Home/BMJ Neurology Open Editor-in-Chief Vacancy

BMJ Neurology Open Editor-in-Chief Vacancy

BMJ Group and the Australian and New Zealand Association of Neurologists are looking for an ambitious and dynamic Editor-in-Chief to lead BMJ Neurology Open, a peer-reviewed, open access journal publishing research in all areas of clinical neurology and neuroscience.  The candidate should be an active researcher in a relevant field. Specialists in any field of neurology or neuroscience are welcome to apply. The Editor-in-Chief will act as an ambassador for the journal and a champion for neurological research, upholding ethical standards and editorial policies, as well as actively promoting and developing the journal. They will be able to utilise their extensive international network of contacts to target areas of growth, encourage global submissions, and introduce new types of content or emerging subject areas to the journal.  Applicants should have a PhD (or similar qualification) and should be able to demonstrate their status and impact in the field. The ideal candidate(s) will have editorial experience handling manuscripts, critical appraisal skills, a commitment to academic excellence, and strong leadership and interpersonal qualities.  We welcome joint applications and applications from anywhere in the world. The successful candidate(s) will be expected to assemble and lead a senior team of deputy/associate editors to ensure the journal can cover the breadth of neurological issues with specialists in key subject areas.  This is an independent contractor position and the proposed term of office is five years. The Editor has responsibility for implementing the editorial strategy and accountability for the content of the journal, with support from their appointed editorial team and BMJ Group. Editorial training and technical support will be provided, together with strategic guidance. An annual honorarium and other benefits are provided, as well as experienced editorial office support. The time commitment is estimated at the equivalent of one day per week, but will depend on the structure and size of the editorial team.  Main responsibilities The Editor-in-Chief will be responsible for all content published in the journal, and will:
  • Provide high quality and engaging content for a broad audience, with a focus on accepting both high impact and broad scope sound science articles 
  • Establish and lead a diverse and supportive team of highly qualified international colleagues to serve as members of the editorial team 
  • Maintain and ensure the integrity of the peer review process and publishing ethics, providing guidance to authors and reviewers as appropriate 
  • Implement effective triage and peer review of articles, working closely with the editorial team to ensure timely responses to authors
  • Supervise the journal’s response to appeals, complaints, suggestions from readers and ethical queries regarding published work 
  • Work with BMJ Group’s Content Development Team to ensure the smooth transfer of submissions from other BMJ Group journals and the publication of themed Topic Collections 
  • Coordinate with editors of related BMJ Group journals (e.g. JNNP and Practical Neurology) 
About BMJ Neurology Open BMJ Neurology Open is an open access, peer-reviewed journal publishing academic research across the spectrum of clinical neurology and neuroscience alongside reviews, short reports, viewpoints and editorials. BMJ Neurology Open is a companion journal to Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry and is co-owned by BMJ Group and the Australian and New Zealand Association of Neurologists (ANZAN).  BMJ Neurology Open is particularly interested in addressing common diseases and their treatment, or illuminating mechanisms of disease or modes of action of treatments, whether related to their efficacy or their complications. The journal is also interested in clinical neurology implementation studies which look at how neurological advances can be brought to the patients who need them.  BMJ Neurology Open is indexed in PubMed Central, Web of Science (ESCI), Scopus, DOAJ, Google Scholar and Embase (Excerpta Medica). It has a Journal Impact Factor of 2.1 and a CiteScore of 3.2.  Being an Editor with BMJ Group As Editor of BMJ Neurology Open you will benefit from: 
  • The chance to shape the field and play a role in the development of the specialty
  • An annual honorarium 
  • Networking events, in-person and virtual, with other BMJ Group journal editors
  • Training and support 
  • Opportunities to interact with researchers around the world 
Application process To be considered for the role, please send your CV and a covering letter outlining your interest and relevant experience, along with an analysis of the journal (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats). Applications and any queries regarding the role should be sent to George Neame, Publisher, at gneame@bmj.com. Interviews will be held via video conference.  Application deadline: 13 October 2024 Start date: anticipated Q1 2025 but negotiable.