Peer Review Coordinator

APA operates on a 37.5-hour work week with one hour lunch breaks each day. Salaries are set based on years of relevant experience, level of education, and previous staff and/or governance experience at APA.

About the role

The Peer Review Coordinator is a skilled communicator and customer service representative who ensures a high-quality peer review process for authors, reviewers, and editors. This role serves as an expert in peer review policy, facilitating all aspects of peer review within a journal portfolio, solving problems through careful analysis, and enhancing existing procedures while demonstrating mastery of all relevant technical systems.

Responsibilities

• Ensures a timely, ethical editorial workflow for the assigned portfolio.
• Communicates daily with editors, authors, reviewers, and APA Journals staff regarding the peer review process, ensuring timely, accurate, sensitive, and thoughtful communication consistent with APA policy and procedures.
• Manages the manuscript submission process for an assigned portfolio of journals, from initial author submission through peer review to post-acceptance preparation for production.
• Reviews all submitted manuscripts for adherence to each journal’s submission requirements and compliance with APA policies, including enforcing deadlines, securing appropriate paperwork, monitoring journal performance, and introducing workflow efficiencies.
• Provides extensive technical support, troubleshooting, and training for the peer review system, Editorial Manager.
• Prepares reports on editorial statistics for editors and APA staff.
• Solves problems and navigates sensitive issues arising in the peer review process, including copyright permissions issues and discrepancies between policy and practice.
• Designs departmental process improvements and leads training sessions for the team to highlight best practices and contribute to the team policy and procedures manual.
• Works as a team with Production Editors and Associate Publishers to develop journal-wide solutions for issues such as editorial lag, backlog, and transitions between incoming and outgoing Editors.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, English, or related fields, with at least 3 years of experience in scholarly publications, including knowledge of the editorial and peer review process and working with a sensitive customer base (e.g., scholarly authors and scientific editors).
• Candidates may substitute 4-6 years of relevant work experience in scholarly publications for the required education.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (written and verbal).
• Experience in a high-profile, deadline-driven environment.

Skills

• Microsoft Word (User)
• Microsoft Excel (User)
• Email programs (User)
• Adobe Acrobat (User)
• Editorial Manager (preferred)
• iThenticate (preferred)
• DocuSign (preferred)

Benefits

• Remote Work/Flexible Scheduling
• 401(k) option with employer match of up to 4%
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance options, including an outpatient mental health benefit
• Paid personal/vacation time plus 12 paid holidays
• Family/Medical Leave
• Tuition assistance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Short- and long-term disability insurance

About APA

The American Psychological Association (APA) represents 146,000 psychologists, students, and affiliates, primarily in the U.S. and Canada but also in other countries around the world. APA is a scientific and professional organization with about 500 employees and is categorized as a 501(c)(3) along with its 501(c)(6) companion organization, APA Services, Inc.

Job Location

Remote: Eligible for remote work as defined in APA’s Flexible Work Policy, subject to approval. Remote work employees may not work from the following states or U.S. territories: Alaska, California, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii, Iowa, Louisiana, Montana, Nebraska, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, U.S. Virgin Islands, Washington, Wyoming.