Application Deadline: 30th March 2020
The Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) invites applications from suitably qualified African scholars to fill the vacant position of Director of Publications and Dissemination in its pan-African Secretariat located in Dakar, Senegal. The position is a senior one and the successful candidate will work as a member of the Secretariat management team under the overall supervision of the Executive Secretary of the Council. The ideal candidate should be an African scholar that combines a robust experience in Academic publishing with a solid intellectual background in the social sciences and/or humanities. Candidates with these required qualifications and versed with the latest developments in scholarly publishing and dissemination, including the technological and organizational context for academic publishing in Africa such as Journal accreditation and metrics, open-access publishing and web-based publishing and dissemination are encouraged to apply for consideration.
The CODESRIA Publications and Dissemination Programme has, over the last four decades, undergone considerable expansion, earning its place as a leading Africa-based multilingual scholarly publisher with over 500 books and monographs, 12 peer-reviewed scholarly journals and periodicals, and several award-winning titles in its lists. The position of Director of Publications and Dissemination has been created with the aim of consolidating the successes that have been registered within the Programme to date and taking it to new heights. More information about CODESRIA and its Publications and Dissemination Programme can be obtained from the Council’s website: www.codesria.org
Candidates wishing to apply for the position should note that this is a Programme Head position and the successful candidate will work under the supervision of the Executive Secretary. The Director of Publications and Dissemination has as the primary responsibility the day to day management of CODESRIA publications and dissemination including the processing of raw manuscripts for publication and the management of partnerships with individuals and institutions the Council collaborates with in publishing and disseminating research outputs. Also, the Director of Publications and Dissemination is charged with ensuring effective control of the quality of publications and safeguarding and projecting the pan-African mandate of CODESRIA in terms of balancing publication portfolios and content coverage of the publications. In addition to his/her specific responsibilities, the successful candidate will be called upon to perform the following functions: initiate, develop and, where appropriate, manage new projects and programmes; lend support for the realization of the other scientific activities of the Council; organize academic and policy meetings; promote contacts with a network of researchers, professional associations and regional organizations; prepare research and funding proposals on themes connected to their areas of expertise as may be requested by the Executive Secretary.
Among other responsibilities, the successful candidate for the position of Director of Publications and Dissemination will be called upon to:-
• Play a critical role in defining and implementing the objectives and targets of the CODESRIA Publications and Dissemination Programme according to the demands of changing contexts and requirements;
• Provide direct and hands-on leadership in the scientific life of the Programme and in all aspects of the Programme’s publishing operations, including commissioning, editorial, production, distribution, marketing, customer service, and list management functions;
• Develop proposals for new publications and titles, doing so in direct and interactive collaboration with the other CODESRIA scientific programmes;
• Strengthen the CODESRIA book, monograph and journal publishing brands;
• Expand the on-line presence of CODESRIA journals, monographs, occasional papers, and research and policy briefs;
• Promote innovative and cost-effective approaches to both traditional print and electronic publishing;
• Manage a team of in-house editorial staff that includes managing editors, editors, a production manager and editorial assistants;
• Supervise and liaise with a team of freelance editorial service providers that range from printing presses, translators, proof-readers, and copy-editors to typesetters, indexers, web administrators, and distributors;
• Liaise and work with authors, peer-reviewers, editors-in-chief of various journals, professional associations, researchers, publishing houses;
• Coordinate translation, co-edition, co-publication and reprint rights and permissions;
• Seek and share information and opinions about the CODESRIA Book Series, CODESRIA Monographs, CODESRIA journals, CODESRIA Working Papers, and CODESRIA Research and Policy Briefs;
• Keep the African and broader international social research communities informed about new CODESRIA publications;
• Initiate collaboration with other publishers and organisations, and assess the scientific and financial viability of such collaborations, giving priority to African networks;
• Develop links with Africa-based university presses and other publishing houses;
• Prepare for and attend relevant publication events, such as book fairs, scholarly association meetings and forums; and
• Play an active part in the realisation of all the other aspects of the scientific mandate of the Council.
QUALIFICATIONS
Applicants for this position must:
1. Be scholars in their own rights possessing a PhD level university education, preferably in the Social Sciences or Humanities and academic publishing;
2. Have professional training and background in academic publishing and marketing;
3. Be conversant with evolving roles/applications of information technology in academic publishing;
4. Be abreast of the developments in open access publishing/scholarship;
5. Have adequate knowledge of publishing as a scholarly field instead of just being an expert in the organisation of texts;
6. Have good knowledge of CODESRIA and possess a demonstrable ability to promote the work of African researchers;
7. Be familiar with the African and international scientific community;
8. Have first-hand knowledge of the African scholarly publishing environment;
9. Have proven experience of management in an academic environment;
10. Be experienced in resource management and the preparation of reports;
11. Have a record of intellectual engagement with the challenges and opportunities in African and international scholarly publishing; and
12. Be fluent in English or French and have good working knowledge of at least one of the other languages.
It is CODESRIA policy to reflect the disciplinary, gender, generational and linguistic diversity of the African social science community in its structures. In this connection, female candidates and younger professionals meeting the qualifications set out are especially encouraged to send in their dossiers for consideration for this position.
WORKING CONDITIONS
The salary level that will be offered will depend on the successful applicant’s experience and qualifications, and will be broadly comparable to those of similar posts in other international organisations.
How to Apply
All applicants wishing to be considered for the position are required to supply the following documents:
1. A written application;
2. A detailed CV describing the candidate’s professional experience and listing their publications;
3. Three reference letters, two of which must come from people living in countries other than the applicant’s country of residence;
4. Four of the candidate’s recent publications, three of which must be single-authored;
5. Copies of relevant academic certificates.
The application letters and other supporting documents should be uploaded via this link: https://codesria.org/submission/job/vacancy-announcement-director-of-publications-and-dissemination/.
Only applications received via this link will be considered.
An automatic confirmation will be generated upon successful uploading of the application. Where the applicant has any additional questions, these should be sent to:
The Executive Secretary
CODESRIA
Avenue Cheikh Anta Diop X Canal IV
P.O. Box 3304 CP 18524
Dakar/SENEGAL
Email: executive.secretary@codesria.org
Closing Date
All applications must be received by 30th March 2020. Any application received after this date will not be considered.
