Public Library of Science

Lead strategy and management of external publishing partners ensuring quality and operational resilience. | Requires extensive experience managing publishing vendors and proficiency with manuscript tracking and data reporting tools. | *This position is fully remote/home based. Applications will be accepted from candidates based in the UK and the following US states: FL, IL, MA, MD, NY, PA, TX, VA. Role Summary PLOS is a nonprofit, Open Access publisher empowering researchers to accelerate progress in science and medicine by leading a transformation in research communication. As the Publishing Operations Vendor Manager, you will play a critical role in ensuring PLOS’s publishing workflows are supported by a diverse, high-performing network of external partners. You will lead vendor strategy across the publishing lifecycle, ensuring supplier capabilities align with organizational needs. With a focus on quality, scalability, and continuous improvement, you will foster strong partnerships, oversee procurement and contracting processes, drive best practices in vendor management, and support long-term operational resilience. Supervisory Responsibilities N/A- This role will involve management of vendors but will be on the individual contributor track and will not have direct line reports. Responsibilities Oversight of vendor use in end-to-end workflows, ensuring a joined-up and efficient approach Seek continuous improvement in removing departmental silos and promoting cross-functional vendor scoping (e.g. take steps to move vendors to operating across the workflow from submission to publication, rather than siloing on the basis of department). Limit risk to PLOS by ensuring a healthy diversity in the suppliers that support our work, while maximising efficiency and quality Maintain awareness of relative strengths offered by suppliers that offer publishing support, and develop risk-reward scenarios for changing suppliers/opening requests for proposals (RFPs) Management of vendor contract renewal Serve as primary point of contact with suppliers/vendors in contract negotiations (cascading to relevant teams/legal where needed) Track contract end dates and alert teams to pending end of contract three months before renewal date Work with internal stakeholders to review and update tasks, volumes and quantifiable and reportable SLAs based on forecast submission and publication volume. Develop forecast of supplier-side headcount (including optimal seniority of roles, where options exist) likely needed to support outsourced work If needed, support negotiation between in-house teams and suppliers to finalise headcount and budget Work with legal to update contracts Management of RFP process Serve as primary point of contact with suppliers/vendors in RFP process (cascading to relevant teams/legal where needed) Support Director of Publishing Operations & Customer Care and Director of Editorial in pricing negotiations and budget requirements. Work with external consultant to develop short list of suppliers to approach for RFP Support internal stakeholders in drafting RFP documentation and setting success criteria Serve as primary point of contact with suppliers who are submitting proposals Support internal stakeholders in reviewing proposals and interviewing suppliers With external consultant, support internal stakeholders in selecting supplier who is best placed to deliver services to meet PLOS’ needs and within budget Work with internal stakeholders and legal to develop contract (process as outlined above in contract renewal process) Vendor onboarding Serve as primary point of contact with new suppliers/vendors in onboarding process Establish onboarding best practice guidance, including a rollout plan and communications templates Work with internal teams to establish KPIs, service level agreements (SLAs) and auditing framework As part of new contract or contract renewal process, work with internal stakeholders to develop/review plans for monthly quality assurance audits to track adherence to SLAs Serve as primary point of contact with suppliers/vendors in sharing auditing results and developing remedial plans where service falls below agreed levels Where service falls below expected standards, support in-house teams in remediation and review vendor plans to improve performance Work with the Engineering and Product teams to prioritise development of data, reports, and other tools needed to track accountability via auditing process Proactively identify opportunities to reduce in-house time spent auditing Maintain PLOS-side feedback tracker, and coordinate the sending of feedback to suppliers Escalate contract breaches to legal for advice Establish a culture of excellence in vendor relationships Develop, maintain and share resources and best practices for vendor management, including how to set appropriate SLAs and audit levels, and how to collect and share feedback Lead training sessions for PLOS staff to share best practices for engagement with vendors Support regular site visits both with external consultant and key contacts from relevant teams. Capacity planning Regularly review number of tasks sent to suppliers to ensure volume is as outlined in contract Work with