Administrative Assistant - Editor

Harris-Stowe State University Administrative Assistant/Manuscript Editor

Harris-Stowe State University is a historically Black institution (HBCU) located in the heart of vibrant mid-town St. Louis, Missouri. Harris-Stowe's beautiful campus is minutes from the renowned Gateway Arch, St. Louis Zoo, St. Louis Art and History Museums, Forest Park, and other cultural and educational institutions. Harris-Stowe's diverse faculty and staff provide a wide range of academic programs to one of the St. Louis region's most culturally diverse student bodies.

Job Summary:

We are seeking a meticulous administrative assistant/manuscript editor to assist in preparing research manuscripts and written media for publication. The focus will be on studies investigating the generational and gestational effects of light pollution on pregnancy. The person in this position will also be tasked with maintaining the mini-articles of the lab to be placed in the media for the promotion of the lab and communications between the lab members and stake holders. This is a limited-time position funded by a grant. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in scientific writing and editing.

Essential Functions:

Strategic Leadership

• Establish a brand for the lab within the academic space
• Manage the submission process to academic journals.
• Stay abreast of industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices in neurobiology.

Program Development and Management

• Work closely with researchers to refine and improve manuscript drafts.
• Assist in the preparation of figures, tables, and references.

Quality Assurance

• Edit and proofread research manuscripts for clarity, grammar, and scientific accuracy.
• Ensure manuscripts adhere to journal guidelines and formatting requirements.
• Maintain and store the manuscripts and data for future use.

Faculty Support and Development

• Assist in the preparation of laboratory reports and presentations.
• Provide guidance and support to senior faculty and undergraduate researchers in the development and delivery of all aspects of the grant.
• Other duties as indicated by the PI of the grant.

Minimum Education and Experience :

• Bachelor's degree in English, Journalism, Biology, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.
• Strong attention to detail and excellent grammar skills.
• Familiarity with academic publishing standards and guidelines.
• Proven experience in scientific editing and writing.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Excellent communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Excellent grant writing skills.
• Works well with EndNote, Trello, Canva and Office 365.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Knowledge

• Scientific Writing and Editing : Knowledge of scientific writing, particularly in the field of neuroscience or neurobiology. Familiarity with academic publishing standards, peer-reviewed journal requirements, and manuscript submission processes.
• Neurological Terminology : Understanding of neurological terminology, key concepts, and methodologies. Familiarity with common neuroscience topics, such as brain structure, neural pathways, and experimental methods like neuroimaging and electrophysiology.
• Citation and Reference Management : Knowledge of citation styles commonly used in scientific publications (e.g., APA, Chicago, AMA), and experience with reference management software such as EndNote, Zotero, or Mendeley.
• Publishing Platforms : Familiarity with manuscript submission platforms like Elsevier Editorial System, ScholarOne, or other journal-specific submission portals. Understanding of the stages of manuscript submission, peer review, revision, and acceptance.
• Ethical Guidelines and Compliance : Knowledge of ethical guidelines for scientific research, including authorship criteria, conflict of interest disclosures, and plagiarism checks. Familiarity with Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) requirements for ethical research.
• Project Management : Basic understanding of project management principles, especially for handling multiple manuscript drafts, timelines, and deadlines. Knowledge of time management techniques to ensure smooth project workflows.
• Basic Neuroscience Concepts : Familiarity with foundational neuroscience concepts to understand and follow the content of the manuscripts, including neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, and common experimental techniques in the field.

Skills

• Administrative Coordination : Proficiency in handling administrative tasks such as scheduling meetings, coordinating with research teams, and managing correspondence with journal editors and collaborators. Experience in organizing documents and maintaining accurate records.
• Writing and Editing : Strong skills in scientific writing and editing. Ability to refine drafts, ensure clarity, and check for grammatical accuracy, coherence, and consistency in language. Skill in editing complex scientific content to improve readability and quality.
• Manuscript Formatting : Experience in formatting manuscripts according to specific journal guidelines, including organizing sections, preparing figures, tables, and supplemental materials, and ensuring correct use of citations and references.
• Collaboration and Communication : Excellent communication skills to liaise between researchers, co-authors, and editors. Ability to work with research teams, clarify feedback, and manage manuscript revisions based on reviewers' comments.
• Time Management : Strong organizational skills and the ability to handle multiple manuscripts and administrative tasks simultaneously. Skilled at prioritizing tasks, meeting deadlines, and ensuring that the manuscript submission and revision process runs smoothly.
• Attention to Detail : Meticulous attention to detail when reviewing manuscripts, checking for consistency in terminology, accuracy of references, adherence to journal guidelines, and formatting standards.
• Software Proficiency : Strong skills in using Microsoft Office Suite (especially Word for manuscript preparation), Google Docs, and other document management tools. Proficiency with manuscript submission software and collaboration platforms (e.g., Slack, Trello, Asana).
• Data Organization : Skill in organizing and managing data files, figures, tables, and supplemental materials associated with manuscripts. Ability to ensure that all data used in publications is presented clearly and accurately.

Abilities

• Adaptability : Ability to quickly adapt to different journal requirements and submission systems. Comfortable learning new software, tools, and processes as required by different scientific publishing platforms.
• Understanding Scientific Content : The ability to understand, interpret, and summarize scientific content, especially in the field of neurology or neuroscience. Capable of following complex research narratives and translating scientific findings into clear and concise language.
• Collaborative Problem Solving : Ability to work collaboratively with researchers and co-authors to solve problems that may arise during the manuscript preparation process, such as clarifying data points, addressing reviewer comments, or resolving formatting issues.
• Professional Discretion : Ability to handle sensitive research data and information with discretion. Ensuring confidentiality and adhering to ethical standards in the preparation and submission of scientific manuscripts.
• Proactive and Self-Motivated : Strong ability to work independently, take initiative, and proactively follow up on tasks to ensure manuscripts are progressing through the submission and revision stages without delay.
• Process Management : Ability to manage and track the manuscript's progress through different stages (drafting, editing, review, and revision) while keeping all stakeholders informed of deadlines and upcoming tasks.
• Multi-Tasking and Prioritization : Ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously while prioritizing the most critical tasks, such as finalizing a manuscript for submission or addressing immediate feedback from reviewers.

Supervisory Responsibility :

None

Physical Requirements :

• Must be able to exert up to 10 pounds of force occasionally, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to lift, carry, push, and pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body
• Light Work usually requires walking or standing to a signification degree

Working Conditions and Environment :

• Work is routinely performed in a typical interior/office environment
• Very limited or no exposure to physical risk

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