PLOS One Associate Editor - Life Sciences

About the role

This fully remote, home‑based Associate Editor position is open to candidates based in the United Kingdom and the U.S. states of Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia. In the United States the role is union‑represented as part of the Pacific Media Workers Guild, Local 39521 of the NewsGuild‑Communication Workers of America. PLOS is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing open science through research publishing, policy, and practice.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a point of escalation for complex and nuanced editorial queries.
• Support other PLOS teams, editorial board members, and third‑party editorial teams to uphold scientific rigor and editorial integrity.
• Evaluate manuscript submissions and make decisions based on reviewers’ comments.
• Participate in developing editorial policy and enhancing the visibility and reputation of PLOS journals.
• Handle publication‑ethics queries.
• Build relationships with members of the academic community.
• Demonstrate a positive, constructive attitude to change and a growth mindset.

Knowledge and Skills

• Experience in a research environment, publishing, or a related industry.
• Highly organized and efficient with strong critical‑assessment and problem‑solving abilities.
• Excellent written and oral communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to work under tight deadlines while maintaining high quality and accuracy.
• Capacity to set priorities and work independently.

Qualifications

A PhD is required.

Physical Requirements and Work Environment

Prolonged periods stationary at a desk and working on a computer. Occasional national and international travel may be required. Flexibility to work across time zones.

Pay

Base salary range: UK £35,000 – £38,950; US $67,000 – $73,625.

Benefits

• Fully remote work environment with a joining stipend for a home office.
• US: 401(k) with employer match; employee‑sponsored health, dental (100% employer‑paid) and vision insurance; paid vacation, 11 public holidays, sick leave; parental leave; birthday and three winter holidays off; short‑term and long‑term disability insurance; 2 days paid volunteer time off per year.
• UK: Private medical insurance; life assurance; income protection; personal accident insurance; pension with up to 10% employer match; 25 days holidays (market‑competitive); maternity and paternity leave; birthday and three winter holidays off; 2 days paid volunteer time off per year.

About PLOS

Building on a strong legacy of pioneering innovation, PLOS is a catalyst in open science, reimagining models to meet open‑science principles, removing barriers, and promoting inclusion in knowledge creation and sharing. Supported by a global in‑house team, partnerships with scholarly organizations, and a diverse international community of researchers, PLOS is committed to equal opportunity and to creating a more equitable system of scientific knowledge.