teams to amend contract and headcount as needed Confirm appropriateness of vendor-side headcount once forecasts and reforecasts of submission and publication numbers are available Maintain awareness of new supplier-side tools and technologies Regularly meet with suppliers to review tools and technologies that they are developing to support efficient peer review Regularly meet with journal teams (publishing, operations, editorial, production, R&R, publication ethics, customer care) to understand what technologies might be most helpful in supporting efficient peer review and publication Liaise with Digital teams to ensure cross-functional alignment Support demonstrations of potentially useful tools to PLOS teams Knowledge and Skills Vendor Procurement and Relationship Management Experience in sourcing vendors and managing RFI/RFP processes and onboarding Experience in developing and maintaining long-term, collaborative relationships with vendors such as editorial service providers, production partners or copyediting/typesetting vendors. Experience in drafting and enforcing service level agreements (SLAs); auditing and analyzing vendor KPIs such as turnaround times, quality scores, and author/editor satisfaction; and managing budget. Demonstrated experience in managing multiple vendors across global time zones and high-volume journal portfolios Publishing Workflow Knowledge Understanding of end-to-end publishing workflows including manuscript submission, peer review, production, copyediting, typesetting, and online publication. Familiarity with publishing standards (e.g., JATS XML, DOI registration, ORCID integration), ethical publishing guidelines (e.g., COPE, ICMJE) and compliance issues (e.g., data privacy, accessibility) Technology and Systems Proficiency Familiarity with manuscript tracking systems (e.g. Editorial Manager), production platforms, and content management systems Familiarity with tools to increase the accuracy and efficiency of editorial processes and technical checks Experience with tools for data tracking and reporting (e.g. Tableau) Cross-functional and Cross-cultural Collaboration Proven ability to collaborate with editorial, production, product and legal teams to align vendor operations with business needs Skilled in working across cultures and time zones, with experience managing diverse vendor and stakeholder relationships Communication and Reporting Clear, professional communication style suited to managing both internal stakeholders and external partners Strong documentation and reporting skills to track vendor activities and support audits or reviews Qualifications Extensive experience in developing and maintaining productive relationships with editorial and/or publishing services providers Advanced degree or certifications in a relevant field (e.g., in procurement, operations, or project management) a plus Physical Requirements and Work Environment Prolonged periods stationary at a desk and working on a computer. Some national and international travel will be required. Some flexibility to work across time zones. The base salary range we’ve established for these positions is (US): $75,000 - $83,000 or (UK) £50,000- £54,000. PLOS also offers a comprehensive benefits package summarized below. BENEFITS: US: 401k with employer match Employee sponsored health, dental and vision insurance (Dental and Vision 100% employer paid) Paid Vacation, 11 public holidays and sick leave Parental leave Birthday and three winter holidays days off Short term and long term disability insurance 2 days paid time off for volunteering per year Fully remote work environment with stipend on joining for home office UK: Private medical insurance Life assurance Income protection Personal accident insurance Pension with up to 10% employer match 25 days holidays, market competitive Maternity and Paternity leave Birthday and three winter holidays days off 2 days paid time off for volunteering per year Fully remote work environment with stipend on joining for home office About PLOS Building on a strong legacy of pioneering innovation, PLOS continues to be a catalyst in open science, reimagining models to meet open science principles, removing barriers and promoting inclusion in knowledge creation and sharing, and publishing research outputs that enable everyone to learn from, reuse and build upon scientific knowledge. Our work is supported by a highly skilled global in-house team, partnerships with local scholarly organizations, and the valued contributions of a diverse, international community of scientific researchers. We’re committed to equal opportunity We’re working to create a more equitable system of scientific knowledge and understanding. Removing barriers to inclusion and facilitating broad participation of voices is core to our success, inside and out. Beyond accepting distinct perspectives, we seek and support divergent backgrounds among our staff because we know differences strengthen our teams, our work, and our communities. We strongly encourage applicants of all identities to join us as we work towards a future where science is open to all, for all. Visit plos.org/careers to learn more. To learn more about how PLOS protects your privacy, see our Employee Privacy Notice.

