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Publication Specialist, HighWire Press, Stanford University Libraries

Job Location : Stanford University Libraries - HighWire Press
Position: 4P2, Computing Information Systems Analyst
Working Title: Publication Specialist
Job Category : Information Technology Services

HighWire Press, a department of the Stanford University Libraries, hosts high-impact scholarly journals, books, and other scholarly content on the Web, primarily for not-for-profit societies. HighWire is in a period of growth driven by the expansion of its product line beyond the original core of online journals, and is regularly expanding its customer base. 

The Publication Specialist is a junior account management role, assisting the Publication Manager with day-to-day tasks related to customers accounts. The Publication Specialist will contribute to a number of projects that are driving HighWire's growth, with responsibilities for these areas:

1) Coordinating new web site launches and site upgrades. Coordinate and assist in the on-time launch of online Web sites for both new and existing HighWire customers. Assist Publication Managers and coordinate the upgrade process as customers decide to add new features. Duties in this area would include:

a) Assisting Publication Managers with training and education of publisher clients on HighWire systems and functionalities. 

b) Coordinate tracking and communicating of new and/or custom feature development among all parties (Publication Managers, Project Managers, Developers, and Customers).

c) Assisting Publication Managers in setting and managing customer expectations and monitoring customer satisfaction

2) Customer Support. Publication Specialists are the first point of contact for publisher questions, bug reporting, and enhancement requests. Publication Specialists need to have a solid general understanding of the HighWire hosting platform and feature functionality, so that customer requests can be followed up appropriately. Publication Specialists will need some basic understanding of XML, XHTML, CSS, and Javascript in order to diagnose bugs and direct them to the right developer team for follow-up.

3) Project Tracking. Coordinate schedules of internal staff involved in all aspects of online publication production. In addition, coordinate schedules with the customer, the customer's printer and production staff, monitoring for timely delivery and accurate/useable content. Coordinate with the HighWire Production Manager for content conversion services, content analysis, and input specifications for data suppliers.

4) Other projects may be assigned to the Publication Specialist, depending on her/his special skills and interests, and organizational requirements. These projects may come from HighWire customers or they may be internal HighWire projects.

5) For all projects, the Publication Specialist is responsible for ensuring thorough quality assurance testing of software and content before delivery to the customer..

6) Meeting Organization: HighWire periodically hosts a meeting of publishers in Stanford, Washington, DC, and London to conduct training and give sessions related to areas of interest in the publishing industry. The Publication Specialist may be required to assist in the planning and organization of these meetings.

Required Qualifications:

a) College degree or equivalent work experience.

b) Ability to quickly learn and master software tools, such as word processing, spreadsheet, database, and project management tools.

c) The Publication Specialist's role requires a significant external communication, both oral and written, to keep customers informed, and satisfied. It requires solid technical skills to understand complex data processing systems.

d) Strong conceptual and problem-solving abilities.

Desired Qualifications:

e) Experience in scholarly publishing, particularly online journals and books. Background in publishing, publishing technology, and/or librarianship a plus.

f) Some technical background in engineering or computer science, including knowledge of HTML/XML. Familiarity with application or system development a plus.

g) Excellent written and verbal (especially telephone) communication skills.

h) Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with other employees in a team environment, in which priority and resource trade-offs are often necessary.
Publication Specialist, HighWire Press, Stanford University Libraries