The Social Policy Association (SPA) invites applications for the Chair of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Social Policy (JSP), to run for a period of five years from January 2025 – December 2029. JSP is a journal of the UK Social Policy Association, published by Cambridge University Press (CUP).
Job description:
The Chair should demonstrate an enthusiasm and support for the journal’s aims and its distinctive position within the field of social policy publishing. The Chair is expected to act at all times in the best interests of the journal. The Chair will be expected to be a paid-up member of the SPA for the duration of her/his role in office, have knowledge of JSP and of its distinctiveness as a social policy journal, and keep abreast of journal developments and wider trends in the field of social policy publishing. The normal term of office is five years.
S/he will participate in all activities related to the smooth running and continued success of the Journal:
● Keeping in regular contact and liaison with the SPA Executive Committee (notably via the SPA Chair as ex-officio member of the journal Editorial Board and via the Executive’s publications officer), CUP and the Editors;
● Providing the Editors with advice and support on matters of journal policy and practice as needed;
● Providing balanced and impartial judgment on issues of contention that may arise;
● Ensure journal governance and policy are consistently adhered to;
● Sustaining collegial, inclusive and professional relations among the Editorial Board members, addressing issues arising;
● Working at all times to maintain the highest levels of academic excellence, professional integrity, inclusivity and transparency in the running of the journal and the Editorial Board.
The principal responsibilities of the Chair of the Editorial Board are:
1. To Chair the Journal’s Editorial Board Meetings, which are held in January and July each year.
2. To oversee the process of recruiting new Editors to the Journal, in consultation with the Editorial Board, SPA and CUP.
3. To oversee the recruitment of new members to the International Advisory Board
The Chair can act to support the continued success of the journal by, for example,
● promoting awareness of the journal through her/his networks;
● encouraging submissions to the journal;
● identifying risks and opportunities facing the journal and leading the development of an appropriate response to them;
● ensuring journal governance, policy and practice remain consistent with the standards of a successful international journal, addressing issues that surface in a timely way.
Further information
The Chair of the Editorial Board of JSP is expected to chair two Editorial Board meetings each year, one in January, usually held online, and the other at the SPA annual conference.
While the official start date is January 2025, it is expected that the successful candidate will shadow the existing Chair of the Editorial Board for a period of 6 months (from July 2024) to ensure a smooth handover.
Application process:
Applications are invited from individuals based at UK universities, or at universities outside of the UK where the applicant is an established member of the SPA and a regular attender of the SPA annual conference. Applicants should provide the following:
· A full CV.
· A personal statement of no more than one page setting out why you would make a good Chair. Please say what you can bring to the journal in terms of, for example, your experience of working on other journals, your areas of social policy expertise, your established networks and so on. For non-UK based applicants, we would expect to see evidence of prior engagement with the SPA and a long-term commitment to the association and its values.
Application deadline:
Applications should be sent by email and attachment to the current Chair of the Editorial Board, Chris Holden, chris.holden@york.ac.uk, by 5pm Friday 17th May 2024.
Applications will be shortlisted by a joint committee of the JSP Editorial Board and the SPA Executive Committee, and subject to consideration by the full SPA Executive Committee. Interested parties are invited to contact the current Chair of the Editorial Board for informal discussion about the role.