Jobs


Organization Overview

PLOS (the Public Library of Science) is a nonprofit publisher and advocacy organization located in San Francisco, CA, USA and Cambridge, U.K. Our mission is to accelerate progress in science and medicine by leading a transformation in research communication. Everything that we publish is open-access – freely available online for anyone to use and we maximize the value of this resource through technology.

PLOS has a global team of more than 150 people working in our editorial, production, information technology, administration, marketing, communications, and advocacy teams. Our work environment is team-oriented and rich in innovative ideas. PLOS’s distinguished Board of Directors includes eminent scientists, business leaders, and entrepreneurs.

In just ten years, PLOS has established seven highly successful journals that publish original content, an influential blog network, and a number of other initiatives to improve the organization and assessment of content for the benefit of different communities.

PLOS continues to expand. Currently, we are seeking talented candidates for the following positions:

Application Procedure

Please send a resume, a cover letter, and a phone number where you can be contacted to jobs@plos.org and use the job title as the subject of your email. Certain jobs may carry special application procedures; please make careful note of those and follow directions indicated. No phone calls or visits, please. Principals only – email from recruiters will be ignored.

Accounts Receivable Analyst

We are currently looking for a talented and creative individual to join our rapidly growing team in San Francisco in the role of Accounts Receivable Analyst. 

The Accounts Receivable Analyst should have a strong work ethic, an ability to work independently, and great communication skills. This position reports to the Accounting Manager. The ideal candidate will thrive in a fast paced environment requiring multi-tasking and attention to detail, and has the ability to handle a high volume of transactions. This position works closely with staff across the organization so you must enjoy and excel at building positive relationships remotely and in person.

Responsibilities:

  • Be responsible for the oversight and management of the cash collection cycle, customer tracking, communicate with customers on billing/collection related issues.  Person must be accurate and fast to handle high volume collections and customer inquiries. Perform daily telephone, e-mail and written contact and repeat with follow-up as needed in a sustained effort to pursue late payments and to reduce overall DSO, in support of corporate goals, standards and objectives.
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills when interacting with customers in a professional manner.  Ensure the timely collection of Accounts Receivable for assigned accounts using a “soft” approach, to ensure customer accounts are handled with care and diplomacy
  • This is a key position in ensuring timely cash receipts (wires, checks and credit cards) and posting of accounts receivables.
  • Initiate adjustments, credit memos, write-offs or refunds after thorough account analysis and per approved guidelines, to clear open items or billing errors.
  • Be responsible for identifying misapplied payments, unidentified customer payments and finding updated customer contact information through persistent independent research.
  • Person will periodically analyze adequacy of A/R Allowance and provide guidance for adjustment.
  • Prepares monthly reports that facilitate month end close including other metrics.
  • Work with team to continuously drive Billing and Collections process improvements. This includes testing and validating billing solutions from our vendor prior to user acceptance.  Individual must be inquisitive and relentless in pursuit of efficiency and accuracy.
  • This person is expected to be a strong team player in collaborating with the AR Analyst and Billing Specialist in the billing and collections cycle, in addition to the Finance and Accounting team.  Will serve as vacation backup to handle billing.
  • Assist with annual audits to provide requested information as needed.
  • Ad hoc projects as requested by the Accounting Manager and/or Director of Finance with special projects as assigned.

Qualifications and Experience:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Business-related field preferred with 2-5 years accounting experience required.
  • Proficiency with MS Office including Excel (Vlookups and Pivot required), Word and Outlook.
  • Proficiency with ERP accounting software applications (Microsoft Navision, a strong plus).
  • Ability to read and understand contract payment terms for contractual billing compliance.
  • Excellent customer service, communication, and interpersonal skills.
  • Must be analytical.
  • Attention to detail, data integrity, and accuracy
  • Resourceful problem solver. Energetic, forward-thinking, and creative, with high ethical standard.
  • Self-motivated, flexible, and a quick learner
  • Well-organized and comfortable meeting tight deadlines

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Associate/Senior Editor, PLOS Biology

We are currently looking to recruit two talented Editors to join our PLOS Biology Editorial team within either of our rapidly growing San Francisco, US or and Cambridge, UK offices.

Responsibilities:

As an integral part of the editorial team, you will be responsible for assessing manuscripts, handling peer review, commissioning articles and contributing to other parts of the journal, as well as to PLOS as a whole, and for providing a highly professional service to our authors and reviewers.

  • The ideal Associate Editor candidate will have relevant post-doctoral experience in a field of neuroscience, ecology or evolutionary biology, a strong and proven interest in scientific communication and open access, as well as excellent written and verbal communication skills, and the ability to be highly organized.
  • The ideal Senior Editor candidate will have significant editorial experience in assessing manuscripts in the above fields and handling manuscripts through peer review. We are also actively seeking candidates who have experience at commissioning and developmentally editing front section articles and/or who have experience at running the magazine section of a research journal.

These positions are available immediately and we are seeking candidates who are eligible to work in either of our San Francisco, US or and Cambridge, UK, offices. We will also consider applications from candidates looking for full or part time hours.

