A new journal is seeking a motivated, innovative, detail-oriented, and energized managing editor. We are looking for candidates who are excited to be a part of something new and ambitious that speaks to both policymakers and scholars.
About the Journal
The Texas National Security Review is a joint effort by War on the Rocks and the University of Texas System launching this year. This print and online journal will be dedicated to publishing articles relevant to national security policy from a broad range of disciplinary perspectives. It will be relevant and accessible to policymakers, scholars, and the educated public; credible and rigorous from a scholarly perspective; and truly multi-disciplinary. Each print issue (quarterly in the first two years) will combine scholarly and practitioner contributions.
About the Position
This full-time, Washington, DC-based position will report directly to the CEO of War on the Rocks, who will serve as the journal’s publisher.
The managing editor will also work very closely and regularly with the University of Texas leadership team as well as scholars, policymakers, and strategists across the globe. While based in Washington, this position will require quarterly travel to Austin, Texas.
This job is not for those who need a tame, 9-5 professional experience. It will be demanding and fast-paced. It will require a commitment beyond normal hours of business and an entrepreneurial mindset. The ideal candidate will be ambitious for influence while being able and eager to compete in a crowded marketplace.
Pay and compensation are competitive.
Experience
Strong candidates will be those interested in committing to a non-traditional career path that bridges the academy and policymaking.
Candidates will be expected to have a strong record in international relations, security studies, strategic studies, and/or history. The most competitive candidates will have a PhD. This must include familiarity with the relevant academic literature, ideally through PhD training. The ideal candidate will have strong cross-disciplinary credentials.
A record of policy experience – in civilian government service, think tanks, or a combination of these – is highly desirable as is military service. A successful candidate will be conversant in historical and ongoing strategic debates in the United States.
The ideal candidate will have sustained editorial experience either with a journal, a policy-oriented publication (online or print), or both as well as experience as a published author.
A successful candidate will have experience managing non-academic projects, processes, and people. A discipline for hard deadlines, not normally found among academics, is a must.
Skills
A successful candidate will combine excellent attention to detail with enterprising and visionary creativity.
Any successful candidate will need exceptional writing and editing skills of the sort not typically provided by academic training. This position demands the ability to work collaboratively as a part of a small team in a fluid and unpredictable start-up environment.
A strong candidate must also be able to work independently with minimal supervision at times. The ability to efficiently multitask/concurrently manage short, medium, and long-term projects is necessary.
This position will also demand regular interaction with senior academics, policymakers, strategists, and their staffs, to include some challenging personalities.
Application Instructions
Please send a cover letter and resume (both as PDF files) along with a long-form academic and short-form policy writing sample (one of each, as Word documents) to editor@warontherocks.com with TNSR MANAGING EDITOR APPLICATION in the subject line. The cover letter should explain why you are the best person for the job. Please also explain what drives you as a professional and include an amusing story about yourself.
Please also include two academic and one non-academic references in the body of the email, complete with contact information for these people (phone number and email address).
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
