Policy Press

Call for Co-Editor of Voluntary Sector Review

Application deadline: 12 September 2021

Policy Press and the Voluntary Sector Studies Network (VSSN) invite applications for the position of Co-Editor to join the current editorial team for the Voluntary Sector Review (VSR) from January 2022 for an initial period of three years, with the possibility of renewing for a second two-year term.  

The new journal Editor will join the current team of two Editors: Daiga Kamerāde (University of Salford, UK) and James Rees (University of Wolverhampton, UK). The Editor will be under contract to Policy Press and will work closely with the VSR Editorial Management Board.

Voluntary Sector Review is a journal with a growing international profile that publishes accessible, high-quality peer-reviewed papers on all aspects of the voluntary, community, civil society and third sectors. A unique feature of VSR is the combination of papers aimed at academic, policy and practice audiences. This is designed to ensure that the results of the latest academic research are made available to the widest possible audience and are grounded in a close engagement with both policy and practical issues.

Learn more about the journal 

Applications are invited for a Co-Editor who reflects the multi-disciplinary and increasingly international scope of the journal in their expertise. This is an exciting opportunity to help shape and develop the journal over the coming 3-5 years. The Editorial Team and Editorial Management Board work closely together, are very supportive and meet at least twice a year, either in person or virtually, to help inform future content of the journal. We are particularly interested in building a diverse editorial team with good international networks that reflect the breadth of our intended readership.

Tasks that that the Editor will undertake include:

  • Commissioning articles and encouraging submissions with broad international authorship.
  • Working with the Editorial Team to receive submissions; identify suitable referees; make editorial decisions on acceptance, revision or rejection in the light of referees’ reports; oversee the journey of accepted papers from acceptance to publication; liaising with the publisher over publication arrangements; or, where a decision is made to reject unsuitable manuscripts, rejecting manuscripts in a manner that respects the efforts of the author and provides suitable encouragement in their future efforts;
  • Liaising with other members of the Editorial Team to ensure content is delivered to schedule;
  • Maintaining and further developing the national and international reputation of the journal.
  • Participating in person or virtually in twice yearly meetings of the Editorial Management Board and preparing an Editors’ Report and any other relevant papers for these meetings.
  • Formulating and reviewing the journal’s editorial strategy in collaboration with the other Editors and putting ideas for development to the Management Board.


Applications should include a short CV (no more than two pages each) highlighting relevant experience and a cover letter (up to two pages long) addressing the following:

  • Your vision and a clear editorial strategy for the journal to show how you would like to see it develop over the next five years.
  • How you will ensure the editorial team is soliciting and receiving articles that make substantial and meaningful contributions across the multiple fields that make up the journal’s scope.
  • How you will consolidate and increase VSR’s growing international presence and ensure the high quality of articles published to achieve impressive results across a wide range of current quality indicators.
  • What you can bring to the journal in terms of your experience of working on other journals, your areas of relevant expertise and why you feel you meet the requirements of the role.
  • How you will work together and divide tasks and responsibilities between the editors.
  • How you will ensure effective team working.

 

Prospective applicants may also like to informally contact members of the Selection Committee:

Féilim Ó hAdhmaill (F.OhAdhmaill@ucc.ie), Chair of the Management Board
Jon Dean (j.dean@shu.ac.uk), VSR Management Board and VSSN steering group member
Daiga Kamerāde (d.kamerade2@salford.ac.uk), Co-Editor of VSR
Julia Mortimer (Julia.Mortimer@bristol.ac.uk), Journals Director at Policy Press

The deadline for applications is 12 September 2021. Applications should be sent by email to: Féilim Ó hAdhmaill (F.OhAdhmaill@ucc.ie).

All applications will be considered by the Selection Committee, and a shortlist of candidates will be interviewed. The selected candidates will enter into contract with Policy Press, the publisher of the journal.