Qualifications and Experience:

  • A PhD in the field of neuroscience, ecology or evolutionary biology
  • For the Associate Editor role, candidates must have relevant post-doctoral experience in one of the above fields is ideal.
  • For the Senior Editor role, candidates should have significant post-doctoral experience in one of these fields and/or proven previous experience in scientific or medical journal publishing – ideally in a biomedical research journal -and with experience at handling research articles and commissioned articles.
  • Excellent communication and presentation skills, both written and oral.
  • Organized and efficient with a strong problem solving ability.

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Associate Editor, PLOS ONE

We are currently looking for a talented Associate Editor to join its PLOS ONE editorial team within our growing San Francisco or Cambridge, UK office.

This postion has been created to manage the rapidly increasing volume of submissions to the journal. As such, the Associate Editor will be responsible for a wide array of editorial matters, from daily submission assessments to developing the overall scope of the journal.

Responsibilities:

  • Assessing new submissions and guiding papers through the review process
  • Overseeing editorial decisions
  • Providing support to Authors, Editors and Publishing Assistants
  • Resolving editorial disputes
  • Training and monitoring Academic Editors
  • Representing PLOS ONE at scientific meetings

Qualifications and Experience:

  • Proven experience in STM journals publishing
  • Experience in a scientific research environment
  • Highly organized
  • Excellent communication and presentation skills, both written and oral
  • A good understanding of online scientific communication.
  • A PhD qualification is desirable but not essential

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Chief Editor, PLOS Medicine

PLOS is a nonprofit publisher and advocacy organization with a mission to accelerate progress in science and medicine by leading a transformation in research communication.

PLOS is recruiting for the Chief Editor for its flagship medical journal PLOS Medicine. The Chief Editor will report to the Medicine Editorial Director, who is the journal’s current Chief Editor, Dr Virginia Barbour.  The Chief Editor is responsible for the overall leadership as well as oversight of the PLOS Medicine journal team, the day-to-day running and coordination of the journal and takes ultimate responsibility for the editorial decision-making and content of the journal.  The Chief Editor is a senior member of the editorial group at PLOS and is expected to participate in PLOS-wide editorial, publishing and advocacy activities.

PLOS Medicine is the leading open-access medical journal, and is an influential venue for outstanding research and commentary on the major challenges to human health worldwide. It prioritizes for publication articles that address conditions or risk factors that cause the greatest losses in years of healthy life and quality of life worldwide and publishes articles that use many different methodologies, from basic science to systematic reviews. Additionally, PLOS Medicine publishes articles on topics relating to the integrity and ethics of the research enterprise; the practice of medicine; and the application of research to practice.

PLOS Medicine is part of the medicine journals group at PLOS, along with PLOS Pathogens and PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.

Responsibilities:

  • Journal Responsibilities
    • Responsibility for overarching journal policy
    • Annual review of journal priorities and objectives in line with PLOS organizational objectives
    • Oversight of general press and media relations
    • Initiation of special projects, and development of new journal features
    • Representation of journal on internal and external editorial groups
    • Handling manuscripts as needed
  • Managerial Responsibilities
    • Management of senior journal staff
    • Regular staff appraisals
    • Representation of PLOS Medicine on PLOS-wide meetings as needed.
  • General
    • Representation of  PLOS Medicine specifically, and PLOS overall, and participation in advocacy work as appropriate
    • Active participation in external organizations that further the mission and goals of PLOS Medicine and PLOS (eg, COPE, EQUATOR)
    • Help develop and implement appropriate standards for medical publishing throughout PLOS (and provide expert advice as necessary).
    • Contribute to collaboration, harmonization and planning across PLOS journals
    • Contribute to the development of PLOS’s overall publishing strategy

Qualifications and Experience:

  • Medical Degree with postgraduate medical experience.  PhD in addition to a medical degree is preferred.
  • Substantial, senior-level experience in editing at a general medical or relevant specialist medical journal.
  • Experience of leadership with proven ability to develop and articulate a vision within publishing or a related area.
  • Expertise in handling research and non-research papers across a wide range of topics and methodologies.
  • Experience in management of editorial teams, ideally across different sites and countries.
  • Experience in developing and implementing journal policies.
  • In depth understanding of medical publishing and a commitment to open access.
  • Established evidence of commitment/experience in external editorial initiatives or groups such as COPE, CSE, WAME is preferred.

The position will be based in either our San Francisco or Cambridge, UK office and is available from July, 2013.  The position has become available as a result of the separation of the roles of Medicine Editorial Director and PLOS Medicine Chief Editor.

Please send a cover letter outlining your reasons for applying and salary expectations and CV to jobs@plos.org, using the job title as the subject of your email.  Please also include a separate document outlining your assessment of the current strengths and areas for growth of PLOS Medicine and your vision for the journal.   No agencies please.