Design, build, and maintain cloud-native solutions collaboratively within an agile team. | Significant full-stack software engineering experience with cloud-native architectures and server-side languages, plus a bachelor's degree or equivalent. | The position is anticipated to be short-term, and not expected to exceed April 30, 2028. Please note that there is no guaranteed duration of the position, and your employment will be at will and for no fixed duration. As such, it can be terminated by you or the organization at any time, with or without notice or cause, for any reason not otherwise prohibited by law. *This position is fully remote/home based. Applications will be accepted from candidates based in the UK and the following US states: FL, IL, MA, MD, NY, PA, TX, VA. Role Summary PLOS is a nonprofit, Open Access publisher empowering researchers to accelerate progress in science and medicine by leading a transformation in research communication. The Senior Software Engineer draws on a diversity of experience in software engineering, architecture, and lifecycle management to collaboratively design, build, and maintain modern cloud-native solutions to power the ongoing revolution in open science. A high level of motivation, independence and willingness to constantly learn and improve are necessary to be successful. This role sits within the Digital team and is part of a team of engineers within the software engineering function. Responsibilities As part of a cross-functional product team, contribute designs, code, tests, code reviews, and excellent judgment towards the development and continuous improvement of our digital platforms. Participate in agile ceremonies and evolving development practices of the team. Contribute to the overall platform architecture. Ensure new work is delivered in alignment with said architecture. Establish and support development processes. Provide stewardship of the long-term sustainability of our platform and actively manage platform health and technical debt. Knowledge and Skills Significant professional software engineering experience gained in a full stack environment, ideally with experience using Google Cloud, Python, React, Kubernetes, BigQuery, or similar modern technologies. Hands-on experience developing, shipping, operating, and/or maintain consumer and/or enterprise we applications. Demonstrated passion for delivering testable, instrumented, and reliable code. Strong track-record of using and improving agile software development and related design practices. Deep understanding and experience of at least one server-side language. Expertise in cloud native architectures. Expertise in data pipelines and event-driven architectures preferred. Expertise in machine learning and machine learning pipelines preferred. Solid foundation in secure coding practices. Solid understanding of client-side technology (CSS/HTML/JS) Experience with continuous delivery methods and technologies. Experience with using data to inform development decisions. Ability to collaborate with a variety of functions, personalities and cultures. Ability to actively listen, ask the right questions and see the underlying meaning in what’s being said and not said. Flexible and open minded. Energy and enthusiasm for learning. Problem solving in multiple domains. Resilient, proactive and creative. Ability to pick up new techniques and technologies quickly. Pragmatic while maintain an attention to detail. Self-directed and capable of working under minimal supervision. Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, or related academic degrees and/or equivalent experience preferred alongside a strong background in software engineering. Physical Requirements and Work Environment Prolonged periods stationary at a desk and working on a computer. Some national and international travel may be required. Some flexibility to work across time zones. Rare but occasional after hours (evening or weekend) work. The base salary range we’ve established for these positions is (US): $130,000 - $142,000 or (UK) £65,000- £73,000. PLOS also offers a comprehensive benefits package summarized below. BENEFITS: US: 401k with employer match Employee sponsored health, dental and vision insurance (Dental and Vision 100% employer paid) Paid Vacation, 11 public holidays and sick leave Parental leave Birthday and three winter holidays days off Short term and long term disability insurance 2 days paid time off for volunteering per year Fully remote work environment with stipend on joining for home office UK: Private medical insurance Life assurance Income protection Personal accident insurance Pension with up to 10% employer match 25 days holidays, market competitive Maternity and Paternity leave Birthday and three winter holidays days off 2 days paid time off for volunteering per year Fully remote work environment with stipend on joining for home office About PLOS Building on a strong legacy of pioneering innovation, PLOS continues to be a catalyst in open science, reimagining models to meet open science principles, removing barriers and promoting inclusion in knowledge creation and sharing, and publishing research outputs that enable everyone to learn from, reuse and build upon scientific knowledge. Our work is supported by a highly skilled global in-house team, partnerships with local scholarly organizations, and the valued contributions of a diverse, international community of scientific researchers. We’re committed to equal opportunity We’re working to create a more equitable system of scientific knowledge and understanding. Removing barriers to inclusion and facilitating broad participation of voices is core to our success, inside and out. Beyond accepting distinct perspectives, we seek and support divergent backgrounds among our staff because we know differences strengthen our teams, our work, and our communities. We strongly encourage applicants of all identities to join us as we work towards a future where science is open to all, for all. Visit plos.org/careers to learn more. To learn more about how PLOS protects your privacy, see our Employee Privacy Notice.

