Job Purpose
The Peer Review Associate is responsible for managing and coordinating the end-to-end peer review process for assigned journals through Sage Track (STS), ensuring efficient manuscript handling, stakeholder communication, quality compliance, and timely progression of submissions from initial receipt through production.
Key Responsibilities
Peer Review Management
Review newly submitted manuscripts to ensure they meet journal submission guidelines and are ready for peer review.
Manage manuscript workflows within Sage Track (STS), ensuring timely processing at each stage of the peer review cycle.
Invite, assign, and support reviewers throughout the review process.
Follow up with editors, associate editors, reviewers, and authors to ensure completion of pending tasks within defined deadlines.
Monitor manuscript progress and proactively address workflow bottlenecks.
Ensure accepted manuscripts contain all required documentation and files before transferring them to production.
Production Readiness & Quality Control
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Verify that accepted manuscripts include all necessary components, including:
Up-to-date author information
Editable manuscript files
Copyright permissions
Contributor agreements
Properly formatted references as per journal style guidelines (APA, Chicago, ASA, AMA, CSE, etc.)
Ensure authors complete and submit electronic contributor agreements through STS.
Export accepted manuscripts to the Production team within established deadlines.
Maintain data accuracy and compliance throughout the manuscript lifecycle.
Stakeholder Management
Serve as the primary point of contact for journal editors, associate editors, authors, reviewers, and internal Sage teams.
Respond to queries and requests professionally and within agreed service levels.
Build and maintain strong working relationships with journal stakeholders.
Act as a liaison between journal editorial teams and Sage, communicating updates, progress, and process-related information.
System Administration & Reporting
Maintain and update Sage Track email templates in line with journal requirements.
Troubleshoot workflow and system-related issues within Sage Track.
Ensure assigned journal sites remain aligned with global standards and operational best practices.
Generate and analyze reports from Sage Track to support operational performance.
Maintain daily productivity trackers and provide regular performance reports to management.
Complete weekly overdue task reporting and journal status updates.
Team Support & Collaboration
Provide guidance and support to Editorial Assistants where applicable.
Act as the first point of escalation for peer review process-related queries.
Participate in departmental projects, process improvement initiatives, and special assignments.
Contribute ideas and feedback to enhance operational efficiency and journal performance.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to achieve departmental objectives.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Timely processing of manuscript submissions.
Reviewer invitation and completion rates.
Journal turnaround times.
SLA adherence for stakeholder communication.
Quality and accuracy of manuscript checks.
Productivity targets as defined in the annual workforce allocation plan.
Compliance with journal and publishing standards.
Required Skills & Competencies
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Excellent stakeholder management and relationship-building abilities.
Strong attention to detail and quality orientation.
Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
Analytical and problem-solving skills.
Strong organizational and time-management capabilities.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint).
Experience working with manuscript management systems is preferred.
Qualifications & Experience
Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Life Sciences, Publishing, Communications, or a related field.
Experience in scholarly publishing, journal operations, content management, editorial support, or peer review processes is preferred.
Working knowledge of manuscript tracking systems (e.g., Sage Track, ScholarOne, Editorial Manager) is an advantage.
Familiarity with academic publishing standards and citation styles is desirable.
Preferred Candidate Profile
Strong customer-service mindset with excellent stakeholder engagement skills.
Ability to work independently while managing multiple journals and priorities.
High degree of professionalism, accountability, and attention to detail.
Comfortable working in a deadline-driven, process-oriented environment.
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