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Deputy Editor, PLOS Medicine

We are currently looking for an experienced Deputy Editor to work 2 days/week (flexible by arrangement) for our flagship medical journal, PLOS Medicine.  The post holder will work alongside another Deputy Editor in a Job Share.  This position could be based in our Cambridge, UK or San Francisco, CA offices.

Responsibilities:

  • Together with the Chief Editor, oversight of research and magazine manuscript processes and policy, including input into development and implementation of journal policy in the research and magazine sections.
  • Handling a proportion of the Research/Magazine manuscripts submitted. 
  • Deputizing for the Chief Editor, Senior Research and Magazine Editors as needed in relation to manuscripts.
  • Liaising with administrative, production, marketing and other teams within PLOS on behalf of the journal.
  • Liaising with the editorial board.
  • Advocacy for PLOS Medicine in the clinical research community.  
  • Active participation in the daily running of the journal, including the magazine section
  • Participation in a monthly rota of editorial writing, along with writing of blog entries, press releases, editors’ summaries and other related material as required.
  • Involvement in the development of PLOS–wide initiatives in medical publishing.

Qualifications and Experience:

  • MD or equivalent medical degree with relevant post qualification experience (MRCP or equivalent in UK/Board-certified in US).
  • Editorial experience, ideally at a general medical journal, including in peer review processes for research manuscripts.

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Freelance Consultants – PLOS Biology

Services provided by consultants will include participation in the review and appraisal of submitted papers, and may include involvement in the oversight of peer review and decisions on publication of research articles in collaboration with the journal editors and our editorial board, advice on commissioning and peer review of articles for the journal’s Magazine section in collaboration with journal editors, and possible participation in editorial writing, along with writing of blog entries, press releases, editors’ summaries and other related material.

We are looking for candidates who can provide part time freelance editorial services either as part of a freelance portfolio or while maintaining scientific research responsibilities elsewhere.

This is freelance work, likely to be up to 1-2 days per week. Freelancers are not employed by the Public Library of Science and are expected to work remotely.

Qualifications and Experience:

Candidates should usually have a PhD, with several years of relevant post-doctoral experience, and wide biological knowledge, with good contacts in the research community. Applicants with experience in any of the following areas would be particularly welcome: molecular and cellular biology, genetics, neuroscience, microbiology, immunology, ecology and evolution. Applicants should have skill in critically evaluating biological research and be able to prioritize and work efficiently to deadlines. Experience in editorial and peer review processes is ideal but not essential.

Application Process

The positions are available immediately. To apply, please send resume and cover letter outlining your suitability for this position to jobs@plos.org and use “Freelance Consultants, PLOS Biology” as the subject of your email. You must include earliest availability and hourly/daily rate expectations.

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IT Manager

We are currently seeking an IT Manager to lead our IT Operations team within our rapidly growing San Francisco office. The successful candidate will manage a small team of five individuals that maintain the infrastructure for the PLOS offices (San Francisco and Cambridge, UK), publishing production stack and remote employees located around the globe.

The ideal candidate will be a confident and highly organized manager with first class communication and problem solving skills. Extensive experience having managed a team of system administrators and support technicians in a fast paced high-growth environment is a must.

Responsibilities:

  • Lead and direct the work of a small team of system administrators and support technicians in the administration of the PLOS infrastructure, project management, troubleshooting, and best practices.
  • Provide guidance and mentorship to the IT Operations team; create avenues for career development for direct reports.
  • Ensure that the existing office infrastructure and production systems function smoothly and offers the highest level of service to the PLOS staff and our users in a 24×7 environment.
  • Plan, coordinate and deliver high-visibility technical projects through the full project life cycle. Prioritize the work of the IT Operations team and deliver projects on-time and in budget.
  • Provide technical direction on projects involving Linux and Windows servers, network infrastructure, SharePoint 2013, VMWare, Exchange 2012, Active Directory, Citrix ZenDesktop, etc.
  • Collaborate with other teams to understand business requirements for new technologies.
  • Help the PLOS staff utilize information systems to improve their workflows and efficiency.
  • Help improve processes, monitoring, automation, and documentation.
  • Prioritize tasks and work both independently and as part of a team.
  • Ensure that computer equipment, hardware, and software are updated to meet organizational needs.
  • Assist in the evaluation of applications and hardware by the IT Operations team.
  • Recommend policies, standards, applications and hardware for the office infrastructure and the helpdesk function.
  • Share on-call duties with other team members.

Qualifications and Experience:

  • A degree in Computer Science or a related field.
  • 5 to 7 years of previous experience managing a team of systems administrators and support technicians.
  • Experience as a Windows or Linux Systems Administrator.
  • Understanding of Windows and Linux servers, web servers, security, storage systems, databases, and networks.
  • Exceptional planning and organizational skills.
  • Strong motivation to complete projects quickly.
  • Ability to handle multiple concurrent activities with a positive and flexible attitude.
  • Excellent analytical and problem solving skills.
  • Proven ability to write end-user documentation for non-technical staff.
  • Ability to travel occasionally, either in the Bay Area and/or to the PLOS UK office.

