Open Research Coordinator/Manager PLOS (closing date: March 23, 2021)

Goal/ purpose of the role

The candidate will measurably increase the adoption of open research/ open science practices by supporting  a program of initiatives in collaboration with communities of researchers, journals and colleagues across PLOS. This includes developing new initiatives and supporting implementation of established open science policies and features in PLOS journals.

The role reports to the Director, Open Research Solutions and involves wide interaction across PLOS’s departments and external communities. It requires a creative and resourceful approach including an ability to bring people together and project manage the development and implementation of solutions that meet community needs and challenges.

Responsibilities

Open Research Solutions/ Open Science Program *Coordinator/Manager (Depending on Experience)

Lead on development and deployment of initiatives in prioritised areas of Open Science and contribute to other initiatives in PLOS’s open science program

Design, oversee and support initiatives to test new ideas, evaluate their feasibility, risks, community support and impact on adoption of open science

Support research to identify new solutions, validate opportunities, and to help evaluate potential partners in solution development

Develop and maintain regular interactions with the research community

Maintain and develop excellent cross-functional relationships with internal stakeholders  (Publishing Operations, Publishing, Editorial, Research, Product, Outreach, Engineering teams) 

Work with Editorial and Publishing leadership, and external Editorial Boards, to identify, prioritise and deploy open research policies to support community needs

Work collaboratively to identify new opportunities for policies, products and services

Maintain and develop online editorial policies and resources to support adoption of best open research practices

Help prepare proposals to funding agencies where experimentation and research is contingent on grant support

Prepare reports and data for internal and external use

Support development of outreach, instructional and educational resources to support adoption of open research practices in collaboration with Editorial and Outreach

Support business analysis by gathering information on mission and financial impacts, as well as investment and operational costs for new non-traditional product implementation

Advocacy and engagement

Communicate outcomes of Open Research/ Science initiatives internally and externally in various formats including conference presentations, reports, publications, blogs

Represent PLOS externally in academic and industry events

Support and lead initiatives to proactively communicate the outcome of initiatives and research

Ensure alignment of initiatives with PLOS’s editorial, publishing and mission-driven goals

Skills, qualifications and experience

Educated to degree level in a scientific discipline preferably with a relevant postgraduate qualification (Masters or PhD) or equivalent experience

Experience of working with researchers on open research, open science and/or open access initiatives

Experience working with, or good understanding of, research publishing including editorial, production and peer review workflows

Experience of policy development, support or implementation, preferably in an open research context

Excellent written and oral communication skills

Data analysis and interpretation skills to inform decision making

Experience developing and deploying plans to improve scholarly journals or products

Proactive and collaborative approach to problem-solving

Understanding of publishing and peer review systems

Experience managing projects

Familiarity with different user research techniques 

Experience of working with committees, cross-functional groups and be able to manage effective meetings to gain consensus

Resourceful and creative problem solving abilities; collaborative

Experience with a variety of data analysis, digital project/ content management tools and ability to learn new tools quickly

Passionate about open research, open access and open science

Flexible, resilient and outcome oriented and willing to adapt solutions to achieve strategic goals

Equal Opportunities Statement

At PLOS we believe in pushing the boundaries of 'Open' to create a more equitable system of scientific knowledge and understanding—it’s core to who we are, inside and out. Beyond accepting distinct perspectives, we seek and support divergent backgrounds among our staff because we know differences strengthen our teams, our work, and our communities. We’re ever-evolving in our journey for representation and equity, and strongly encourage applicants of diverse identi