Managing Editor at Lapham's Quarterly

December 3, 2021
New York, NY

Lapham’s Quarterly seeks a collegial, highly collaborative managing editor to work closely with the editor, executive editor, and other editorial staff on production of the print magazine and other editorial projects. The ideal candidate will be familiar with Lapham’s Quarterly and its mission, have read widely in history and literature, and have four or more years of editorial experience at a magazine, book publisher, or other relevant venture. In addition to managing the production of the print magazine, the managing editor will be a key collaborator in creating the magazine’s celebrated “Voices in Time” section, which reprints short excerpts from texts—essays, novels, poems, plays, diaries, letters, works of history—that comment on the theme of an issue and range from ancient to contemporary. This is a full-time position, reporting to the executive editor. The job will be based in the magazine’s offices in New York City, which are located on Union Square. 

Key Responsibilities: 

Print Magazine

  • Oversees production of the Quarterly magazine, coordinating with editors, the production director, the art editor, and the printer
  • Maintains a production calendar and works with an editorial team of eight full-time editors to make sure deadlines are met
  • Copyedits all sections of the print magazine, including essays, infographics, maps, and other editorial features
  • Develops copy and design standards; updates and maintains the Quarterly style guide
  • Supervises scheduling of fact-checking and research efforts, working with a Quarterly editor who manages all fact-checking done by staff and freelancers
  • Works with a freelance proofreader and tracks and enters proofreading changes 

Editorial

  • Oversees the research process for the magazine’s “Voices in Time” section, chairing weekly editorial meetings and managing the process of assembling readings for the section
  • Attends all editorial meetings and contributes ideas, knowledge, and expertise, including commissioning essays
  • Writes material for the magazine where needed, including short bios and other copy, to spec and in accordance with the sensibility of the magazine
  • Maintains copy standards and voice and style of the magazine
  • Copyedits newsletters, print communications, and online-only Roundtable posts, as needed
  • Liaises between the print and web teams around issue launches and other projects 

Administrative

  • Supervises permission and reprint requests, managing staff and freelancers who clear permissions for copyrighted material in the magazine, which can include more than fifty previously published extracts
  • Maintains database of contracts for editorial projects
  • Submits and tracks editorial invoices 

Personnel

  • With the executive editor, supports the professional development of editorial staff and interns
  • With another editor, assesses intern applications, interviews candidates, and selects interns
  • Manages one full-time editor, who will be a direct report 

Desired Skills & Qualifications

  • Passion for history and ideas and a familiarity with Lapham’s Quarterly and its mission
  • At least four years of professional editorial experience in magazine or literary publishing, including experience with print production and scheduling
  • Capacity to take on editorial projects large and small
  • Excellent copyediting skills; thorough knowledge of The Chicago Manual of Style and the ability to maintain house style and the editorial voice of the magazine
  • Ability to manage several projects at once and communicate deadlines effectively
  • Extensive knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite
  • Familiarity with Adobe Creative Suite, especially InCopy and InDesign
  • Applicants should be highly organized, detail-oriented, comfortable with technology, and able to manage complex production schedules. While Lapham’s Quarterly is a collaborative environment, applicants should be self-driven and able to work independently. 

The American Agora Foundation is an equal-opportunity employer. Candidates of color are strongly encouraged to apply. Benefits include twenty-five vacation days, twelve public holidays, and employer-paid health, dental, and vision insurance. Salary will be competitive and commensurate with experience. 

About Lapham’s Quarterly

Established in 2007 by former Harper’s Magazine editor Lewis H. Lapham, Lapham’s Quarterly (www.laphamsquarterly.org) embodies the belief that historical consciousness is an asset a democratic republic can ill afford to lose, that history is the root of all education—social and scientific; spiritual, political, and economic. Lapham’s Quarterly is a project of the American Agora Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Lapham’s Quarterly has an annual operating budget of approximately $3 million, of which approximately half is raised from circulation and sales and half from private donors and foundations. 

To apply, please send a cover letter, résumé, and salary expectations to [email protected] by January 3, 2022.