Assistant Editor - Education
Wiley
- Location
- Oxford, UK
- Posted
- May 22, 2026
Job Description
Role overview
We believe in bold ideas, diverse perspectives, and the drive to transform knowledge into impact. Here, your curiosity fuels progress, your voice shapes innovation, and your ambition helps redefine what’s possible within science and learning. We are a culture that obsesses over impact, challenges, and drives what’s next to power infinite possibilities for our customers, colleagues, and society at large.
Assistant Editors are research subject matter experts—individuals with research experience in a particular field of study who are dedicated handlers of manuscripts, shepherding a submission through all of the peer-review and post-acceptance processes, where subject expertise is required or highly advantageous. This includes manuscript triage and first/final decisions, reviewer selection, evaluation of responses to reviewer remarks or rebuttal letters, evaluation of referee reports, evaluation of images, or assessment of scope alignment, ahead of export to production. Assistant Editors are entry-level with limited prior experience as a handling editor; they almost certainly have experience as an author, reviewer, and potentially as a guest editor or junior member of an editorial board, but are unlikely to have experience handling manuscripts through peer review.
Responsibilities
- Undertake subject-matter-expert (SME)-driven screening for manuscripts at the appropriate point in the workflow in the course of holistic manuscript handling.
- Raise an integrity concern as a result of the SME screen/check via the appropriate channels.
- Evaluate new submissions for their suitability for the journal, taking an immediate decision with the appropriate decision rationale, in line with the journal’s policy/scope.
- For suitable manuscripts, select and invite reviewers.
- Assess reviewer report(s) and make decisions to Accept/Reject/Revise/Refer manuscript (new/transferred/revised submission).
- Assess revised manuscripts for the extent and quality of the changes made, and determine whether a final decision can be taken or whether further external review is needed.
- In the course of manuscript assessment (before or after external review), when a reject decision is being rendered, identify appropriate journal(s) from within the portfolio as target titles for transfer.
- When a rebuttal is submitted, review the arguments and take appropriate action promptly.
- Participate in proof-of-concept projects.
- Report findings promptly within the stipulated timelines and framework.
- Review reporting to identify trends or opportunities for improvement in the performance of the peer review.
- Engage with senior colleagues and the line manager to understand areas of personal performance improvement opportunities.
- Participate in subject area clusters comprised of handling editors in the field from both Publishing Development, The Wiley Peer Review Desk, and the Comprehensive Editorial Evaluation Team.
Training & Development
- Stay abreast of the subject area and maintain community connections through attendance of both virtual and local seminars/webinars/conferences.
- Receive peer-to-peer training and instruction.
- Receive formal system training to ensure competency in all necessary editorial systems.
Qualifications
- PhD or equivalent advanced degree in Education research, with an excellent research background and a strong understanding of recent trends and developments in a variety of educational contexts.
- 3-5 years’ experience as a primary researcher in the relevant field (note, time spent doing a PhD counts as research experience).
- 1-2 years’ experience in scholarly publishing, with at least 1 of those years as a professional editor/Editorial Associate handling peer review, etc.
- Basic knowledge of the publishing process.
- High-level knowledge of the peer review process.
- Attention to detail.
- Good communication skills and the ability to collaborate.
- “Head down – plough on” approach to workload / Ability to stay focused.
- Fluent in English (though not necessarily a native speaker), with excellent writing and oral skills.
Desirable
- Proven interest in scholarly publishing.
- Experience as a reviewer/editor.
- Knowledge of common editorial policies and practices, at least specific to their field of expertise.
- Experience using a supported EEO (e.g., Editorial Manager, ScholarOne, Phenom).
- Broad understanding of the scholarly publishing business, including the transition to Open Access.
- For colleagues working on non-English-language journals, proficiency in that language is desirable but not essential.
Application Information
- When applying, please attach your resume/CV to be considered.
Compensation and Benefits
- Salary Range: 25,600 GBP to 34,933 GBP