Specialist, Copy Editor

Qualifications

• Education & Experience: 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: Demonstrates strong end-to-end copyediting proficiency: spelling (interpreting dictionary entries, compounding/hyphenation), grammar and terminology, punctuation, syntax, diction, and usage; interprets and applies major style and usage references with confidence (e.g., Chicago Manual of Style, Gregg Reference Manual, Garner's Modern English Usage, and other industry standards).
• Technical & Software Skills: Proficient with Adobe Acrobat and various Microsoft Office 365 apps: Word, Outlook, SharePoint, Teams, OneDrive, and Excel; understands the basics of HTML/XML for web publishing and adapts to evolving software and requirements.
• Communication & Collaboration: Communicates clearly and respectfully; listens, synthesizes, and applies information effectively; gives and receives feedback constructively; accepts direction and acts on it.
• Professional Behaviors & 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 to process and duration modifications; works independently when required; accountable for editorial proficiency and 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; applies rules consistently; ensures uniformity and consistency across assessment components; sustains focus and reliably identifies errors throughout the workday while minimizing mistakes; exercises good judgment when applying client style guidelines; queries when deviations from style would be appropriate for best outcomes; may create/modify client style guidelines; understands the copyeditor's scope of responsibility, knows what to do when requested to go beyond scope, and flags concerns when needed; proactively seeks learning opportunities to strengthen editorial expertise by refining skills, expanding knowledge of style guides, and integrating emerging best practices.
• Quality Assurance & 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 a strong understanding of the application of copyright law in assessment and knows when to escalate concerns.
• Assessment & 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 a strong understanding of assessment best practices (universal design, plain English, accessibility design).
• Technical Platforms & 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 and knows when and whom to ask for help or training; may develop job aids and create training for colleagues.
• Collaboration & 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 and understands the editor's span of influence; works interdepartmentally, contributing to checklists, process documents, fact-checking, item writing, scoring checks, and cross-functional initiatives.
• Leadership & Project Coordination: Serves as lead editor when assigned: ensures Editorial obligations are met; coordinates with Content, Program Teams, and other departments and influences program decisions; creates effective training/process documents and work logs; reviews/approves schedules (e.g., in Smartsheet); coordinates editors' work, monitors schedules, tracks assets through all phases; communicates status, scope changes, risks, issues, defects, deadlines, resources, and overtime needs to manager; as a lead editor, makes final editorial decisions on behalf of Editorial and escalates issues to manager in a timely manner and 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 & Operational Excellence: Understands role across CDS and Pearson; aligns with Asset Services, CDS, and Pearson goals and contributes to their fulfillment; 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 and appropriate pace, productivity metrics, hours tracking) and 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 to improve efficiency and efficacy; maintains appropriate business behaviors (responsive communications, scheduling time-off per protocol, arranging backup coverage); collaborates effectively as a partner or team member.

Pay

The hourly rate for this role is $24.70 – $29.56. This position is not bonus eligible.