The Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI), a leading Italian think tank active in the fields of international relations, foreign policy and global governance, is seeking to appoint a Senior Editor to join its team in Rome.

The successful candidate will play a central role in the Institute’s publishing activities, overseeing key editorial outputs and contributing to the timely, efficient and high-quality delivery of IAI publications. The position requires a strong academic background, substantial editorial experience, excellent organisational skills and the ability to work closely with researchers, senior management and external partners.

Key responsibilities

The Senior Editor will:

• Serve as Managing Editor of The International Spectator;

• Serve as Managing Editor of the Routledge book series Trends and Perspectives in International Politics;

• Oversee the editorial workflow of the portfolio of IAI online publications, such as IAI papers, briefs and reports;

• Coordinate editorial planning and production schedules across publications;

• Work in close collaboration with the IAI Director, the Head of Communications, Heads of Programme and senior researchers;

• Manage relations with the various editorial boards and support their activities effectively;

• Manage relations with the publisher, including contractual arrangements;

• Ensure the timely publication of outputs, maintaining high editorial and production standards;

• Contribute to the overall efficiency, consistency and strategic development of IAI’s publishing activities;

• Monitor and address issues related to the use and misuse of artificial intelligence in publishing and editorial processes;

• Liaise with the communications and social media team to maximize the impact of publications.

The Senior Editor will be supported by a typesetter and a copyeditor.

Requirements

Candidates should meet the following requirements:

• PhD in the social sciences or humanities or close to completion

• At least 3 years of proven professional experience editing academic and/or policy-oriented content;

• Excellent command of Italian and English, with outstanding editorial and drafting skills;

• Strong understanding of academic publishing and editorial workflows;

• Familiarity with the use of scholarly CMS such as ScholarOne;

• Demonstrated ability to manage complex publication processes and meet deadlines efficiently;

• Experience working with editorial boards, authors and researchers in a dynamic professional environment;

• Expert in the use of AI, with strong knowledge of the opportunities and risks associated with its application in publishing;

• Strong organisational, interpersonal and coordination skills;

• Based in Rome or willing to relocate to Rome.

Desirable qualifications

The following would be considered an asset:

• Previous experience in think tanks, research institutes, universities, academic journals or policy publishing;

• Familiarity with international relations, political science or related fields;

• Experience working with Routledge, Taylor & Francis, or comparable academic publishers.

What we offer

1-year fixed-term contract, with the possibility of conversion into a permanent position;

IAI offers the opportunity to work at the heart of one of Italy’s leading institutes for international affairs, in a dynamic and intellectually stimulating environment, with a key role in shaping and delivering high-profile academic and policy publications.

Location

Rome, Italy.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.