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Jr. Windows System Administrator

We are currently seeking a Junior Windows Systems Administrator to join our I.T. Operations team within our rapidly growing San Francisco office.

The hired candidate will assist in the general day-to-day management of the Windows infrastructure, will maintain the networking devices, will monitor the organization’s Windows environment and will provide tier 2/3 technical support for the PLOS staff (onsite and remote).  This is a full-time position that will work under the supervision of the Windows System Administrator and report directly to the IT Manager.

The ideal candidate will be a confident and highly organized self-starter with first class communication and problem solving skills. Previous experience working in a fast paced environment is a must.

Responsibilities:

  • Administer and maintain aspects of the organizational infrastructure including email, anti-spam and anti-virus, backup and recovery operations, log rotations, systems status, etc.
  • Implement approved Windows infrastructure changes and perform ongoing maintenance of all systems components of the Windows infrastructure.
  • Configure, maintain and monitor networking devices, VPN and firewalls.
  • Build and maintain test labs.
  • Provide Windows server technology discovery (research), installation and configuration information.
  • Evaluate, recommend and purchase software/tools/technology for the organization.
  • Mentor the IT Support Technicians and act as the team leader of desktop day-to-day service operations.
  • Act as the critical stakeholder on all Desktop Services projects.
  • Provide backup support for the Windows Systems Administrator. Assist in problem resolution when technical issues are escalated by the Windows Systems Administrator.
  • Provide the highest level of service to users.
  • Although not usually required, this role will be on call for emergencies 24×7.

Qualifications and Experience:

  • College graduate preferred
  • 2+ years of experience as a Junior Windows Systems Administrator or a similar role.
  • Previous experience with Cisco routers and switches, ASA firewalls, Wifi routers and network architectures is highly desired.
  • Microsoft certification preferred.
  • CCNA network certification (or equivalent training/experience) a plus.
  • Configuration, administration and troubleshooting of Windows Server 2003/2008, Microsoft Exchange 2007/2010, Active Directory 2007/2010 and Office 2010.
  • Solid understanding of DNS, IP subnets.
  • Previous experience with configuration, administration and troubleshooting of anti-spam products such as Proofpoint and backup technologies such as BackupExec.
  • Knowledge of Windows SUS and application of critical/security updates to both onsite and remote staff.
  • Knowledge of SharePoint 2007/2010/2013 a plus.
  • Proven ability to write end-user documentation for non-technical staff.
  • Strong motivation to complete projects quickly. Ability to handle multiple concurrent activities with a positive and flexible attitude.
  • Excellent analytical and problem solving skills.

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Linux Systems Administrator

We are currently seeking a Linux Systems Administrator to join our IT Operations team within our rapidly growing San Francisco office.

The ideal candidate will be a confident and highly organized self-starter with first class communication and problem solving skills. Previous experience working in a fast paced environment is a must. The successful candidate will partner with our in-house software developers to assist in the deployment of the applications for the PLOS Publishing system.

Responsibilities:

  • Work with software developers to plan for, document and execute the deployment of applications for the PLOS publishing system. This includes but is not limited to: Tomcat, Nginx, Apache, MySQL, MVC Java web apps (Struts, Spring MVC), SOLR, Active MQ, CouchDB, Rails and Drupal.
  • Build and manage development, test, demo and performance environments located on local workstations, private-clouds and Amazon AWS.
  • Build tools to deploy features and releases effortlessly to multiple environments, including the production servers.
  • Ensure that these environments have the latest releases and current data.
  • Maintain, monitor and improve the automated build system.
  • Work with the development team to triage issues in multiple environments.
  • Provide technical support for application and environment configuration issues.
  • Act as back-up Linux systems administrator for the production infrastructure.
  • Although not usually required, you will be on call for system outages 24×7.

Qualifications and Experience:

  • BS/MS in Computer Science or equivalent experience.
  • 2-4 years of experience as a Linux Systems Administration.
  • Solid understanding of Red Hat/CentOS or Ubuntu.
  • Knowledge of Red Hat KVM, Kickstart and CFengine.
  • Knowledge of deployment tools like Chef or Puppet.
  • Knowledge of continuous integration tools like TeamCity, Jenkins or Bamboo.
  • Solid scripting skills with one or more of the following: Bash, Perl, Python, and Ruby.
  • Ability to quickly triage a problem, determine the root cause and provide the resolution.
  • Strong attention to detail.  Able to write clear and understandable documentation.
  • Solid work ethic, independent, resourceful, and self-motivated. Positive attitude and professionalism.

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Product Manager

We are currently looking for a talented Product Manager to join our Product team within our rapidly growing San Francisco office.

The Product Manager will be responsible for planning product strategy and implementing new products and product enhancements. They will design products from existing ideas, and help to develop new ideas based on industry experience and contact with key stakeholders.  The individual in this position must possess a unique blend of technical savvy, a big-picture vision, and the drive to make that vision a reality. The Product Manager must enjoy spending time in the larger scholarly community to understand the challenges, and find innovative solutions for scientific communication.

