The MIT Press welcomes applicants from diverse backgrounds, including those communities underrepresented in scholarly publishing.
Open Positions:
Administrative and Acquisitions Assistant
The Administrative and Acquisitions Assistant provides support to the Editorial Director with departmental administrative tasks and assists with project management for the MIT Press’s book program in Trade Science. In this hybrid role, the Administrative and Acquisitions Assistant schedules departmental meetings, coordinates weekly proposal committee materials, and provides general support to the Acquisitions department, while also assisting with distinct and critical phases of project development for approximately 5-8 book projects per year. The Administrative and Acquisitions Assistant also works with authors and MIT Press staff to facilitate effective review and consideration of project proposals and manuscripts, and manuscript production.
This job offers a great opportunity to learn the book acquisitions process at a major university press. We welcome candidates who bring new perspectives to the press. We publish authors from across the globe and this position can serve to introduce the assistant to working with colleagues across departments at The MIT Press and MIT, as well as working with authors and researchers across the dynamic field of biomedicine.
This is a full-time, 40-hour/week position. MIT Press offers a hybrid work environment; the assistant should be able to commit to work in the Cambridge, MA office at least one day per week (commuting expenses are not covered/reimbursed other than the standard commuting benefits available to all MIT employees).
Administrative Responsibilities (Acquisitions)
- Plan, schedule, and facilitate hybrid and remote Publishing Committee meetings, taking notes at weekly meetings.
- Gather and format documents for distribution for regular Publishing Committee, Editorial Board, and other department meetings.
- Track cover copy for department based on schedule reports, checking in with other assistants then relaying status in weekly schedule meeting.
- Create and distribute tracking reports.
- Maintain department Wiki and document department procedures.
- Communicate changes to workflows or procedures to the Acquisitions department.
- Process mail received at the MIT Press office.
- Participate in a wide variety of internal meetings.
- Additional duties as needed or required. This role requires extensive communication with acquisitions editors, authors, and colleagues in other departments.
Principal Duties and Responsibilities (Essential Functions*)
- Collaborate with other departments and act as liaison with authors.
- Work with authors to prepare manuscripts and artwork for production.
- Review final manuscripts to ensure that preparation guidelines have been followed.
- Enter and maintain project data in title management system.
- Coordinate the peer review process by querying potential reviewers and making sure review process stays on schedule.
- Solicit endorsements for forthcoming books.
- Send contracts and tax documents to authors for signature and coordinating advance payments.
- Assist with preparation of various documents including contracts, publishing plans, and sales sheets.
- Research and help identify competing books.
- Track and oversee permissions clearance.
- Complete general administrative responsibilities, including assisting with planning around seasonal deadlines and maintenance of project schedules for both lists.
- Assist with shipment of complimentary book copies.
- Manage projects assigned by Acquisitions Editor following contract signing.
- Identify competing books, potential course adoptions, and areas of growth in emerging fields.
- Develop financial projections as requested by Editor.
- Research and prepare contracts and other documents, including project dockets, publishing plans, and sales sheets.
Qualifications and Skills
Education: High school diploma or equivalent required. Bachelor’s degree in a related field preferred.
Experience: Minimum three years of administrative experience required. Previous publishing experience is helpful, but not required.
Skills:
- Excellent organizational and communication skills,
- Strong administrative computer skills (MS Word, FileMaker, Excel, PowerPoint).
- Ability to coordinate and prioritize multiple task demands, and effectively manage time.
- Deals with confidential information and/or issues (including peer reviewer identities, tax forms, etc.) using discretion and judgment.
- Detail-oriented, self-motivated, and enjoys working in teams when necessary.
Preferred Skills:
- Experience or engagement with diverse communities or communities that are underrepresented in STEM fields, and a willingness to apply that knowledge in the daily work of publishing.
- Academic or professional experience in computer science and/or education and learning.
*To comply with regulations by the American with Disabilities Act (ADA), the principal duties in job descriptions must be essential to the job. To identify essential functions, focus on the purpose and the result of the duties rather than the manner in which they are performed. The following definition applies: a job function is essential if removal of that function would fundamentally change the job.
Employment is contingent upon the completion of a satisfactory background check.
Please apply for these positions with a cover letter, on the MIT Careers Site using the job cart portal.