This is an exciting opening for a Head of Publishing to lead the open access academic publishing department and set the publishing strategy at Knowledge E. We are looking for a talented individual with a proven track record within, and a passion for, the academic publishing industry and an understanding of the open access landscape. This is a hands-on role, leading a dedicated production and editorial team while working closely with journal stakeholders from across the Global South (albeit with a focus on the MENA region).

This is an extremely diverse position, encompassing managing the editorial and production teams, overseeing client relations and business development, and liaising closely with journal owners and indexers to help ensure the long-term development of every journal in the portfolio. Reporting to our Chief Academic Officer, some of your responsibilities will include:

• Leading and managing the publishing team 
• Responsibility for the successful delivery of all in-house publishing services (journals, conferences, books and textbooks) 
• Developing the publishing offerings to enhance client satisfaction, improve efficiency, and increase revenue streams
• Devising and implementing publishing strategies, the business plan and annual budget
• Implementing efficient publishing processes and standards to ensure publications are on time and within budget
• Accelerating the growth of the online Open Access publishing platform, working in collaboration with internal and external stakeholders
• Researching industry developments and potential tools and approaches for production workflows, journal development and journal promotion
• Overseeing the implementation of new developments
• Developing and maintaining relationships with relevant industry partners 

You are

An experienced publishing professional with a commercial focus and experience in nurturing academic journals, capable of developing effective strategies for journal development and successful strategies for commercial expansion. Proactive and enthusiastic, you are able to work autonomously and collaboratively, to lead and to be part of the team. 

Minimum job qualifications

• Established managerial experience in academic or educational publishing
• Experience working with journals is essential and conference proceedings publishing experience would be advantageous
• Excellent communication, influencing and relationship building skills
• Native English speaker or equivalent level
• In-depth understanding of the publishing industry and its workflow
• Ability to identify market needs and define services to address them
• University degree of 2.1 or above

Desired extras

• Experience of working with a University Press 
• Knowledge of the PKP Open Journal Systems (OJS)
• Experience working with web-based technology and management information systems.
• Arabic language expertise
• Existing relationships with key decision makers at relevant industry organisations such as Crossref, Orcid, DOAJ, OAPEN, ALPSP, OASPA and PKP

About Knowledge E

Established in 2012, Knowledge E’s name was fast to become synonymous with collaboration, professionalism and innovation. Headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and supported by a team of over 60 highly engaged professionals, Knowledge E works closely with over 200 clients worldwide from various types of organisations and government entities within the research and education sector to support their continued innovation and development. This is achieved by providing leading expertise, information resources and software solutions. Since its inception, Knowledge E has prudently expanded its expertise, services, and technology to align with its vision of developing ‘a more knowledgeable world’.

Knowledge E’s three core offerings are the 3D’s; ‘Discover’, ‘Develop’ and ‘Disseminate’. ‘Discover’ through the KnE Digital Library Solutions powered by Zendy for research literature discovery, as well as tailored content packages; ‘Develop’ through the KnE Training Programmes, supporting capacity building and skills development within academia as well as the KnE Consulting Projects, serving universities on their mission to become ‘world-class universities’; and ‘Disseminate’ through the KnE Publishing Services and the platform for Open Access publishing of regional journals and conference proceedings.

To apply, please send your CV along with a cover letter to hr@knowledgee.com.