Executive Director and Publisher

Background:

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press is a division of the Laboratory, a publisher of high-quality scientific content that advances biomedical research. Its portfolio includes highly regarded research and review journals and books for audiences ranging from professionals to the public. The Press was formally established in 1988, building upon notable book publishing activity at the Laboratory since 1934.

Founded in 1890, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) is located on the north shore of Long Island, approximately 30 miles east of New York City. CSHL is a private, not-for-profit institution with a storied history in the fields of molecular biology and genetics. Research discoveries in cancer, neuroscience, genomics, and plant biology have helped revolutionize the detection and treatment of many human diseases and the progress of agricultural science. In addition to research, the Laboratory has five divisions dedicated to aspects of science education and communication, of which CSHL Press is one.

Led by President and CEO Dr Bruce Stillman, a biochemist and cancer researcher, CSHL is ranked as one of the world's leading research and education centers as well as one of Long Island's top workplaces, employing 1,000 people, including 600 scientific research staff and 250 professionals in scientific education and communication.

The Mission of CSHL Press:

The mission of CSHL Press is to create trusted, high-quality publications and services that help biomedical scientists succeed and assist the broad dissemination of biological knowledge. The Press is highly valued for its effectiveness in supporting the research community, its contributions to the financial health of CSHL, and its reputation for innovation in the communication of science.

Among notable successes at the Press are:
* The creation of leading journals in the fields of molecular cellular biology (Genes & Development) and genome science (Genome Research) and management of their ongoing transition to open access publishing
* A 20-year partnership with the RNA Society for the strategic development, growth and publication of the Society's journal RNA
* The transformation of an iconic, print-based laboratory manual publishing program into a highly successful online subscription-based protocols journal
* The transformation of its renowned print monograph series into two highly cited subscriptionbased online review journals
* The continued success and profitability of its print and e-book publishing program amid significant changes and challenges in book publishing, especially in STEM fields
* Partnership with two leading not-for-profit publishers, EMBO Press and Rockefeller University Press to create the successful gold open access journal Life Science Alliance
* The launch and development of the game-changing preprint servers bioRxiv and medRxiv as well as their evolution into an independent, not-for-profit organization, openRxiv

The Position:

The Laboratory is seeking a successor to the long-serving founding Executive Director and Publisher of CSHL Press.

The key responsibilities of this position are:

* Strategic Leadership: Developing and executing a forward-thinking publishing strategy, including new product development, that enhances the Press' impact, reputation, and financial contributions to the Laboratory
* Portfolio Management: Overseeing the publication of journals, books, and digital products, ensuring excellence, innovation, adherence to ethical standards, and community responsiveness
* Team Leadership: Inspiring, mentoring, and managing a talented, experienced team of editors, production specialists, and marketing, advertising, and finance professionals
* Partnerships: Building and maintaining strong relationships with authors, editors, as well as institutional and organizational partners
* Financial Oversight: Managing budgets, driving revenue growth, and ensuring continued financial success
* Innovation: Leading the assessment and appropriate implementation of new publishing models and evolving technologies
* Commissioning Journal Content: Recruiting prominent scientists for the successful review journals Perspectives in Biology and Perspectives in Medicine to assemble topic contributors and edit authoritative collections of articles on important research fields
* Book Acquisition: Soliciting book proposals from appropriate authors and evaluating unsolicited proposals and manuscript submissions
* Reporting and representation: Providing updates to the Laboratory's leadership and Board of Trustees on all aspects of progress at the Press, and representing the Press in interactions and collaborations with other divisions of the Laboratory and in the community of scholarly publishers.

Reporting and Collaboration Relationships
The Executive Director of CSHL Press reports to the President and CEO of CSHL on strategy and on operational issues works closely with the Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Human Resources Officer, General Counsel and Chief Information Officer. The Executive Director also collaborates with heads of other divisions, members of the research faculty, and the Chair of the Education Committee of the Board of Trustees.

The ideal candidate will have:
* A Ph.D. in biological research field and broad interests in biomedicine
* Proven leadership experience in scientific publishing including personnel, editorial, production, technology, financial management and a keen awareness of key trends in these areas
* An understanding of the biomedical research community, its members' current modes of communication, and opportunities for change and improvement
* Awareness of the current environment of change in the economics and business models of scientific communication being driven by science funders' policies and changing institutional mandates
* Awareness of the opportunities and challenges in scholarly communication presented by new technologies including generative AI
* A proven track record of successful innovation in new product development in a rapidly changing industry that has seen both challenges and opportunities in recent years
* Experience in conceiving and commissioning biomedical content for journal publication
* Exceptional strategic, organizational, and project management skills * Excellent communication and relationship-building abilities

Compensation: Starting salary of $220,000 - $240,000 basic salary, plus benefits.

Relocation support will also be considered.

For more information, please contact James Douglas at Morgan Healey - james@morganhealey.com

CSHL is an EO Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or protected veteran status. VEVRAA Federal Contractor.