The Product Manager must be able to communicate with all areas of the organization. He or she will work with technical, production, and editorial departments to define product direction and requirements. The Product Manager will work with marketing to define the rollout and product marketing strategy, helping them understand the product positioning and key benefits. This role will also serve as the internal and external evangelist for product offerings, occasionally working with the outside stakeholders as well as internal PLOS management and staff.

The Product Manager’s role is strategic as well as tactical, ensuring that the product plans fit with the organization’s strategic objectives.

Responsibilities:

  • Managing product life cycle from strategic planning to tactical activities for one or more key products within PLOS’ product suite through market requirements, product implementation and positioning
  • Specifying market requirements for current and future products by conducting market research supported by ongoing contact with stakeholders
  • Deriving and articulating solutions from a diverse set of requests across the organization
  • Working with marketing and others to implement product rollouts and track success of products after rollout
  • Analyzing potential partner relationships for new products and initiatives

Qualifications and Experience:

  • 3+ years of product management experience
  • Scholarly publishing or related work experience a strong plus
  • Bachelor’s degree required
  • Knowledgeable in internet technologies
  • Proven track record of successful project completion
  • Ability to contribute both strategically and creatively
  • Strong organizational skills
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills

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Product Marketing Intern

We are looking for a recent graduate or university student in marketing, communications or related field to join the PLOS Marketing Team as a Product Marketing Intern.

The successful candidate will be working with the Product Marketing Managers (PMMs) and the Social Media and Blog Community Manager on journal-specific and PLOS-wide marketing campaigns and initiatives, including marketing collateral; conference and event coordination; blogs and social media; in-house advertising, and other relevant tasks.

The internship will be 5 days a week, 8 hours per day within our rapidly growing team in San Francisco for a 6-month period.

What the Product Marketing Intern Can Expect to Learn/Experience:

  • Overall marketing process, strategy development through execution, including launches and other types of campaigns
  • Overview of PLOS (including its mission, history, etc.), the PLOS journals and respective scientific/medical research communities
  • Relationship of the PLOS and individual journal brands, including messaging, design, etc., across communication channels
  • Use of blogging, social media platforms and accounts

Responsibilities:

Under the direction of the Director of Product Marketing and Sales, the Product Marketing Intern will work on the following projects:

  • Wikipedia – review of PLOS coverage and content upgrade
  • Collection launch support – development of creative, event coordination and in-house advertising
  • Identifying OA proof points – in support of PLOS strategy
  • Comment moderation – analyze policy in relation to the network’s 16 independent blogs
  • Social media outreach – promotion plan and analysis of results  
  • Marketing materials inventory – Develop tracking system for PLOS print collateral and merchandising

Qualifications and Experience:

  • Recent graduate or current university student in the fields of marketing, communications or related field, with an interest in science and nonprofit marketing
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office and social media tools is required
  • Solid written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills
  • Strong organization skills, with the ability to coordinate and execute multiple projects on deadline with minimal supervision
  • Ability to effectively collaborate within core and cross-functional teams
  • Demonstrated familiarity with nonprofit or cause-related social media tools, including blogs and Twitter
  • Knowledge of Basecamp, Eventbrite, Vertical Response, Bitly and ad servers is ideal

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Production Editor

We are currently looking for an extremely detail-oriented, highly organized Production Editor to manage, copyedit, and provide quality control for electronic files accepted for publication. The Production Editor will work with a small, diverse team of editors and production personnel to execute the timely publication of articles.

The ideal candidate should have prior academic publishing experience, a keen interest in science, medicine, and publication ethics; be eager to apply strong computer skills, and able to work both independently and cooperatively in a team environment. A copyediting test will be conducted on all candidates interviewing for the role.

Responsibilities:

  • Coordinate the flow of articles through the Production workflow – schedule, track, and assign articles
  • Work with authors, editors, contractors, and internal staff as necessary to complete tasks for publication
  • Light copyedit and/or formatting of scientific articles
  • Review and mark up proofs; organize and implement proof corrections
  • Troubleshoot issues that arise during production and after publication, communicating with editor, author, vendor, or internal personnel as appropriate
  • Act as production team’s point of contact for assigned journal(s)
  • Perform final online quality check of articles in PDF and XML/HTML formats
  • Assist with documentation and process improvement

Qualifications and Experience:

  • Advanced level of proficiency in Microsoft Word. Comfortable working knowledge of Explorer, Excel, and Outlook.
  • Basic understanding of graphics software, Googledocs, Adobe PDF markup, and LaTeX.
  • Background working with a content management system or a similar software-driven tracking system
  • Possess a working knowledge of XML-based publishing
  • Familiar with CSE and AMA styles
  • Good organizational skills – strong ability to manage aggressive deadlines and coordinate multiple tasks
  • Strong communication skills – interact professionally and diplomatically with authors and staff to resolve moderately complex issues
  • Proven ability to work independently and proactively, and to establish and maintain position of trust among organization’s departments

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Publications Assistant, PLOS Biology

We have a vacancy for a Publications Assistant in our Cambridge, UK office to join the PLOS Biology journal editorial administration team.

