Freelance Managing Editor -History

Editage, the flagship brand of CACTUS, provides translation and editorial services to help ESL (English-as-a-second-language) researchers communicate their science effectively to the global research community.
About the job
One of our prestigious publisher clients is looking for project-based Managing Editors support to ensure timely, high-quality editorial decisions across a portfolio of journals. In this role, candidates will need to make independent, post-peer review decisions, uphold journal standards, and collaborate closely with internal teams to maintain throughput and quality. Manuscripts will be assigned as required, allowing for flexibility around commitments.
We are specifically seeking candidates with a PhD specializing in History, having 3-5 years of research experience, and currently involved in research/academia as a researcher, lecturer, or professor.
Job Responsibilities
Assess the suitability of submitted manuscripts and, following peer review, issue initial revision decisions (minor/major) and final (accept/reject) decisions.
Evaluate the quality and relevance of peer-review reports and determine when additional review is warranted for borderline or complex cases.
Synthesize reviewer feedback into coherent editorial decisions that uphold the journal's reputation through rigorous editorial standards.
Provide clear, constructive decision letters to authors explaining revision requirements and expectations for resubmissions, whilst maintaining a professional tone in all author correspondence.
Issue and evaluate revision requests on original submissions, determining whether author responses adequately address reviewer comments.
Ensure consistency in decision-making across original and revised submissions throughout the appointment.
Collaborate with the Publisher, Desk Editors, and Reviewer Selection Support primarily via email and other asynchronous channels.
Attend scheduled regular check-in meetings with the Publisher to provide updates on manuscript processing and any challenges encountered.
Decision turnaround: complete all manuscript decisions within a maximum of 5 business days from assignment.
Response times: respond to queries and communications within 2 business days.
Provide KPI reporting and periodic performance updates.
Participate in reviews to assess delivery against KPIs and implement corrective and preventive actions where needed.
Qualifications and Prerequisites:
PhD, specialized in History
Active or recently active researchers, or professionals currently working in academia as professors or lecturers, with a minimum of 3-5 publications in the last 5 years.
Publications should be primarily in English.
Must have at least 2 publications in the last 2 years.
Publications should not have a retraction note or expressions of concern related to authorship disputes, plagiarism, or research misconduct.
Should be either the first or the last author on the publications.
Should have prior experience as an invited peer reviewer for a journal or as a journal editor.
Should have working knowledge of an editorial management system (ScholarOne, EM, SNAPP, REX, etc.) [Preferred]
Benefits of the role
Flexibility: Set your own work hours to match your lifestyle.
If you are among the qualified candidates, one of our recruiters will email you with further details.
Benefits of the role
Flexibility: Set your own work hours to match your lifestyle.
If you are among the qualified candidates, one of our recruiters will email you with further details.
About CACTUS
Established in 2002, Cactus Communications ([protected info]) is a leading technology company that specializes in expert services and AI-driven products which improve how research gets funded, published, communicated, and discovered. Its flagship brand Editage offers a comprehensive suite of researcher solutions, including expert services and cutting-edge AI products like Mind the Graph, Paperpal, and R Discovery. With offices in Princeton, London, Singapore, Beijing, Shanghai, Seoul, Tokyo, and Mumbai and a global workforce of over 3,000 experts, CACTUS is a pioneer in workplace best practices and has been consistently recognized as a great place to work.
Awards and Recognition
Employers of the Future, 2024
Excellence in Employer Branding (Gold), 2024
ISO 17100 certification for translation services, 2024
Future of Workplace Disruptor, 2023
Top 100 Companies for Remote Jobs (Ranked #14), 2023
Three-star "Eruboshi" certification, 2023
India's Best WorkplacesTM for Women (Top 100), 2022
Quartz's Best Companies for Remote Workers, 2022
HR Asia's Best Companies to Work for in Asia, 2021