Associate Editor, Publications Department

The Massachusetts Historical Society seeks a full-time Associate Editor to work in its Publications Department. An independent research library and major repository of American manuscript materials, the Society was founded in 1791 to collect, preserve, and make available resources for the study of American history. The Associate Editor helps to fulfill the Society’s mission to communicate historical manuscripts and other materials that promote the study of the history of Massachusetts and the nation to a broad audience, in print and digital form. The Publications Department is responsible for production of the Society’s journal (Massachusetts Historical Review) and newsletter (MHS Miscellany) as well as print and digital book publications, including scholarly editions of archival documents. The Associate Editor contributes to the production and development of all titles; projects currently underway include an edition (digital) of a 17th-century Wampanoag vocabulary and an edition (printed) of the journal of 19th-century Boston reformer Caroline Healey Dall.

The Associate Editor will participate in all editorial and production tasks, including copyediting, verification, typesetting, proofreading, and communicating with vendors and authors. The Associate Editor will work closely with the Editor of Publications on project development and management, documentation of editorial standards, and coordination of the department’s responsibilities with the Society’s mission at large. The work requires an extreme attention to detail and a desire to collaborate with coworkers on work plans, problem-solving, and delivering the final product. Responsibilities may also include some supervision of interns/volunteers and assistance with inventory and distributor relationships. The successful candidate will be dedicated to producing work that meets the high standards set by the institution.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in related humanities field.
• Minimum of 3 years’ experience on a publishing team, including print production management and shepherding humanities text through the editorial process, shaping pieces for consistency and logic.
• Demonstrated commitment to maintaining the highest level of quality in the production of scholarly resources and achieving accessibility for a general audience.
• Experience with digital production tools (Adobe Creative Suite preferred).
• Ability to provide constructive feedback to peers and to communicate effectively with colleagues, editors, authors, and vendors.
• Effective planning and organizational skills with proven ability to analyze complex content, troubleshoot, and prioritize tasks.
• Excellent command of grammar and style.
• A knowledge of or sincere interest in Massachusetts or American history.
• Ability to read cursive. Job applicants invited for an interview will be asked to take a short test to evaluate their ability to edit for syntax and may also be asked to take a transcription test.

Pluses:

• Graduate degree in related humanities field or relevant professional degree.
• Background in academic or cultural institutions, with extra points for transcribing text from archival materials.
• Familiarity with XML and related languages.
• Experience with graphic/book design.

To apply, please email cover letter, résumé, and names of three references by February 1, 2019, to pubs_job[at]masshist [dot]org. Address materials to Ondine Le Blanc, Editor of Publications, Publications Department, Massachusetts Historical Society.