Lead architecture and optimization of marketing automation workflows and platform integrations to improve campaign efficiency. | Advanced HubSpot expertise and experience developing scalable marketing automation systems with a bachelor's degree preferred. | *This position is fully remote/home based. Applications will be accepted from candidates based in the UK and the following US states: FL, IL, MA, MD, NY, PA, TX, VA. Role Summary The Senior Marketing Operations Manager – Platform & Automation is responsible for the optimization and day-to-day governance of our use of the HubSpot platform. This role ensures that our marketing campaigns are scalable, data is reliable, and automation drives efficiency and effectiveness across campaigns. Collaborating cross-functionally, this position is central in enabling high-performing marketing programs through robust infrastructure and data integrity. Supervisor Responsibilities Line management of the Email Marketing Manager. Responsibilities Lead the architecture, implementation, and optimization of marketing workflows, appropriate use of lead scoring models, automations, and nurture programs in HubSpot. Own platform integrations between HubSpot and tools such as Google Ads, LinkedIn, social media, and other marketing platforms. Collaborate with the Reporting, Insights & Analysis Manager to ensure structures, systems, and tagging support accurate reporting and attribution. Supports the Reporting & Insights Manager with data accessibility, cleanliness, and technical enablement. Partner with the Senior Marketing Operations Manager (Digital) and their team to ensure seamless automation and triggered communications across email, web, social, and advertising. Maintain high data hygiene standards, governance, and compliance with privacy regulations (e.g., GDPR, CAN-SPAM). Define and document best practices and operational processes for marketing systems use. Evaluate and implement new HubSpot features and third-party integrations to improve marketing performance and operational efficiency. Support training, onboarding, and platform enablement across the marketing and communications team. Manage and support the Email Marketing Manager to deliver their responsibilities, coaching them and developing them. Knowledge and Skills Deep marketing experience and advanced expertise in HubSpot. Proven track record of developing scalable marketing automation and lead management systems. Strong understanding of marketing data structure, lead lifecycle, segmentation, and attribution. Technical aptitude in APIs, tagging strategies, and automation workflows. Excellent collaboration skills with both technical and non-technical teams. Detail-oriented with strong documentation and project management capabilities. Experience managing complex lead flows and attribution modeling. Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Data Analytics, or a related field; or equivalent experience Physical Requirements & Work Environment Prolonged periods stationary at a desk and working on a computer Some national and international travel may be required occasionally Some flexibility to work across time zones The base salary range we’ve established for these positions is (US): $85,000-$95,000 or UK £58,000- £65,500. PLOS also offers a comprehensive benefits package summarized below. BENEFITS: US: 401k with employer match Employee sponsored health, dental and vision insurance (Dental and Vision 100% employer paid) Paid Vacation, 11 public holidays and sick leave Parental leave Birthday and three winter holidays days off Short term and long term disability insurance 2 days paid time off for volunteering per year Fully remote work environment with stipend on joining for home office UK: Private medical insurance Life assurance Income protection Personal accident insurance Pension with up to 10% employer match 25 days holidays, market competitive Maternity and Paternity leave Birthday and three winter holidays days off 2 days paid time off for volunteering per year Fully remote work environment with stipend on joining for home office About PLOS Building on a strong legacy of pioneering innovation, PLOS continues to be a catalyst in open science, reimagining models to meet open science principles, removing barriers and promoting inclusion in knowledge creation and sharing, and publishing research outputs that enable everyone to learn from, reuse and build upon scientific knowledge. Our work is supported by a highly skilled global in-house team, partnerships with local scholarly organizations, and the valued contributions of a diverse, international community of scientific researchers. We’re committed to equal opportunity We’re working to create a more equitable system of scientific knowledge and understanding. Removing barriers to inclusion and facilitating broad participation of voices is core to our success, inside and out. Beyond accepting distinct perspectives, we seek and support divergent backgrounds among our staff because we know differences strengthen our teams, our work, and our communities. We strongly encourage applicants of all identities to join us as we work towards a future where science is open to all, for all. Visit plos.org/careers to learn more. To learn more about how PLOS protects your privacy, see our Employee Privacy Notice.

