Commissioning Editor at HSRC

• We are looking for an experienced, well-networked Commissioning Editor to build and steward a compelling, balanced publishing list in the humanities and social sciences. This is a rare opportunity to occupy a genuinely strategic role at the intersection of scholarship, policy, and societal impact — working with HSRC researchers, independent authors, and a global network of collaborators, as well as with our independent Editorial Board. The ideal candidate brings deep subject knowledge, publishing acumen, entrepreneurial energy, and digital publishing know-how to a role that spans both traditional and open access publishing workflows. This is a permanent position, based in the HSRC’s Pretoria office. The successful candidate is expected to begin tenure on 01 October 2026.

Minimum Requirements    

• Have proven experience in commissioning, and publishing (preferably in humanities and social science scholarship from Africa and the global South).
• Have solid project management skills, with ability to deliver high-quality content on time and within budget.
• Have public-purpose benefit awareness and ability to align publishing initiatives with the HSRC’s strategic objectives including open access publishing.
• Be analytical with experience gathering and applying customer, market, and competitor insights.
• Have excellent communication and relationship-building skills with authors, reviewers, and stakeholders.
• Be able to negotiate and manage contracts under guidance.
• Have experience using Generative AI including proactive use of technology and digital tools to enhance productivity and workflows.
• Be highly organised, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple priorities independently while escalating key issues as needed.
• Maintain accurate records and detailed reporting on project progress.
• Adhere to company policies and protocols, notably systems and administration.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Relevant Masters degree (NQF level 9) qualification in publishing studies or a cognate field will be advantageous.
• A minimum of 5 years relevant experience in publishing
• Excellent English language skills, both written and spoken.
• Bilingual in one South African language other than English would be advantageous.
• An ability to work under pressure and to meet deadlines.
• Knowledge of the publishing industry is a requisite.
• Good understanding of the open access publishing; the South African research accreditation system and the publishing dynamics in Africa and the Global South.

Attributes:

• Displays subject expertise and scholarly judgement.
• Market awareness and strategic acumen for list development.
• Organisational drive and entrepreneurial energy.
• Strong professional network and author relationships.
• Works accurately and effectively under pressure

Duties & Responsibilities    

• Commissioning, acquiring and managing new content across the humanities and social science disciplines, ensuring quality and timely delivery;
• Working closely with the publishing director to identify new authors, new editions and new titles to meet commissioning target outputs;
• Building business cases and collaborating with authors, reviewers, and stakeholders to deliver sustainable scholarly products
• Managing the end-to-end commissioning process, including budgets, contracts, timelines, and quality standards.
• Contributing to licensing agreement negotiations, book subvention negotiations, and subsidiary rights licensing, to meet income and publishing targets.
• Conducting market and competitor research to inform commissioning decisions and product development for digital and open access formats.
• Supporting editorial, sales and marketing initiatives by gathering customer feedback and contributing to go-to-market activities such as academic conferences, book launches, book festivals and webinars.
• Implementing digital workflows including approved AI tools to enhance editorial workflows, handovers and marketing information.