Director, University Press

Full-time, 12-month, term position, with a start date of January 1, 2023. This position reports to the Dean of Library Affairs.

Southern Illinois University Press was founded in the mid-1950s, and its first book was published on October 20, 1956. Throughout its existence, the Press has published a mixture of solid younger scholars balanced by those with established reputations. The Press is well known for its publications in First Amendment Studies, Restoration and Eighteenth-Century Theatre, and Rhetoric and Composition, and for two exceptional multi-volume scholarly works: The Early, Middle, and Later Works of John Dewey, and The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant. In recent years, Southern Illinois University Press has focused its list on a smaller number of areas of publication: Lincoln and Civil War history, poetry, regional studies including a focus on Chicago, and theatre production. Looking towards the future, the SIU Press has developed digital projects, artificial intelligence generated audio books, Blanket Fort Radio Theater, interactive and accessible eBooks, and podcasts.

• Oversee and manage all aspects of Press operations.
• Supervise a publishing team of 5 staff members and numerous independent contractors.
• Direct the Press staff and freelance professionals to create high-quality scholarly publications that continue to raise the profile of the Press, other partnering departments, and the University as a whole.
• Develop a personnel plan for the Press. Hire and provide for the training of Press departmental managers. Oversee the hiring of other Press employees.
• Seek innovative and cost-effective approaches to a traditional book publishing program.
• Seek innovative and cost-effective approaches for digital, audio, and other formats of publications.
• In consultation with the Dean of Library Affairs, vet and invite potential new board members to maintain a diverse and engaged advisory board.
• Represent the Press at various events, venues, and conferences.
• Engage in public speaking opportunities to share Press news, recent publications and projects, and information about the publishing process.
• Develop external relationships and funding opportunities with Library Affairs development officer.
• Plan annual budget with Business Manager and other Press managers.
• Serve as Press fiscal officer. Negotiate, review, and sign off on all Press contracts, invoices, royalty and client-press payments, and other financial matters.
• Supervise and work closely with the acquisitions editors to define and plan the Press’s editorial mission and publishing program; initiate new lists and series; identify a reasonable balance of meaningful, competitive, and thought-provoking academic and trade titles per year in print, electronic, audio, or other formats; maintain or cancel existing book series as appropriate; develop new series and concentrations; and develop strategies for sustainable open access publishing.
• Identify opportunities for student internships and other experiential education opportunities.
• Identify and develop business opportunities for special publication projects.
• Cultivate relationships with state agencies, foundations, and individuals to secure funding for projects that require financial support.
• Establish and maintain productive working relationships with the university’s administration, Press editorial board members, Press advisory board members, authors, scholars, reviewers, and colleagues.

Master’s degree in an appropriate humanities field or an equivalent combination of relevant education and at least 10 years of directly relevant experience in the publishing industry, including at least five years of managerial experience.

• Demonstrated leadership capability in the field of scholarly book publishing.
• Documented knowledge of business and management principles involving strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, and leadership techniques.
• Extensive, in-depth knowledge of all aspects of scholarly book publishing and the wider publishing industry.
• Significant knowledge of the major trends and challenges facing presses and scholarly communication in general with an ability to articulate plans to address these challenges.
• Demonstrated experience with developing print, digital, and audio content.
• A record of innovation.
• Ability to articulate strong vision for the role of a university press and the potential future of the SIU Press.