£14.02 per hour + £1.69 holiday pay
Advertising End Date
18 Jun 2026

Role & Department Overview

The New Phytologist Foundation seeks an Editorial Assistant. This post offers an excellent opportunity to join our team, be based at Lancaster University. The post is available immediately.

The role holder will provide administrative support in publishing of the journals New Phytologist and Plants, People, Planet, primarily by supporting the peer review of papers submitted to the journals, with particular responsibility for New Phytologist.
 
Preferred Start Date: 29th June 2026
Expected End Date: 25th September 2026
Interview Date: 18th June 2026
Working Pattern: 36.5 hours per week
Location: On the Lancaster University Campus and Remotely

Job Description

  • Monitoring the review status of articles using ScholarOne, to ensure that manuscripts move through the process promptly and according to established guidelines.
  • Using initiative and established procedure guidelines to progress submissions.
  • Prompting and reminding Editors to provide reviewer suggestions and providing brief details/updates sufficient for the Editor to make quick decisions and suggestions within time frames and according to the guidelines outlined in the appropriate procedure documents.
  • Assisting the Editor and Peer Review Manager by suggesting potential referees from the Advisory Board, or by conducting online searches to determine suitably qualified individuals, using own initiative where possible, or with advice from colleagues as appropriate.
  • Contacting reviewers on behalf of Editors to determine whether they are able to provide reports on submitted papers.
  • Reminding overdue reviewers as appropriate, and according to established timeframes.
  • Deciding on courses of action to ensure timely submission of reports. Difficult situations sometimes arise, each of which must be dealt with on their own merits.
  • Escalating matters to or consulting manager or senior staff as appropriate.
  • Checking reviewer reports submitted to ensure that they are complete, and meet the standards of the journal, including ensuring that the information posted in the correct sections, any attached files are viewable, etc.
  • Assist Reviewers in the submission of their reports, troubleshooting submission or software problems.
  • Closing the review process promptly upon receipt of all reports, following established procedures.
  • Assist the Peer Review manager with peer-review-related tasks, such as assigning manuscripts, tracking the progress of submitted manuscripts and providing cover for the Peer Review Manager during absences/vacations, etc.
  • Develop and maintain the database of contacts and keyword information for authors and reviewers held on the ScholarOne Manuscripts database.
  • Ensuring that the database is up-to-date and accurate, including administering ad-hoc changes and routine merging of duplicate entries in the database (a task carried out weekly) and routine checking/updating of address and key word details of reviewers (a task carried out monthly).
  • Manuscript revision and liaising with production Team.
  • Preparing accepted papers for production, involving adhering to/working within the agreed publication schedule and liaising with authors, editors and the Production Manager as appropriate.
  • Administration of journal electronic offprint scheme.

Person Specification

  • A BSc/BA (Hons) degree or equivalent experience in a science subject (preferably Biological or Environmental Sciences)
  • An experience of administrative processes
  • IT competency across a range of applications, including: file management, use of internet, email, etc. and use of computer programs (e.g. Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and databases
  • The ability to work with a high level of accuracy and attention to detail also demonstrating excellent written English
  • Good organisation and time management skill, including ability to prioritise workload to meet competing deadlines
  • Ability to deal with queries/concerns in a professional manner, both in person, email and over the telephone; Effective communication skills
  • To convey an appropriate rationale and interest in applying for this particular post.
  • Ability to work in a team and have a flexible approach to work.
 
Working in this role will help develop the following skills and experience:
  • Analysing
  • Creativity
  • Curiosity
  • Decisiveness
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity
  • Knowledge Sharing
  • Multi-tasking
  • Organisation
  • Persuasion
  • Planning and organising
  • Problem solving
  • Research
  • Self-motivation
  • Teamwork
  • Time Management
  • Verbal communication
 

You are required to submit a cover letter to support your application. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered.

Please note: Unless specified otherwise in the advert wording, this role is only open to individuals living in the UK.

Under the terms of this work, we endeavour to provide the advertised number of hours however, hours are not guaranteed and that work may cease if there is a fall in demand. 

Adverts that display a closing date should be treated as a guide. We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so we advise you to submit your application as early as possible to prevent disappointment.

Apply

Help and advice on making applications can be found on the Lancaster University Careers pages. Visit www.lancaster.ac.uk/careers.

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