American Journal of Botany Editor-in-Chief Position Description

Application Deadline: April 5, 2024

 

AJB Current Issue

The Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Botany (AJB) is an outstanding leadership opportunity to contribute to the future of scientific publishing and the evolution of the BSA’s flagship research journal. AJB publishes peer-reviewed, innovative, significant research of interest to a wide audience of scientists in all areas of plant biology, across all levels of biological organization, and all groups of plants and allied organisms.

Duties of the Editor-in-Chief include both aspirational responsibilities (helping shape a strategic vision for the journal in a fast-changing environment; working with the editorial board and publications committee to shape editorial policies), as well as operational responsibilities (working with journal staff to solicit and process manuscripts and overseeing their professional review; maintaining a strong and diverse editorial board and recruiting new members to the board as needed).

 

We seek an individual who:

  • Has vision, dedication, and a desire to lead an established and well-regarded Society-owned publication;
  • Possesses a strong sense of integrity and adheres to professional and scientific ethical standards;
  • Is committed to supporting open science, including open data;
  • Has a proven publication record and an extensive network of contacts in the botanical sciences;
  • Is able to lead and develop the editorial board and communicate effectively and diplomatically with authors, reviewers, the broader botanical community, and the editorial office team;
  • Has previous editorial experience as an editorial board member, guest editor, or associate editor;
  • Is willing to serve as an ambassador for the journal;
  • Demonstrates a commitment to promoting human diversity, equity, and inclusion, as outlined in the Society’s Strategic Plan.

Responsibilities of the Editor-in-Chief include:

  • Help to shape and develop the journal’s vision, scope, and strategic direction in a competitive and fast-changing publishing environment;
  • Define and maintain editorial standards and policies, in cooperation with the editorial board and the BSA Publications Committee;
  • Continue to develop and maintain a strong, diverse, and international editorial board, including providing guidance to editors and appointing new editors as needed;
  • Work to expand the author and reviewer pools to include a diversity of voices and perspectives, both in international scope and in inclusion of underrepresented groups;
  • Work closely with the AJB Reviews Editor, and the Reviews and Synthesis Teams, to increase high-quality Reviews submissions by identifying and inviting potential authors, both for individual submissions and for special themed issues;
  • Oversee the peer review process and deliver decisions to authors in a timely manner, in collaboration with the Managing Editor and handling editors, using the editorial office’s online manuscript submission and peer review system;
  • Comply with generally accepted publication ethics and best practices, including the Core Practices and associated guidelines set forth by the Committee on Publication Ethics;
  • Communicate regularly with the Managing Editor via videoconference and/or phone on a mutually agreed-upon schedule, and otherwise through email and other means;
  • Represent and promote the journal at conferences and through professional networks to increase visibility of the journal and encourage submissions;
  • Write editorials to address topics of importance to the journal’s readers;
  • Lead editorial board meetings and other journal-related meetings as needed;
  • Serve on the BSA Advisory Council and the BSA Publications Committee.

The Editor-in-Chief is assisted by a professional staff, including the AJB Managing Editor and Production Editor, the BSA Director of Publications, the AJB Assistant/Content Editor, and the editorial and production teams at Wiley, as well as a dedicated volunteer Editorial Board

The Editor-in-Chief also works in collaboration with and is advised by the BSA’s Executive Director, the BSA Director-at-Large for Publications, the BSA Publications Committee, the Early Career Advisory Board, and the BSA Executive Committee.

The journal is published by the Botanical Society of America in partnership with Wiley. For more information on AJB, visit the journal website: www.amjbot.org.

Appointment, compensation, and term:
The Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Botany is appointed by the BSA Board of Directors for a 5-year term (January 1, 2025 – December 31, 2029). The Editor-in-Chief will receive an annual honorarium, plus registration and support to attend the annual Botany meeting.

Qualifications:

  • PhD and established research career in the plant sciences;
  • Solid editing skills and previous editorial experience as an editorial board member, guest editor, or associate editor;
  • Strong communication skills, and ability to be diplomatic in delivering and receiving feedback on manuscripts;
  • Broad familiarity with various areas of botany;
  • Interest in and enthusiasm for: working with the botanical community writ large, supporting the journal’s goals, and supporting the goals outlined in the Society’s Strategic Plan.

Applications are due Friday, April 5, 2024. If you would like to nominate someone, please email ajbapplications@botany.org by Friday, March 15, 2024 with your nominee’s name and email address, so that we can contact the nominee and offer sufficient time to submit an application by the deadline.

Applications consist of the following two components:

  1. A CV, emailed to ajbapplications@botany.org.
  2. Completion of this form, where there are prompts to answer the following questions:
    1. Please describe why you are interested in this position.
    2. Please provide details of your previous editorial experience.
    3. What is your vision for AJB over the next 3-5 years?
    4. What particular strengths would you bring to this position?
    5. The Society’s Strategic Plan includes commitments to promoting human diversity, equity, and inclusion. How would you contribute to these commitments in your role as Editor-in-Chief?

If you have questions or comments, please contact ajbapplications@botany.org.

AJB Editor-in-Chief Search Committee: Emily Sessa (Chair), Eugenio Larios, Nora Mitchell, Andrew Schnabel, Mackenzie Taylor, Amy McPherson, Richard Hund.