Associate Director, Publishing

*This position is fully remote/home based. Applications will be accepted from candidates based in the UK and the following US states: FL, IL, MA, MD, NY, PA, TX, VA. Role Summary The Associate Director, Publishing provides strategic leadership for the PLOS journal portfolio, ensuring that portfolio priorities, publishing investments, and journal development strategies align with organizational goals and advance PLOS's mission. Reporting to the Director, Publishing & Publishing Operations, the Associate Director leads and develops a team of Publishers responsible for the performance and strategic development of journals portfolios. The Associate Director serves as the primary steward of portfolio-wide publishing performance, translating organizational strategy into clear priorities and ensuring effective coordination across the organization. The Associate Director uses publishing data, financial information, market intelligence, and research community insight to guide strategic decisions, establish priorities, identify opportunities for growth and innovation, and manage risks. Working in partnership with the Director, Publishing & Publishing Operations, the Associate Director ensures that journal-level strategies collectively support a sustainable PLOS portfolio with a strong value proposition. Supervisory Responsibilities Lead, develop, and support a team of senior publishing professionals responsible for journal and subject portfolio performance. Establish clear goals, priorities, and measures of accountability that align with organizational and portfolio strategy. Provide coaching, professional development, succession planning, and performance management for direct reports. Foster a culture of collaboration, inclusion, accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement. Work with Publishers to ensure effective leadership and development of Journal Development Managers and other publishing staff. Responsibilities Portfolio Strategy and Performance Develop and implement a portfolio-wide publishing strategy aligned with PLOS's mission and organizational objectives. Ensure that journal and subject portfolio strategies collectively support a clear and differentiated value proposition for the PLOS portfolio. Lead regular portfolio reviews and develop recommendations regarding journal positioning, growth opportunities, performance, and future direction. Balance the needs of individual journals and research communities with broader portfolio and organizational objectives. Support Publishers in identifying and responding to changes in research communities, funding policies, scholarly communication, and the publishing market. Develop consistent approaches and decision-making frameworks for evaluating proposals, opportunities, and performance across the portfolio. Guide the evaluation and development of new journals, products, services, publishing models in line with PLOS’s strategic direction. Strategic and Business Leadership Translate organizational strategy into clear portfolio priorities, objectives, and plans for the publishing team. Oversee publishing budgets and forecasts in partnership with the Director and Publishers, ensuring responsible decision-making and effective resource allocation. Act as a thought partner to, and deputize for, the Director, Publishing & Publishing Operations when appropriate. In close collaboration with colleagues in Editorial, Sales and Global Publishing Development, support publishers in developing impactful relationships with Editors-in-Chief, Editorial Board members, researchers, institutions, societies, and partner organizations. Build productive partnerships across Editorial, Publishing Operations, Sales & Global Publishing Development, Product, Technology, Marketing, Finance, Research Integrity, and other organizational teams. Work with Editorial and Publishing Operations leaders to ensure that journal