Journals XML Specialist
The Royal Society of Chemistry is seeking an experienced and knowledgeable Journals XML Specialist to join our Publishing Services & Production team. This is an exciting opportunity for a proactive and adaptable candidate to join our publishing team in a new role dedicated to driving the development and implementation of our journals’ XML requirements to enable the efficient production and dissemination of our journals content.
As a member of the Publishing Services & Production team, you will initially focus on facilitating the transformation of our journals’ back catalogue into a future-proofed XML format as we migrate to a new hosting platform. You will be responsible for developing & continually reviewing our XML roadmap to meet our evolving strategic goals, particularly in the context of aligning with our move to fully Open Access journals publishing, as a digital-first publisher, and enabling the exchange of business-critical data between internal and external systems. You will be responsible for ensuring the accurate markup and structuring of content in XML format, adhering to industry standards and publisher guidelines, enabling compliance (eg accessibility) where appropriate, facilitating integration with diverse digital platforms and efficient dissemination of scholarly content across the academic community.
At the RSC we embrace flexibility and offer hybrid working, which means our teams come together when they need to collaborate. Although this role is contractually based at our Cambridge office, you will be able to work from home within the UK, with the expectation that you will attend the office as needed for your role. In this role it is expected that you will attend the on an ad-hoc basis. If you need any specific flexible working arrangements, please outline this in your application.
At the Royal Society of Chemistry, we publish new research that is a catalyst for the chemistry that enriches our world. Collaboration is essential. We connect scientists with each other and society as a whole, so they can do their best work and make discoveries and innovation happen. We develop, recognise and celebrate professional capabilities. We bring people together to spark new ideas and new partnerships. We support teachers to inspire future generations of scientists. And we speak up to influence the people making decisions that affect us all.
Key Responsibilities:
– Own and drive the strategic XML roadmap aligned with our transition to fully Open Access journals publishing
– Be a Subject Matter Expert for journals XML and related matters, and a key member of project teams related to strategic initiatives involving our production processes and content formats
– Ensure accurate markup and structuring of scholarly content in XML, adhering to industry guidelines
– Collaborate with cross-functional teams and external vendors on XML integration, metadata, process optimisation and quality assurance
– Oversee the transformation of our journals back catalogue and future live content to JATS XML format for our new content hosting platform
– Provide training, documentation and expertise as the subject matter expert for journals XML
Requirements:
– Proven experience working with XML in scholarly STM publishing environments
– Solid understanding of publishing workflows, standards (JATS, etc.) and metadata schemas
– Strong analytical skills with ability to understand complex data structures and requirements
– Excellent communication and collaboration skills for working across teams
– Self-motivated with ability to prioritise, manage deadlines and deliver results
– Familiarity with XML schema development, transformations and vendor management is desirable
We offer a collaborative team environment and opportunities for skills development. Apply now to be part of revolutionising open access publishing with a renowned scientific society.
At the RSC, we recognise the benefits of a diverse workforce and welcome applicants from a range of backgrounds to apply. We particularly encourage applications from disabled and ethnic minority candidates.
As a part of the Disability Confident Scheme, we endeavour, where possible, to offer an interview to candidates meeting the essential criteria of the role, who has a substantial physical/mental impairment which impacts their ability to carry out day-to-day tasks.
We are committed to making our recruitment processes accessible to all and as part of this, we are flexible in the ways we give and receive information. If you would like to apply using a different format, please contact the Recruitment Team at jobs@rsc.org or on +44 (0) 1223 432229 and we will do our best to put any reasonable adjustments in place.
If you are interested in this role, please apply before the end of the closing date. When applying, you will need to provide an up-to-date CV and a supporting statement (no more than 500 words) indicating how your skills/expertise match the required skills and experience outlined above.
A full job description is available here.