JCMS Administration Assistant

7 hours per week

12-month contract

£13.15 per hour (London Living Wage)

UACES (the University Association for Contemporary European Studies) is looking for a proactive and motivated Administration Assistant to assist the editors of its flagship journal, JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies.

The Administration Assistant for JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies will work closely with the JCMS Editors and UACES on facilitating the efficient administration of the peer review and publication process at the journal. This will working with the ScholarOne manuscript submission system to ensure an efficient peer review process; responding to or forwarding author, production team, and reviewer queries; assisting with the issue production process; supporting guest editors for Special Issues and Symposia; and collating information and producing reports for editorial decision-making from various sources. The role is part-time and will be for a fixed-term contract of 12 months initially.

The work is flexible and the successful candidate will be able and willing to manage their own time to the best effect each week.

The Administration Assistant will report to the UACES Executive Director.

About UACES

UACES is the global membership organisation for academics and students working in the field of European Studies. It is also a registered charity. We have over 1000 members and work to support them through organising events and conferences, publishing their research in our journals (JCMS and CEP) and providing grants and funding.

About the Journal

JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies is a leading multidisciplinary journal that publishes high quality and accessible articles advancing debates in European and comparative regionalism studies. JCMS seeks to reach beyond the traditional grounding of the field, which focuses on the politics European Integration.

For over 50 years, JCMS has been the forum for meaningful discussions about European politics, drawing on the research of and/or challenge boundaries within the field. JCMS thus has the scope to examine a broad set of research questions.

Main duties:

Working with the UACES Executive Director to ensure that the editors of JCMS are able to conduct their editorial duties effectively. This will include:

• Monitoring the ScholarOne manuscript submission system to ensure a timely review process;
• Monitoring JCMS email and responding to/forwarding queries where relevant;
• Preparing issue running order and ‘Thank You’ to reviewer notes for editorial review;
• Collating information for editorial decision-making, e.g. in relation to the Special Issue and article competitions;
• Supporting Special Issue and Symposia guest editors on logistical issues;
• Preparing reports on key journal statistics/other issues;
• Assisting staff in the UACES office with other tasks as required.

Person Specification:

We are looking for someone who has the following skills and competencies. This list is desirable, not essential.

Full training can be given where there are gaps in your knowledge:

• Excellent communicator with good command of the English language
• A strong understanding of current affairs in the European Union and Europe more generally
• Able to work remotely and manage your own time effectively
• General administrative experience
• A friendly and proactive attitude
• Ability to establish good relations with colleagues and stakeholders

As an employee of UACES, you will be entitled to:

• 6.5 days paid annual leave per year
• Optional enrolment into the NEST pension scheme (you pay in 5%, we put in 10%)
• Flexible working hours – you can choose how you spread the 7 hours work across each week

If you would like to have an informal chat about the role, please contact Emily Linnemann (+4420 45244291).

To apply for the role, please send us a CV and a cover letter outlining clearly the ways in which you fit the person specification and any relevant experience which you may have. Applications should be sent to admin@uaces.org.

The deadline for applications is 16 November 2023. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to (virtual) interviews in late November.

UACES is also willing to discuss contracting this role to someone who is not based in the UK. In this instance, you would not be a direct employee of UACES, but we would draw up an appropriate freelance contract and you would invoice us for your time. You would then be responsible for any tax or social security payments due in the country in which you live and/or work. You would not be entitled to the employee benefits listed above.