Key tasks include providing a professional service to authors and reviewers, assisting them with the submission system and supporting the professional editors working for the journal.  Applicants should have good IT skills and experience with online systems or databases would be an advantage. 

The ideal candidate will be a confident and highly organized self-starter with first class communication and problem solving skills. Previous experience working in a fast paced environment is valuable. The successful candidate will be a team player, organized and conscientious with good attention to detail and the ability to manage their own workload and meet competing deadlines. An interest in science, science publishing, and/or open access is advantageous.

Responsibilities:

  • Operating our online submission system to facilitate the peer review process for the journal
  • Assisting authors, reviewers, and academic editors by answering queries by email and phone
  • Supporting the in-house Editors and Editorial and Publications Managers in their tasks
  • Fielding questions from scientists, members of the public and the press about the journal
  • Liaising with authors to ready manuscripts for acceptance and production by the journal
  • Engaging with press processes and social media
  • Assisting with the gathering of statistical data for the journals (as required)
  • Maintaining and updating journal operation process workflows as directed
  • Troubleshooting routine manuscript issues, providing input on manuscript discussions and escalating issues when appropriate
  • Undertaking special projects as directed by your line manager

Qualifications and Experience:

  • A university degree or equivalent
  • Excellent communication skills (written and verbal)
  • Organizational skills (especially the ability to prioritize, meet deadlines and multitask)
  • Technical proficiencies (knowledge of Excel, Word, file types and file conversions)
  • Excellent attention to detail
  • An interest, and preferably experience, in STM or academic publishing

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Publications Assistant, PLOS ONE

We are currently looking for several energetic and committed Publications Assistants to join our PLOS ONE team within our rapidly growing San Francisco office.

The ideal candidates will be confident and highly organized self-starters with first class communication and problem solving skills, able to hand day to day tasks to ensure the smooth running of the PLOS ONE journal. Previous experience working in a fast paced environment is a must. The successful candidate will be responsible for providing professional service to authors, reviewers, and academic editors, assisting them with the submission system. This position supports the editorial operations management team and the professional editors working for the journal. This is not a writing job.

Responsibilities:

  • Operating our online peer-review software to facilitate the peer review process for the journal
  • Assisting authors, reviewers, and academic editors by answering queries by email and phone, uploading files, ensuring a timely peer review process
  • Maintaining and updating journal operation process workflows as directed
  • Supporting the editorial operations management team and editors in the San Francisco and Cambridge offices
  • Troubleshooting routine manuscript issues, providing input on manuscript discussions and escalating issues when appropriate
  • Assisting with the editorial board recruitment process and discussion forum
  • Communicating issues raised by our internal team to authors and academic editors
  • Fielding questions from scientists, members of the public and the press about the journal
  • Other projects as approved by the editorial operations management team

Qualifications and Experience:

  • College graduate with a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree is preferred
  • Experience with online systems or databases would be an advantage
  • The ability to manage and prioritize workload is required
  • Able to work with all Microsoft Office applications (especially knowledge of Excel, Word, file types, and file conversions)
  • Enthusiasm for science and/or technology, highly efficient, organized and flexible
  • High level of maturity and conscientious approach in resolving clients concerns with close attention to detail
  • Proven self-starter, able to work individually and as part of a team to support the journal needs
  • Excellent organizational skills, the ability to manage and prioritize workload is required
  • Excellent verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills

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Recruiting Coordinator

We are looking for a highly organized and detail-oriented Recruiting Coordinator to join our team supporting all phases of the recruiting process within our growing San Francisco office. 

This is a part-time role working up to 30 hours per week on a temporary basis. The ideal candidate will be a confident and highly organized self-starter with first class communication and problem solving skills. Previous recruiting experience working in a fast paced high-growth environment is a must.

Responsibilities:

Working closely with our recruiters and HR team the Recruiting Coordinator will perform various administrative tasks that support PLOS’s high-volume recruitment activity.

  • Format job ads, post job openings on internal/external sites and remove ads once a position is filled.
  • Responsible for application management, will parcel all incoming applications within the jobs inbox folder. May pre-screen (filter)/forward resumes to the appropriate recruiter.
  • Communicate effectively with a diverse audience, exercising professionalism, tact and diplomacy.
  • Schedule phone/on-site interviews, travel arrangements, create interview agendas and coordinate the distribution of all appropriate documents prior to interviews. When changes occur, will confirm interview dates and details with candidates via email and/or via phone.
  • Will be the main point of contact for candidates coming in for on-site interviews (greet candidates and be able to react/correct interview transitions when changes arise). Collect required forms and facilitate the background screening process including obtaining candidate authorization.
  • Ensure a positive candidate experience through effective communication, attention to detail and a high degree of customer service orientation.
  • Send PLOS welcome to new employees once an offer has been accepted. Schedule the new employee’s first day orientation schedule with the Hiring Manager, Facilities and Human Resources.
  • Contribute to the PLOS recruitment process improvements and assist with other HR tasks/projects as needed.

