Commissioning Editor (2 positions available, Beijing/Shanghai)

Informa is a leading academic publishing, business intelligence, knowledge, and events business, creating unique content and connectivity for customers all over the world. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a member of the FTSE 100.  

Taylor & Francis is one of the world’s largest publishers of high-quality, peer reviewed scholarly journals, books, e-books and reference works. We empower learners, thinkers and doers with trusted knowledge that advances research and enriches lives. We bring together diverse people, ideas and opinions to validate and publish the experts, theories and truths that matter. And we’ve been doing this in an unbroken arc since 1798.  

Our purpose is to foster human progress through knowledge.  We strongly believe that this requires us to encourage and examine different ideas and voices, so that any work that meets our exacting levels of quality deserves to be included in our publications. This requires open minds, the opportunity for robust debate, and the courage to defend perspectives that stand up to scrutiny, even if they conflict with our personal beliefs or values. Because that’s the only way to find the best obtainable version of the truth and, ultimately, foster human progress. If you agree, then we’d love to hear from you

Taylor & Francis are seeking exceptional publishing professionals who can bridge local and global perspectives—individuals with the cultural insight to build trust within China's academic community and the communication skills to collaborate seamlessly with our international teams. These roles will be based in China, reporting into our global commissioning teams, and will play a pivotal role in elevating Taylor & Francis's presence and partnerships across Chinese academic institutions.

We are recruiting for 2 Commissioning Editor roles to join our Commissioning team in China. These roles will commission portfolios of journals in either Science & Technology and Medicine, or Humanities and Social Sciences. The key purpose of the Commissioning Editor role is to commission high-quality article submissions, delivering an ongoing pipeline of published material across a broad range of Taylor & Francis Journals

The commissioning editors will work with Journal editors and publishing teams to commission content globally but with a special focus on strengthening our partnerships and content pipeline within China's dynamic academic research landscape.

Closing date for applications:  29th of May

Applications are shortlisted on a rolling basis, and we will be interviewing alongside advertising. We therefore encourage you to apply at the earliest opportunity.

What you will be doing:

Content Strategy & Development

• Commission high-quality articles across journal portfolios in accordance with strategies and targets passed on by the Head of Commissioning
• With input from relevant stakeholders creates and regularly reviews detailed commissioning plans for journals in their portfolio in order to meet content and development needs of the journals
• Analyse academic fields to identify growth opportunities and emerging trends
• Monitor research developments and market dynamics
• Ensure content meets quality standards and development goals

Stakeholder Management

• Build and maintain strong relationships with:• Editors-in-Chief (EICs)
• Editorial Board members
• Research communities
• Internal teams (e.g. Portfolio managers, wider commissioning team, marketing teams)

• Provide regular progress updates through meetings and reports
• Support and encourage Editors and Editorial Boards in their commissioning activities

Research Community Engagement

• Establish professional presence in assigned subject areas through:• Active networking
• Social media engagement
• Conference attendance

• Build trust and recognition within research communities
• Promote Taylor & Francis publishing benefits

Operational Excellence

• Drive continuous improvement in commissioning processes
• Optimize content quality and operational efficiency

What we are looking for: 

The ideal candidate will have:

• Degree in a relevant field with understanding of academic research and publishing
• Commissioning experience - generating leads/ideas, identifying key opinion leaders
• Fluency in Mandarin and English (written and spoken)
• Excellent relationship management and communication skills - ability to build trust and credibility in Chinese academic circles
• Cultural fluency - deep understanding of Chinese academic culture and ability to navigate both Chinese and international contexts
• Availability and enthusiasm for frequent travel within China for conferences, meetings, and networking events
• Flexibility to work across time zones for global team collaboration 
• Existing networks within Chinese academic communities (highly desirable)

What Sets Successful Candidates Apart:

• Track record of building successful partnerships or business relationships in China
• Experience working in cross-cultural, global organizations
• Understanding of China's research funding landscape and academic priorities
• Passion for elevating Chinese scholarship on the global stage

Skills and Behaviours Required

• Excellent communication skills – written and verbal
• Creativity – problem solving, initiating debate, ensuring ideas are explored and implemented if appropriate
• Curiosity
• Team working
• Drive for results, self-starter
• Time management and ability to prioritise
• Highly organized
• Adaptive- positive approach to change

What we offer in return:

• An excellent work/life balance with a fantastic, flexible working culture
• 20 days (pro-rata for first year) annual leave per year, plus an extra day off for your birthday
• 4 paid volunteering days each year
• Paid sick leave of 14 days
• Social insurance and housing fund plus supplementary medical insurance
• Employee assistance programme – offering 24/7 well-being support
• Performance bonus
• Annual health screening for employee and spouse, optical and medical care

What you should know: 

• This role is open to candidates based in either Beijing or Shanghai. Candidates must have the right to work in China.
• We believe that great things happen when people connect face-to-face. That's why we work in-person with each other, or with customers and partners, three days a week or more. When you’re not spending time together in one of our offices or other workplaces – like at conference – you get the flexibility and support to work from home or remotely.
• The successful candidate will be able to utilise our balanced working model. We ask that candidates live within a commutable distance to either our Beijing office(Cultural Square, Haidian) or Shanghai office(Shui on Plaza, Huang Pu) to ensure that as a balanced worker they can make it to our office location 3 days per week. 
• Relocation support is not provided for this role.
• There are 2 positions available
• A cover letter would be preferred

We want all our candidates to shine in our recruitment process. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to ensure you are able to show us your best self. This could include having the application form in a different format, more time for questions, or anything else – please ask us, we are happy to be flexible! Please contact [email protected]

Being Yourself at Taylor & Francis 

If you’re excited about working with Taylor & Francis to foster human progress through knowledge, we invite you to apply even if your existing skills and experience don’t fit every item listed above. At Taylor & Francis, we are at our best and most successful when colleagues can be themselves and contribute regardless of their identity or background. As a colleague, you will have the opportunity to further innovate and develop in areas that you are passionate about. Our goal is to empower you with the resources, incentives, and flexibility you need to enjoy success at work and to live a healthy, balanced life. 

Taylor & Francis is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We believe in and value diversity of people and thought, fostering a supportive and inclusive environment where all colleagues can learn and succeed as their true selves. Taylor & Francis recruits, develops, and retains colleagues without regard to any protected personal characteristics or other non-merit-based factor. 

If you have a disability, or face another barrier,  and would like to request an adjustment to assist your participation in the hiring process and/or in the advertised position, please contact Ivy Ma. Your request will be reviewed and considered in the strictest confidence.

We genuinely care about our colleagues, promoting work-life balance, wellbeing, and flexible working. We believe that the skills and experience you bring to Taylor & Francis are invaluable. We want you to have the opportunity to develop your abilities, and to innovate and develop in areas which you are passionate about. To find out more about our business and the great career opportunities please go to our Careers Site: http://www.taylorandfrancisgroup.com/careers