Specialist, Copy Editor

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field (e.g., literature, language, journalism) or equivalent certification/on‑the‑job training
• Minimum of three years’ editorial experience and two years’ experience in educational assessment
• Comprehensive editorial expertise: strong end‑to‑end copyediting proficiency (spelling, compounding/hyphenation, grammar, terminology, punctuation, syntax, diction, and usage); interprets and applies major style and usage references (e.g., Chicago Manual of Style, Gregg Reference Manual, Garner’s Modern English Usage, and other industry standards)
• Technical and software skills: proficient with Adobe Acrobat and Microsoft Office 365 apps (Word, Outlook, SharePoint, Teams, OneDrive, Excel); understands HTML/XML basics for web publishing and adapts to evolving software and requirements
• Communication and collaboration: communicates clearly and respectfully; listens, synthesizes, and applies information effectively; gives and receives feedback constructively; accepts direction and acts on it
• Professional behaviors and judgment: reliable and organized; meets deadlines with appropriate quality; manages time effectively; exercises sound judgment and analytical decision‑making; advocates/persuades when necessary and knows when restraint/negotiation is more productive; self‑managed, resilient, and adaptable; works independently when required; accountable for editorial quality; uses systems correctly; owns errors and identifies root causes; demonstrates decency and professionalism; mentors or accepts mentoring; maintains confidentiality, openness, and truthfulness; displays curiosity about rules, processes, tools, perspectives, and the broader business context

Responsibilities

• Core editorial responsibilities: implements grammar, spelling, usage, punctuation, syntax, and style per department, client, and industry standards; ensures uniformity and consistency across assessment components; sustains focus and reliably identifies errors throughout the workday; exercises good judgment when applying client style guidelines; queries when deviations from style would be appropriate; may create/modify client style guidelines; understands the copyeditor’s scope of responsibility and flags concerns when needed; proactively seeks learning opportunities to strengthen editorial expertise
• Quality assurance and risk awareness: adheres to quality assurance and quality control steps and review guidelines; recognizes the impact of editorial errors on item/test validity and broader reputational and program risks; demonstrates strong understanding of copyright law application in assessment and knows when to escalate concerns
• Assessment and content understanding: understands educational assessment foundations (content standards, alignment, validity, item‑level statistics); considers assessment design interactions (passage–item relationships, item types, metadata, accommodations) and the impact of editing cross‑components; demonstrates strong understanding of assessment best practices (universal design, plain English, accessibility design)
• Technical platforms and publishing: uses Pearson‑preferred applications and platforms (e.g., ABBI, eStyle, Oracle) and demonstrates strong understanding of related publishing workflows (e.g., ABBI interactions with XPRT/TN8, XML issues, MathML); suggests necessary enhancements; identifies appropriate digital job aids and documentation; may develop job aids and create training for colleagues
• Collaboration and community: assists with staff training, including mentoring, seminars, and one‑on‑one support; engages proactively in Editorial and Assessment Trends channels; works collegially across Editorial, Asset Services, Content, CDS, and Pearson; shares essential information across projects; works interdepartmentally, contributing to checklists, process documents, fact‑checking, item writing, scoring checks, and cross‑functional initiatives
• Leadership and project coordination: serves as lead editor when assigned: ensures Editorial obligations are met; coordinates with Content, Program Teams, and other departments; influences program decisions; creates effective training/process documents and work logs; reviews/approves schedules; coordinates editors’ work, monitors schedules, tracks assets through all phases; communicates status, scope changes, risks, issues, defects, deadlines, resources, and overtime needs to manager; makes final editorial decisions on behalf of Editorial; escalates issues to manager in a timely manner; takes responsibility for editorial quality; provides lead editor guidance and support to other lead editors
• AI‑enabled editorial use: leverages AI tools to develop, review, and enhance assessment content that meets quality and accessibility standards; integrates AI‑generated assets with appropriate editorial oversight; demonstrates proficiency in AI‑supported content development; prompts, refines, and evaluates AI outputs; iterates with sound editorial judgment; stays current with emerging AI technologies and adapts as they evolve
• Professional responsibilities and operational excellence: understands role across CDS and Pearson; aligns with Asset Services, CDS, and Pearson goals; attends team/town‑hall meetings and acts on disseminated information; completes administrative tasks on time (timesheets, goals, surveys, training modules); supports efficiency initiatives (standardization, resource sharing, time management, productivity metrics, hours tracking); provides training to vendors/contractors when appropriate; identifies problems and escalates as appropriate; balances cost, efficiency, schedule impact, and quality to set priorities; champions new technology, tools, and processes; maintains appropriate business behaviors (responsive communications, scheduling time‑off per protocol, arranging backup coverage); collaborates effectively as a partner or team member

Pay

Hourly rate: $24.70 – $29.56. This position is not bonus eligible.