Managing Editor

Description

The National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) is seeking an experienced Managing Editor to lead the delivery of high-quality print and digital educational content. This role combines editorial leadership, people management, project oversight, and cross-functional coordination. The ideal candidate is a skilled editor and collaborative manager who can improve workflows, manage competing priorities, and guide content from development through final publication.

NCCER is looking for a strategic, pragmatic, and detail-oriented editorial leader with strong copyediting, project management, communication, and team development skills. They excel at managing direct reports, balancing multiple priorities, improving workflows, maintaining high-quality editorial standards, and building productive relationships across teams, vendors, and stakeholders.

As the NCCER Managing Editor, your skills will help us deliver educational materials used around the world to train construction craft professionals at high schools, vocational schools, colleges, and construction training centers.

Key Responsibilities:

1) Editorial Planning and Delivery

• Oversee content through the full editorial and production lifecycle, from manuscript development to final print and digital publication.
• Manage daily editorial operations across multiple concurrent projects.
• Develop editorial plans, assign work, ensure proper resourcing, help establish deadlines, and monitor editorial progress.
• Coordinate handoffs and deliverables across print and digital production lifecycles.
• Facilitate resolutions for technical queries and conflicting feedback appropriately.
• Keep project managers and leadership informed of editorial progress, risks, and issues.
• Monitor publishing and education trends to identify relevant opportunities.

2) People, Freelancer, and Vendor Management

• Line manage, train, support, and develop in-house editorial staff.
• Set performance expectations and conduct regular evaluations.
• Monitor workloads to ensure appropriate capacity.
• Facilitate team meetings focused on project priorities, progress, and risk identification.
• Coordinate freelance editors and vendors and ensure deliverablesmeet specifications.
• Collaborate with the Senior Manager and Project Manager to request contractor SOWs and ensure invoices are processed in a timely manner.
• Address and resolve editorial team concerns and project challenges.

3) Editing and Quality Control

• Copyedit manuscripts, storyboards, PowerPoints, and other ancillary materials for accuracy, clarity, consistency, and quality.
• Review page proofs
• Ensure content complies with approved style guides, editorial standards, and project requirements.
• Review editors’ work product to ensure quality, clarity, and style are to in-house standards.
• Oversee content quality by maintaining standards for accuracy, accessibility, consistency, copyright requirements, and audience appropriateness across print and digital formats.
• Apply knowledge of copyright, permissions, fact-checking, source attribution, and editorial ethics throughout the content development process.
• Demonstrate knowledge of accessibility principles and inclusive language to create curriculum that meets the needs of diverse learners and audiences.  
• Provide final editorial approval before publication.

4) Workflow and Operational Management

• Develop, refine, and implement editorial policies, procedures, and quality-control practices.
• Evaluate and adopt tools and technologies that improve editorial efficiency and content management.
• Review editorial metrics and operational data to evaluate and improve quality, capacity planning, schedule performance, and process effectiveness.
• Collaborate with project managers to help track scopes of work, invoices, schedules, and vendor deliverables.

5) Cross-functional Collaboration

• Coordinate with internal teams, including Technical Writing, Learning Experience, Permissions, Design, Production, and other stakeholders.
• Liaise cross-functionally with other departments, such as Digital Learning and Test Development.
• Manage clear and timely handoffs among teams, departments, vendors, and publishing partners.
• Build productive relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, publishing, education, or related field.
• At least five (5) years of relevant experience in publishing, editorial management, or publishing project management, including experience in a mid-to-senior editorial role.
• At least two (2) years of people management experience.
• Excellent written, verbal, organizational, and stakeholder-management skills.
• Strong editing and proofreading skills, with knowledge of The Chicago Manual of Style and in-house style guides.
• Demonstrated success managing editorial projects, deadlines, and multiple priorities.
• Experience managing employees, freelancers, and vendors.
• Strong knowledge of print and digital production workflows.
• Ability to lead collaboratively, make sound decisions, and perform effectively under tight deadlines.

Preferred Experience

• Experience in educational publishing or EdTech.
• Knowledge of teaching and learning methodologies.
• Experience improving editorial workflows, policies, and content strategies.
• Ability to assess content performance and use findings to guide improvements.
• Familiarity with WCAG 2.2 AA is a plus.

Software Skills

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Teams and SharePoint.
• Knowledge of Smartsheet, including schedules, dashboards, reports, and resource management.
• Familiarity with Confluence or similar knowledge management platforms is a plus.
• Knowledge of CMS, LMS, and DAM systems is a plus.
• Familiarity with XML-based publishing is a plus.

NCCER is an equal opportunity employer. No one shall be denied employment or opportunity based on race or color, sex, age, national origin, religion, physical or mental disability, veteran’s status, marital status, gender identity or sexual orientation. NCCER also provides reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities and bona fide religious beliefs, provided that such accommodation does not constitute an undue hardship on the Company.