Qualifications and Experience:

  • College graduate preferred.
  • 2-3 years of previous recruitment coordination experience in a fast-moving, high-volume recruiting environment required.
  • Exceptionally detail-oriented and organized; able to multi-task and change gears quickly and effectively. Capable at prioritizing candidate/recruitment related tasks and communications with minimal direction.
  • Excellent computer skills; proficiency with MS Outlook, MS Word, Google, Adobe Acrobat. Previous experience with SharePoint and Word Press is desired.
  • Professional demeanor, positive can-do attitude with effective interpersonal skills.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

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Senior Business/Financial Analyst

We are currently looking for a talented Senior Business Operations Analyst to join our Finance team within our rapidly growing San Francisco office.

The ideal candidate will be a confident and highly organized self-starter with first class communication and problem solving skills. Previous experience working in a fast paced environment is a must. The successful candidate will be responsible for providing business and financial consultation and other duties as assigned.

Responsibilities:

  • Business Processes
    • Perform research and analysis to drive efficiency, identify risks and opportunities.
    • Partner with team members to perform, refine and maintain ongoing capacity analysis and projection.
    • Act as a business/operations analyst to translate and interpret how changes in business processes drive higher level performance, while also improving cost efficiencies.
    • Participate in vendor evaluation analysis, including service level agreement creation.
    • Create KPIs and/or other key metrics to assist business partners on managing productivity and efficiency.
  • Financial Planning and Analysis
    • Perform volume, revenue and expense budgets, forecasts and related analyses.
    • Model analyses grounded by driver based and activity level understanding.
    • Provide guidance, best practices, and training if necessary.
    • Conduct regular business review meetings to share results and gather needs for further research and analysis.
  • Project Planning and Analysis
    • Partner with internal clients to perform cost benefit analysis, vendor due diligence and business case creation.
    • Act as an independent and unbiased collaborator.  If necessary, conduct supplemental research and analysis to examine the soundness of project proposals, provide feedback and suggestions.

Qualifications and Experience:

  • College graduate preferred. Advanced degree in Finance, Economics or other quantitative discipline highly desirable.   
  • 10 + years of experience in both business and financial analysis.  Must be able to look at matters holistically, and balance with the finer details.
  • Proven ability to analyze complex business processes, manufacturing/supply chain/logistics/retail operations experience highly desirable.
  • Strong quantitative background, especially in statistics and data visualization.
  • Extremely strong analytic and modeling skills, ability to learn different systems quickly.
  • Highly experienced in product and process costing, activity-based-costing implementation experience a big plus.
  • Solid consultative background, not afraid to work with teams and executives, asks challenging questions and make innovative recommendations.
  • Adaptive Planning experience highly desirable.

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Software Development Manager

We are currently seeking a Software Development Manager to lead our software development team, including QA engineers, within our rapidly growing San Francisco office. The successful candidate will manage a team of strong/opinionated individuals in the development of Ambra, an Open Source publishing platform, and associated technologies.

We are looking for a candidate who likes fast paced software development life-cycles based on Agile/Scrum methodologies, understands business goals and priorities, has experience working closely with Product and Project teams, and thrives on getting the best performance from talented individuals. You will be expected to commit code to software products based on Java and J2EE technologies. This position reports directly to the IT Director.

Responsibilities:

  • Manage a high performance development team. Set team policies, remove obstacles, coach and mentor the team, have weekly 1:1 meetings, resolve conflicts, design career paths, and identify professional growth opportunities.
  • Lead the team’s development using Agile/Scrum methodologies. Map the team’s work to business objectives. Allocate tasks to resources when appropriate.
  • Work closely with the Product team on feature requirements, break down large projects into smaller components, and help estimate engineering tasks.
  • Manage the QA process, work with the QA engineers to define quality control objectives for each Sprint, review and tune QA processes, and guide testing automation efforts,
  • Run Planning Poker sessions, task break-downs sessions, design and code reviews, and Retrospectives.
  • Review engineering process workflows for continuous integration and continuous deployments. Put efficiency improvements into action.
  • Work with the ScrumMaster to maintain Sprint artifacts like the Burndown chart, Task Board, velocity, and the other associated engineering tasks for each Sprint.
  • Help define releases, schedule platform upgrades, and review production deployment plans.
  • Interface with third-party developers, contractors, vendors and partners, and help to define requirements for integrations with external parties.
  • Maintain engineering documentation and champion Agile/Scrum best practices.

