Jr. Acquisitions Editor – Languages and Linguistics

Founded in 1683, Brill isa leading international academic publisher in the Humanities, Social Sciences, and International Law. Based in the Netherlands and with offices around the world, Brill publishes a large and diverse collection of books, journals, and online resources. The company’s key customers are institutional libraries. Brill is a publicly traded company and is listed on Euronext Amsterdam Exchange.

Brill is looking for a:

Junior Acquisitions Editor Languages and Linguistics

Full time / Leiden

The Junior Acquisitions Editor is responsible for increasing company profitability via efficient project management and acquisitions that are consistent with the company’s reputation as a high-quality publisher. The role involves extensive author contact, proposal review, contract negotiation, promotional planning, monitoring of sales, budget planning, long-term strategic planning, and general development of the publishing program.

You will report to the Publishing Director for Linguistics, Literature, and Asian Studies, who is based at Brill’s Boston office. The career path for the position includes a period of several years to gradually develop your competencies and bring them up to the level of Acquisitions Editor. You will be expected to participate in training programs (online or in person) and to travel to academic conferences as required. You will be responsible for the assigned publishing program and will have to meet output and acquisitions goals.

Main tasks and responsibilities:

§ Development and management of the publication program in Languages and Linguistics, with special focus on descriptive linguistics, applied linguistics, and endangered languages.

§ Realization of commercially successful publications that correspond to market demands and expectations, with an emphasis on developing reference works and open access publications;

§ Management and development of an international network of authors, editors, reviewers, and advisors;

§ Cooperation with the relevant Associate Editor on the development of book series within the program;

§ Liaising with the Marketing and Sales departments to optimize marketing efforts and sales results;

§ Liaising with the Production department and other Brill units to ensure cost-effective and timely publication schedules;

§ Conducting market research in the field (portfolio analysis, competition, gaps in the publishing program, important new subject areas, major sources of research and open access funding), sharing insights with internal stakeholders, and formulating strategic plans for the relevant subject areas;

§ Negotiating contracts for new publications with authors and editors;

§ Managing and developing partnerships with publishing partners such as academic institutions, scholarly societies, and other publishers;

§ Monitoring key performance indicators of the portfolio, such as output, revenue, margins, submission rates, turnover times, and usage statistics;

§ Traveling to academic conferences to set up and administer exhibits, as well as hold meetings with existing and potential authors and editors.

Your Profile:

§ An academic degree in the humanities or social sciences is required, preferably in a language-related field;

§ Ability to work independently, as well as function as a collegial member of a team;

§ Business acumen, including familiarity with basic financial concepts;

§ Cross-cultural awareness and sensitivity to cultures different from your own;

§ Strong oral and written communication skills in English, and preferably in another major language;

§ Excellent organizational and time-management skills;

§ Capable of operating successfully in your assigned academic field;

§ Familiarity with multimedia information products;

§ Willing and able to travel internationally.

What we offer:

The position will be based in Brill’s Leiden office. Partially working from home maybe possible. This function is evaluated as a grade VIII function and based on prior experience the salary range is between €50.000-62.500 gross annually (Leiden).

We offer attractive salaries as well as a comprehensive benefits package.