So what does the role entail? 

One of the main jobs for an editor at Nature Communications is reading papers submitted to our journal within your area of expertise. We're assessing the manuscripts to see if, in our editorial opinion, they're sufficiently interesting for our readership and broadly to check if the results support the conclusions. To do this we use our expert knowledge that we bring from our PhD training and critical thinking skills, these are a must for all of our editors. It's our role to champion papers in our areas, all of our editors are passionate about research - this is definitely something we look for during the interview process. We learn about new ideas in the fields that we cover by attending conferences and visiting researchers at their institutions. We're interested in learning about exciting new studies. Of course, this is all largely virtual at the moment.

One question we get asked during interviews is 'what's the best part of being an editor?' We all have slightly different answers but we're all motivated by reading the best science in our areas before it gets published. For me, I also really like helping people, I enjoy facilitating the conversation between authors and reviewers, providing advice to authors on how to revise their papers and still love seeing the final version of a paper published. Our editorial roles are a great way to use the knowledge you have built up in your career to date and also a fantastic way to keep close ties with your scientific community.

What makes a successful applicant?

• You need a PhD, or expect to obtain one very soon, in a relevant subject area
• You need to be passionate about science
• You need to be an excellent 'networker'
• Excellent verbal and written English skills - you don't need to be a native English speaker

What are we looking for at the moment?

We are looking for experts in two areas - cancer therapy  and translational/clinical cancer genomics. 

Please use the links below to apply

Permanent role - translational/clinical genomics

https://career5.successfactors.eu/sfcareer/jobreqcareer?jobId=36563&company=C0001215517P

Locum role - cancer therapy

https://career5.successfactors.eu/sfcareer/jobreqcareer?jobId=36438&company=C0001215517P

The phrase 'locum role' may be unfamiliar to some. This is usually covering a temporary absence from an editorial team and is a fixed term contract. This is a great way to get a flavour of an editorial career and once the fixed term is completed many editors find other 'homes' at Springer Nature. I started as a locum in 2008 and I am still here, I only meant to stay 6 months! I still love reading about cancer research and still get excited by the excellent papers that are submitted to our team.

The closing date is Wednesday 30th of June. We're happy to hear from all interested candidates, do get in touch if you have any questions. You can find out more about our editorial roles on the Springer Nature Editorial and Publishing careers website. 

Do mention me if you apply and please do get in touch if you have questions. Good luck!