Qualifications and Experience:

  • 8+ years of software development experience with an emphasis in consumer web applications, content management systems or electronic publishing systems.
  • 5+ years of engineering management experience with at least 1 year managing a team using an Agile methodology, preferably Scrum.
  • B.S. in Engineering or Computer Science or equivalent experience.
  • Proven ability to lead a small development team in a demanding, fast-paced environment.
  • Experience using Agile/Scrum methodologies for iterative software development.
  • Expert in Java application development with experience using tools like Struts 2 (Webwork), Spring, and Maven.
  • Experience with dynamic scripting languages such as Ruby or Python.
  • Strong understanding of software design patterns, SOA architectures, and API design.
  • Experience with continuous integration and continuous deployment.
  • Experience working with software engineering management systems, such as Trac, Jira, etc.
  • Experience with Test Driven Development a plus.
  • Familiarity with selecting and implementing Open Source technologies, and knowledge of how community driven software development works.
  • Knowledge of user interface design and usability analysis of content delivery systems a plus.
  • Extremely capable communicator; able to understand business requirements and create concise technical requirements for communicating between business owners and developers.
  • Strong organization and problem solving skills that include the ability to respond to changing business priorities.
  • Proven ability to build effective relationships with management, peers and subordinates.
  • Must be self-motivated, have the ability to multi-task and have a flexible and positive attitude.
  • Excellent analytical and problem solving skills.
  • Strong written, verbal, and presentation skills are required.
  • Must have good planning and organizational skills.

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Software Engineer

We are currently looking for two talented and creative Software Engineers to join our Information Technology/Development team within our rapidly growing San Francisco office.

The ideal candidates will be confident and highly organized self-starters with first class communication and problem solving skills. Previous experience working in a fast paced environment is a must. The successful candidates will be responsible for developing innovative approaches to the assessment, organization and reuse of ideas and data and to make a difference in the transformation of research communication.

Responsibilities:

  • Work with members of the development team to enhance PLOS core product features and develop new ones.
  • Work with cutting edge Open Source technologies. Will rely on past experience and judgment to plan and accomplish goals.
  • Will perform a variety of complicated tasks. Assist the development team in solving complex technical problems.
  • Contribute to the platform architecture.
  • Work with the Product team to create technical documentation.

Qualifications and Experience:

  • 3-5 years of experience in Java development. Familiar using a variety of development tools like Spring, Hibernate, Struts, Camel/Active MQ and Solr.
  • College graduate preferred. BS/MS degree in Computer Science or equivalent experience.
  • Strong software design skills.
  • Experience working with MySQL and NoSQL databases.
  • Previous participation in Agile/Scrum processes is required.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Ability to work well both in a team and individually.
  • Intellectual curiosity, positive attitude and dedication to the job.
  • Contribution to an Open Source software project is a plus.

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Windows System Administrator

We are currently seeking a Windows System Administrator to join our IT Operations team within our rapidly growing San Francisco office. The hired candidate will manage our in-house and co-located servers, which provide internal and external services at PLOS.

The ideal candidate will be a confident and highly organized self-starter with first class communication and problem solving skills. Previous experience working in a fast paced environment is a must. The successful candidate will be responsible for administrative support to a group of senior staff and other duties as assigned.

Responsibilities:

  • Ensure that the existing infrastructure functions smoothly. Provide the highest level of service to users.
  • Maintain Windows servers and network infrastructure.
  • Administer Microsoft SharePoint Server 2013 and Microsoft SQL Server 2008/2012 including maintenance, backup/recovery, best practices, scaling, etc.
  • Configure, maintain and monitor networking devices, VPN and firewalls.
  • Configure, administer and provide troubleshooting for Windows Servers, Microsoft Exchange, Active Director and SharePoint.
  • Provide technical support for Microsoft Dynamics NAV.
  • Provide guidance and technical support for Apple products in the enterprise and for Salesforce.com solutions.
  • Improve and expand our use of Microsoft SharePoint 2013.
  • Perform as a critical IT stakeholder in replicating MS services into the Cloud
  • Recommend policies and standards for the office infrastructure and the helpdesk function.
  • Enforce systems architecture standards.
  • Provide critical technical role in systems and network I.T. projects.
  • Evaluate, recommend, purchase and implement software / tools / technology for the organization.
  • Install, maintain and support workstations, laptops and servers across the organization.
  • Update specific vendor product information. Mentor one or more Support Technicians.

Qualifications and Experience:

  • College graduate preferred
  • 3+ years of experience as a Windows Systems Administrator or a similar role.
  • Experience in configuring, administering and troubleshooting of Active Directory, SQL Server and SharePoint.
  • Experienced with Cisco routers and switches, ASA firewalls, Wifi routers and network architectures.
  • Solid understanding of DNS, IP subnets.
  • Knowledge of Microsoft SQL Server 2008 database and SQL.
  • Experience supporting Apple products in Active Directory. Previous experience with VMWare.
  • Experience supporting SharePoint 2007/2010/2013.
  • Experience supporting Salesforce.com applications is preferred.
  • Strong motivation to complete projects quickly.
  • Ability to handle multiple concurrent activities with a positive and flexible attitude.
  • Excellent analytical and problem solving skills. Good planning and organizational skills.
  • Proven ability to write end-user documentation for non-technical staff.
  • Ability to travel occasionally, either in the Bay Area or to the PLOS U.K. office.
  • Educational Requirements:
    • Degree in Computer Science or a related field or equivalent experience.
    • Microsoft certification(s) preferred.

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