Editorial Assistant

DESCRIPTION OF RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Processing and Preparing Manuscript Submissions for Peer Review: Monitor EIDs manuscript submission portal for new and revised manuscript submissions; Check for application of journal submission guidelines based on author-selected article type; Add line counts and double line spacing to articles when needed; Ensure the journals Author Checklist is complete and submitted with each article; Re-order author files as necessary to comply with journal style; Establish that all author submitted files display fully and without error in articles PDF view,, including resaving problematic figures as needed to provide correct visual for reviewer use. ; Resave tables with excessive page breaks or length at a reduced size and alternative page orientation for readability.
• Supporting Copy Editors Assigned to Accepted Articles: Processing papers upon preliminary eXtyles software training; Authenticating references and formatting tables; Proofreading support include, but is not limited to, journal style adherence, grammar, spelling accuracy, confirmation of editorial changes made or needed, and flagging of inconsistencies in order, quality, appearance, counts, etc. of figures, tables, or videos supporting each article.
• Supporting EIDs Manuscript Submission Process: Assisting authors, associate editors, and peer reviewers with their accounts in EIDs ScholarOne/Manuscript Central submission portal by verifying email and account name information, documenting issues; and informing the editor-in-chief, deputy editor-in-chief, or managing editor of the issues via an email as necessary; Documenting inquiries from authors concerning status of their manuscripts; Receiving new or revised files directly from authors linked to papers in progress and adding them to submitted manuscripts or routing them to copy editor assigned; Forwarding emails to appropriate staff regarding journal submissions questions or corrections; Responding to phone calls and emails related to customer inquiries, mailing lists, or other aspects of EIDs operations by answering questions or offering guidance within one business day; Collecting information needed to fix issues; Informing the managing editor of problems or issues that require his or her intervention; Performing day-to-day peer review coordination by checking the new submissions received daily in ScholarOne to ensure EIDs requirements for formatting, word count, and graphics standards are met; Advancing for review those submissions that adhere to the critical guidelines for manuscripts; Notifying the editor-in-chief via email of the precise nature of any major problems with the submission so he or she can determine whether to reject, assign, or return the submission to the authors for correction.
• Supporting the Journal Administrator in the maintenance of multiple mailing lists for the annual EID Calendar distribution: Responding to requests for address changes and additions and then making these changes in the associated Excel documents and/or in ScholarOne accounts when applicable; Cleaning up the Excel reports from ScholarOne run annually to capture names, emails, and addresses of reviewers for the current year by removing duplicate entries, adding missing key address details and resolving address contradictions while making necessary updates to related ScholarOne accounts as needed. Managing bounce backs when calendars are not delivered by attempting to contact subscribers one time via email for correct address and remove from lists if no response is received.
• Other Areas Requiring Support for Journal Administrator: Responding to messages related to undeliverable emails generated by ScholarOne by contacting the account creator for correction and resending the previously undelivered email after making the address correction in ScholarOne; Forwarding the Editorial Assistants response to any author inquiry on a manuscript overdue by one day or more to the Journal Administrator to add to the weekly report to the deputy editor-in-chief; Providing date extensions to Copy Editor or Production Checklists as needed; Running select ScholarOne reports identified by the Journal Administrator; Assigning accepted manuscripts for publication to copy editors upon request; Monitoring the journals EIDeditor mailbox on a rotating schedule.
• Meeting attendance when Working Remote: Planning availability to attend weekly Team Staff Meetings on Thursday (with a monthly meeting option on the CDC campus if local); Attending monthly Production and Copy Editor Meetings.
• Clerical and Office Tasks: Supporting the editor-in-chief, deputy editor-in-chief, and managing editor by scheduling and preparing for meetings, organizing files, assisting with correspondence, and carrying out other similar tasks; Preparing handouts, agendas, and other materials for staff meetings, projects, and presentations; Securing meeting spaces for regular EID staff meetings and special meetings; Faxing, copying, and preparing materials upon request; Keeping notes when needed for high-level meetings; Responding to requests for sourcing needed office supplies. Handling special shipping needs (e.g., FedEx, UPS), by preparing shipping labels and arranging drop-off of shipments at the appropriate pick-up locations. Assisting with inventory maintenance record of past printed journals by volume/issue; Ensuring stock of journals is safely stored in archives for future inventory counts.
• Supporting EIDs Communications and Production Activities: Creating letters to an articles Corresponding Author for upcoming podcasts; Working with EID production staff to review and proofread images, tables, photographs, maps, and other graphics; Working with production staff by proofreading PDFs of journal contents; Proofreading correspondences, communications materials, presentation materials, and other content upon request; Maintaining spreadsheet directory of information for EIDs cover art.

REQUIRED DEGREE/EDUCATION/CERTIFICATION:

• A degree in journalism, English, communications, or science is preferred.
• Those with experience in scientific publishing and/or project management could be considered.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Active communication is essential for this remote position, requiring a self-directed candidate who is both process-driven and practices open communication with all journal staff, including asking questions and sharing insights.
• Ability to meet deadlines consistently, prioritize assignments, and handle both incoming inquiries about the processes of the EID journal.
• The ideal candidate is detail-oriented with excellent organizational skills.

DESIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Experience in scientific/technical/medical proofreading is a plus.
• Expert command of language, grammar, and syntax is desired.
• Experience using Microsoft Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc.) is desired.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are desired.
• Flexibility and team-player mentality is desired.

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