Executive Editor

Executive Editor - Permanent - £64,850 - £72,964

Join us and be part of a mission-driven, independent publisher. You’ll work with a diverse group of people who share a passion for empowering researchers, educators, and institutions to shape the future.

About Sage:

Sage is a global academic publisher of books, journals, and library resources with a growing range of technologies to enable discovery, access, and engagement. Believing that research and education are critical in shaping society, Sara Miller McCune founded Sage in 1965. Today, we are controlled by a group of trustees charged with maintaining our independence and mission indefinitely. 

Our guaranteed independence means we’re free to:

• Do more – supporting an equitable academic future, furthering disciplines that drive social change, and helping social and behavioural science make an impact

• Work together – building lasting relationships, championing diverse perspectives, and co-creating resources to transform teaching and learning

• Think long-term – experimenting, taking risks, and investing in new idea

About our Team:

We’re responsible for shaping the strategic direction, editorial vision, and long-term growth of Sage’s Open Access journals.

We’re an ambitious group with a shared commitment to innovation. We experiment, iterate, and challenge assumptions to ensure our journals remain at the forefront of open research.

We work closely with a range of teams, all united by a mission to deliver exceptional author and reviewer experiences while advancing the future of open science.

Could you be our new Executive Editor? Are you?

• An MD or PhD in medical/biomedical sciences with prior journals publishing experience, preferably on Mega journals or other very broad scope, high volume titles.

• Experienced in shaping editorial strategy across open access Mega journals, with evidence of delivering measurable growth or innovation.

• Confident in driving journal performance through improving quality, exposure, audience reach, and economic results through commissioning and peer review decisions.

• Skilled at keeping up to date with market trends and turning insights into successful publishing initiatives that keep journals competitive and relevant.

• A natural collaborator and ambassador, able to build strong relationships and represent positively in the wider industry.

• Proactive in leading cross departmental projects, improving processes and systems to support strategic goals.

• Committed to developing others, with experience supervising and/or mentoring editorial colleagues to build inclusive, high performing teams.

• Financially astute, with a track record of managing budgets and aligning expenditure with strategic priorities.

• An excellent communicator, confident in influencing, presenting, and engaging with diverse participants across the publishing community.

Your new role:

We are seeking an Executive Editor to provide strategic, commercial and editorial leadership across four established, high-volume Gold Open Access STM journals— Science Progress, International Journal of Medical Research, SAGE Open Medicine, and SAGE Open Medical Case Reports . This role is accountable for accelerating the growth, impact and financial sustainability of these “mega” journals, translating editorial strategy into scalable submission, publication and revenue growth. Working in close partnership with SAGE’s commercial, marketing, data and operations teams, the Executive Editor will shape compelling value propositions for authors, institutions and funders, optimise portfolio performance, and ensure rigorous research quality and integrity underpin a thriving, globally competitive OA business.

• Shape editorial strategy globally by collaborating with Scientific Editors and associated teams, driving progress and growth for our STM Mega journals portfolio.

• Manage a team of Scientific Editors and Publishing Editors that support the STM Mega journals portfolio.

• Grow journal impact and performance by improving quality, visibility, market share, and financial outcomes, including commissioning content and overseeing peer review decisions.

• Anticipate and respond to market trends, ensuring SAGE’s editorial strategy remains innovative, competitive, and aligned with researcher needs.

• Act as a trusted ambassador by building strong relationships across SAGE and with external partners, representing the department positively within the wider publishing community.

• Lead cross-departmental projects that improve processes, systems, and operations, contributing to the delivery of SAGE’s strategic goals.

• Support and develop colleagues by supervising others, fostering growth, collaboration, and an inclusive team culture.

• Manage budgets effectively, ensuring editorial and travel expenditure is aligned with strategic priorities and delivers value.

Overview of benefits:

• 25 days annual leave (plus bank holidays) with 2 additional floating personal days.

• Hybrid working up to 2 days per week in office and a home working allowance.

• Life assurance, income protection, and travel insurance.

• Private medical cover and access to the company doctor.

• Tuition scheme and support for pursuing professional qualifications, including access to Sage books and journals.

• Variety of snacks and beverages available in the office.

• Healthy lifestyle reimbursement and anniversary trips.

• Access to Company loans (season ticket loan, rental deposit loan, cycle loan).

We’re a Disability Confident Employer (Level 1). If you’d like to apply under this scheme, please let us know in your application.

We’re committed to making our recruitment process accessible and inclusive. If you’d like to request reasonable adjustments, please email [email protected] . Please note we only accept applications via email if an adjustment has been agreed.

Closing date for applications: Sunday 4th January 2026

To ensure we can give each application the attention it deserves, we may consider bringing the closing date forward. Therefore, we encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible to ensure it is considered.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

At Sage, we are committed to building a diverse and inclusive team and to sustaining a culture that celebrates diversity, encourages authenticity, and builds a deep sense of belonging. We encourage applications from all members of society irrespective of age, disability, sex or gender identity, sexual orientation, colour, race, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion, or belief as crafting value through diversity is what makes us strong.