The role involves ensuring timely and efficient peer review of submissions and addressing queries or concerns from vendors and colleagues. It also includes troubleshooting workflow issues and contributing to operational projects. | Candidates should have at least 2 years of experience in peer review scientific journal publishing and possess excellent communication and organizational skills. A university degree in a scientific discipline is preferred. | *This position is fully remote/home based. Applications will be accepted from candidates based in the UK and the following US states: FL, IL, MA, MD, NY, PA, TX, VA. In the US, this is a union represented position as part of the Pacific Media Workers Guild, Local 39521 of the NewsGuild-Communication Workers of America. PLOS is a non-profit organization on a mission to drive open science forward with measurable, meaningful change in research publishing, policy, and practice. We believe in a better future where science is open to all, for all. Role Summary The Associate Peer Review Operations Specialist/Peer Review Operations Specialist, is a confident and highly organized self-starter, motivated by a culture of continuous improvement. This role requires excellent communication skills, teamwork and collaboration across team with accountability to meet competing deadlines in a dynamic environment. Reporting to the Peer Review Operations Managers and will work as part of the Peer Review Operations team to maintain efficient peer review workflows, ensure high vendor performance standards, and uphold excellent contributor experience for authors, editors, and reviewers. This role will enforce turnaround time benchmarks for all peer review milestones to protect process integrity and ensure timeliness and quality of publication. This role will maintain high standards of professional conduct in the workplace and enjoy working with international colleagues from a range of cultures and settings. This role will seek out opportunities for continuous quality improvement in department activities and be an effective champion of the PLOS vision, mission, and brand. Supervisory Responsibilities No direct reports. Responsibilities Submission Management 40% Ensure the timely, efficient peer review of all submissions Ensure that queries or concerns escalated by vendors, Customer Care or other PLOS colleagues are addressed and resolved professionally and within required timelines, or escalated appropriately Identify and remove barriers to submission, working collaboratively with colleagues across PLOS as required Proactively identify workflow inefficiencies, variations or backlogs to diagnose persistent issues Ensure that manuscripts meet requirements and follow current policies and procedures Workflows 30% Troubleshoot persistent manuscript, workflow or system issues, providing expertise and advice, and exercising judgement to resolve the issue or escalate to the Peer Review Operations Manager or other colleagues as appropriate Proactively raise data-driven recommendations for continuous journal operations and workflow improvements to the Peer Review Operations Manager Ensure standard journal workflows are maintained as established, implementing and adopting process updates when approved by the Peer Review Operations Manager Projects 25% Contribute to workflow project and initiate proposals as requested, and undertake operations projects and initiatives as directed by the Peer Review Operations Manager Serve as daily liaison with vendor representatives, monitoring quality and timeliness performance against target thresholds and KPIs Other 5% Contribute to other operational research outputs related to PLOS’s mission where required, so that our journal workflows are optimized to encourage scientific openness and transparency Knowledge and Skills Peer Review Operations Specialist will have 2+ years’ experience in peer review scientific journal publishing Excellent communication and presentation skills, both written and oral Highly organized, detail-oriented, and proactive in solving problems Growth mindset with a collaborative, team player mentality An ability to maintain a positive and professional customer service attitude Able to work constructively with vendors, authors, editors, customers, and colleagues from a range of international settings Knowledge of Excel, Word, file types and file conversions Able to work under tight deadlines while achieving a high standard of quality and accuracy Able to set priorities and work independently Upholds high standards of professionalism in the workplace Embraces change with a positive attitude An interest in science and in advancing scientific knowledge Qualifications A university degree or equivalent, scientific discipline is a plus. Physical Requirements and Work Environment Prolonged periods stationary at a desk and working on a computer. Some national and international travel may be required. Some flexibility to work across time zones. The base salary range we’ve established for these positions is (US): $55,000-$78,000 or UK £27,000- £36,800. PLOS also offers a comprehensive benefits package summarized below. BENEFITS: US: 401k with employer match Employee sponsored health, dental and vision insurance (Dental and Vision 100% employer paid) Paid Vacation, 11 public holidays and sick leave Parental leave Birthday and three winter holidays days off Short term and long term disability insurance 2 days paid time off for volunteering per year Fully remote work environment with stipend on joining for home office UK: Private medical insurance Life assurance Income protection Personal accident insurance Pension with up to 10% employer match 25 days holidays, market competitive Maternity and Paternity leave Birthday and three winter holidays days off 2 days paid time off for volunteering per year Fully remote work environment with stipend on joining for home office About PLOS Building on a strong legacy of pioneering innovation, PLOS continues to be a catalyst in open science, reimagining models to meet open science principles, removing barriers and promoting inclusion in knowledge creation and sharing, and publishing research outputs that enable everyone to learn from, reuse and build upon scientific knowledge. Our work is supported by a highly skilled global in-house team, partnerships with local scholarly organizations, and the valued contributions of a diverse, international community of scientific researchers. We’re committed to equal opportunity We’re working to create a more equitable system of scientific knowledge and understanding. Removing barriers to inclusion and facilitating broad participation of voices is core to our success, inside and out. Beyond accepting distinct perspectives, we seek and support divergent backgrounds among our staff because we know differences strengthen our teams, our work, and our communities. We strongly encourage applicants of all identities to join us as we work towards a future where science is open to all, for all. Visit plos.org/careers to learn more. To learn more about how PLOS protects your privacy, see our Employee Privacy Notice.