Editorial Project Manager

Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar)
Appointment type: Part-time (75% FTE)
Start Date: March 1, 2026
Location: Remote (Preference for applicants based in the U.S. East Coast time zone)

Salary: $50,000 (Term appointment through March 2028)

Reporting: Dr. Radha Dalal, Director of Art History at VCUarts Qatar and Dr. Hala Auji, Hamad bin Khalifa Endowed Chair for Islamic Art at VCUarts, Richmond.

Position Summary

We invite applications for a part-time Editorial Project Manager (75% FTE) to manage the production of a forthcoming edited volume under contract with Yale University Press (YUP). This position oversees the manuscript from initial submissions through copyediting, proof review, layout verification, and final delivery. The ideal candidate will bring extensive editorial experience with academic presses, strong organizational skills, and the ability to manage a complex workflow across multiple contributors and time zones. This is a remote position, open to candidates in the U.S. Due to coordination demands with YUP's London office, and with the editors located in Richmond, Virginia, and Doha, Qatar, preference will be given to applicants based in the U.S. East Coast time zone.

Required Qualifications

Candidates must demonstrate:

• Editorial experience with university or academic presses, particularly on complex, multi-authored scholarly volumes.
• Advanced copyediting skills and fluency with Chicago Manual of Style, 18th edition, including experience reviewing proofs and applying consistent editorial standards.
• Exceptional attention to detail, especially in reviewing and harmonizing endnotes, bibliographies, captions, citations, figure callouts, and cross-references across diverse contributions.
• Experience managing digital editorial workflows, including structured file systems, Google Drive, and tracking multi-stage submissions.
• Strong image-handling familiarity, including verifying resolution, file formats, captioning, credits, and permissions documentation relevant to an academic press.
• Experience coordinating complex production timelines, monitoring deadlines, following up with contributors, and maintaining clear communication in high-volume correspondence.
• Ability to synthesize and implement editorial instructions from multiple sources and maintain updated logs of recurring issues, outstanding questions, and required revisions.
• Strong project-management capacity, including preparing materials for copyediting, tracking author responses, consolidating corrections, and ensuring internal consistency prior to typesetting.
• Ability to liaise and communicate diplomatically yet clearly with authors on incomplete, incorrect, or late submissions, and to escalate issues appropriately.
• Proficiency in Acrobat Pro, Photoshop, Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, and Zoom with the ability to troubleshoot basic file, formatting, and organization issues.
• Strong interpersonal and written communication skills, with the ability to work independently while maintaining close and collaborative alignment with the editorial team.
• Demonstrated experience working in and fostering an environment of respect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from various backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU.
• Comfort working across multiple time zones, including coordinating regular meetings with the editors based in Richmond, Doha, and London (YUP).
• Willingness to work occasional weekends, as required during heavy production periods or proof stages.
• Fast, reliable email and WhatsApp/messaging responsiveness, with proven ability to sustain momentum in long-term, deadline-driven projects.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with additional Adobe Creative Suite applications, such as Illustrator and InDesign.
• Familiarity with languages and scripts beyond English and Latin-based alphabets.
• Demonstrated experience working in and fostering an environment of respect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from various backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU

Appointment, Compensation, and Terms

FTE: 75% (part-time)
Location: Remote (preference for applicants based in the U.S. East Coast time zone)
Compensation: $50,000. (Term appointment through March 2028)
Benefits: This is not a benefited position.
Contingency: Appointment is contingent upon successful completion of onboarding procedures.

Application Instructions

Applicants should submit the following materials via VCU Jobs. Any queries should be directed to Dr. Radha Dalal at rjdalal@vcu.edu and Dr. Hala Auji aujih@vcu.edu

• Resumé
• Cover Letter describing interest in this project, and relevant editorial and project-management experience
• Two samples from editorial projects you have managed or overseen. Samples may include edited manuscripts, style sheets, production schedules, communication plans, short documents with tracked changes, editorial briefs sent to contributors, or other materials that demonstrate editorial and project management experience. Due to file size limitations, the samples should be submitted as an accessible link in a PDF that points to a website or cloud storage (with access instructions) to view all visual work.
• Names and contact information for three referees - at least one should be a client. References will not be contacted without candidate's permission.

Review of applications will begin on February 1, 2026 and continue until the position is filled.