientific Communication – Understanding of biomedical and life sciences research, particularly in bone, mineral, and musculoskeletal biology, to communicate effectively with researchers, editors, and reviewers.

+ Publishing Platforms & Technologies – Knowledge of manuscript tracking systems, publishing software, open access models, digital libraries, and metrics tools (e.g., Impact Factor, h-index, altmetrics).

+ Copyright, Licensing, and Ethics – Familiarity with copyright law, Creative Commons licenses, COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines, and ethical standards in publishing.

+ Business Models – Knowledge of financial models for publishing, including subscription, open access, hybrid journals, advertising, and sponsorship revenue.

+ Trends in Scientific Publishing – Awareness of emerging issues in scholarly publishing such as open science, preprints, data sharing, AI tools, and global access initiatives

+ Editorial Management – Ability to oversee multiple journals, manage relationships with Editors-in-Chief, associate editors, and editorial boards.

+ Project Management – Skilled in coordinating workflows, setting timelines, and meeting deadlines across multiple publishing projects.

+ Data Analysis & Reporting – Ability to analyze publishing performance metrics (submissions, acceptance rates, citations, downloads, author demographics) and prepare reports for leadership and stakeholders.

+ Relationship Building – Skilled at fostering strong partnerships with editors, publishers, vendors, authors, and society members.

+ Negotiation & Contracting – Ability to negotiate with publishing partners, vendors, and service providers.

+ Leadership & Team Development – Skilled at supervising staff, contractors, and volunteers; fostering professional growth.

+ Communication – Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex publishing issues to diverse audiences.

Where Do You Fit?

Whether you are just beginning your career or are a mid- or senior-level professional, working at Smithbucklin will offer you countless opportunities to develop transferable skills, acquire meaningful knowledge and gain rich experiences at an accelerated pace. By working collaboratively with smart, ambitious, multi-talented, genuine and hardworking colleagues, you will build meaningful, deep and enduring relationships that will serve you well throughout your career, regardless of your chosen path. In addition, as a 100 percent employee-owned company, Smithbucklin offers all our people – regardless of position or compensation – an equal chance to experience the fulfillment and reap the benefits of ownership. As owners, our employees control the destiny of Smithbucklin and are unified in the goal of building a great, enduring company.

Our hybrid environment offers you the option of working from home two days per week. Employees will work a standard 40-hour week, with the possibility of additional hours based on project deadlines.

Smithbucklin considers several factors when determining compensation, including a candidate's recent coursework, training, experience, and certifications, among other considerations. The expected pay for this role is$100k – 110k.

Equal Employment Opportunity

At Smithbucklin, Equal Employment Opportunity is our commitment and goal. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, gender, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, marital status or any other protected status designated by federal, state or local law. Applicants are encouraged to confidentially self-identify when applying. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of reference and background investigation based on position.

Smithbucklin will not sponsor applicants for work visas and as a precondition of employment, you must be authorized to work in the United States permanently.