Editorial Director

The Jewish Museum:

The Jewish Museum serves people of all religious, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds through world-class art exhibitions ranging from ancient to contemporary. Founded in 1904 and located on New York City's Museum Mile, the Jewish Museum aspires to be the global leader at the center of Jewish culture.

The Museum maintains a unique collection of nearly 30,000 works of art, ceremonial objects, and media reflecting the global Jewish experience over more than 4,000 years. The Museum's thought-provoking, innovative, and intellectually stimulating exhibitions and education programs serve a wide range of audiences, including families, teens, students, educators, and visitors with disabilities. As an identity-based institution, the Museum plays an important role among cultural institutions, challenging all forms of bigotry and discrimination and promoting understanding among wide audiences. The Jewish Museum invites applicants of all backgrounds to consider joining the Museum in its work.

The Jewish Museum is committed to creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for all and to promoting a positive work culture that celebrates difference, challenges prejudice, and ensures fairness. Integrity, collegiality, and excellence are central to the Museum's values. These values, along with an institution-wide commitment to Diversity, Equity, Access & Inclusion (DEAI), are embedded in the Museum's strategic plan and will be the focus of a comprehensive DEAI action plan.

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The Position:

The Editorial Director oversees and manages all aspects of The Jewish Museum’s editorial and publishing activities relating to collections and exhibitions including interpretive materials and scholarly catalogues. Primary responsibilities include strategy and concept development for the Museum’s distinguished publishing platform, including award-winning catalogues and collaborations with leading authors and designers. Bringing a unique set of skills to this critical role, the Editorial Director will have excellent management skills, a passion for books and publishing, background in art and/or cultural histories, and be willing to embrace the collaborative work process that is fundamental to this position. This Editorial Director will oversee a department including an editor and rights and reproductions specialist; they will also be a thoughtful partner with colleagues across divisions, sharing expertise and exchanging dialogue to positively advance the editorial direction of the Museum well into the future.

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Responsibilities Include:

ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES

• Work with chief curator and senior team to visualize a refreshed strategy on publications, including scale and pacing of major books embracing latest thinking on temporary exhibition program and collections.
• Create materials that represent the project (description, preliminary specs, content, authors) for prospective publishers. Review bids and make recommendations to authors, senior deputy director and director on strategy.
• Actively collaborate with publishing partner, Yale University Press, on upcoming titles and further explore mutually beneficial joint ventures between Museum and Yale.
• Oversee publication budgets and provide estimates throughout process; track expenses and sales; predict royalties and works with senior staff to provide a cost-effective product.
• Work with Museum shop director to understand market, demand, and shop orders for publications.
• Negotiate contracts as needed with publisher, authors, and outside contractors.
• Effectively manage and mentor team including Editor and Rights and Reproduction Coordinator.
• Create and closely track internal and external timelines and establish clear deliverables. Maintain and prioritize publishing schedule for Program Division. Work closely with all publication authors to ensure that deadlines are met.

EDITORIAL DUTIES

• Develop manuscript from outline stage to execution; evaluate and edit (with the assistance of contracted editors as needed) earliest drafts of manuscripts; set content and editorial style; evaluate and consult on design; oversee illustration and permission process.
• Consult with designer and production manager, proofread page layouts, review color proofs, and work with printer.
• Manage production stages from copy-editing, working closely with authors, book publisher’s editorial/production staff, freelance designers, copy editors, and proofreaders as needed.
• Oversee preliminary copyediting; create style sheet for book; oversee final copyediting.
• Oversee and edit wall text and labels for exhibitions.
• Work with the staff in Education and Audience Development on exhibition interpretation related to wall texts and object labels and manage the review process for those texts.
• Develop policies and procedures for granting permissions for reprints of Jewish Museum copyrighted material. Oversee granting of such permissions.
• Review and evaluate external publications that accompany traveling exhibitions.
• Review promotional copy for publisher’s catalogue (and jacket copy).

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Requirements:

• Master’s degree in English, art history or related humanities field.
• 5 to 8 years of experience with proven track record in all aspects of editorial management including managerial experience.
• Strong editing and writing skills, including book development, line editing, copyediting, project management, book production, copy writing.
• Familiarity with all aspects of workflow for print and digital publications.
• Demonstrated effectiveness in managing complex editorial projects.
• Ability to manage, coordinate, and complete multiple projects and related deadlines.
• Ability to be strategic and business-minded in creating a museum product.
• Experience with permissions and rights and reproductions.
• Ability to work with diverse text material and partner with authors, curators, educators, publishers, museum staff.
• A collaborative spirit and a positive and diplomatic approach to communication.
• Excellent communication skills, written and oral.