Peer Review Associate

About Our Team

The Peer Review team is a dynamic and collaborative group dedicated to managing and facilitating the seamless journey of academic manuscripts from submission to decision on peer review. We serve as the central point of contact for authors, editors, and reviewers, ensuring the integrity, transparency, and efficiency of the peer review process. With a strong commitment to accuracy, responsiveness, and service excellence, we play a vital role in supporting the publication of high-quality scholarly research.

What is your team’s key role in the business?

The Peer Review team is a foundational part of Sage Publishing’s commitment to academic excellence. Peer review is the process by which experts in a relevant field evaluate a manuscript's quality, validity, and relevance before it is published in a journal. It ensures the integrity and credibility of scholarly research. As a Peer Review Associate (PRA), you will play a critical role in managing the end-to-end peer review process for scholarly journals using Sage Track. Our team’s responsibilities include screening incoming manuscripts for compliance with submission guidelines, coordinating reviewer assignments and follow-ups, and ensuring timely completion of tasks by editors, reviewers, and authors. We serve as the first point of contact for editorial queries, troubleshoot technical issues, maintain accurate records and templates, and ensure that accepted manuscripts are ready for production. Additionally, we act as a liaison between journal editors and Sage, upholding high standards of communication, organization, and responsiveness to support the timely and smooth operation of each journal’s peer review workflow.

What other departments do you work closely with?

We collaborate with several key departments to ensure a smooth and efficient workflow:

• Editorial: To ensure the smooth and timely progression of manuscripts at each stage of peer review, support editorial board needs, and uphold peer review standards.
• Production Operations: To make sure accepted manuscripts are ready for the production team.
• Customer Services: For handling author and reviewer queries and maintaining satisfaction.
• Journals Operations & APC Teams: For license management and processing Article Processing Charges (APCs).
• Commercial Sales & Marketing: To support journal growth and visibility through timely and quality-driven processes.
• Vendors: Partnering with external vendors for peer review support services.

Could you be our new Peer Review Associate? Are you?

We are looking for a detail-oriented, proactive Peer Review Associate to oversee and manage the peer review process for a portfolio of academic journals.
The ideal candidate will have excellent eye for detail, strong communication, and problem-solving skills, along with the ability to work effectively across departments and with external stakeholders based globally. This is a great opportunity to grow and build your career while contributing to the advancement of scholarly publishing in a collaborative, fast-paced environment.

Key Responsibilities

Manuscript Management

• Review and process incoming manuscripts via SAGE Track, ensuring they meet submission criteria and are ready for peer review.
• Invite and assign reviewers; support them throughout the review process.
• Monitor pending tasks for editors, associate editors (if applicable), reviewers, and authors, and send timely follow-up reminders.

Post-Acceptance Checks

• Ensure authors of accepted manuscripts complete and submit contributor forms via SAGE Track.
• Review accepted manuscripts for completeness and readiness for production (e.g., author contact info, editable file formats, permissions, and reference style compliance).
• Export completed manuscripts to the SAGE Production Editor in alignment with article deadlines.

Communication & Support

• Respond promptly (within 24 hours, excluding weekends and holidays) to queries from journal editors, associate editors, authors, reviewers, and SAGE staff.
• Maintain and update email templates in SAGE Track according to journal-specific needs.
• Coordinate with ScholarOne support for any technical issues encountered on SAGE Track.

Journal Oversight & Relationship Management

• For journals supported by Editorial Assistants, oversee peer review health by:
  
  • Troubleshooting site issues
  • Managing editor relationships
  • Guiding Editorial Assistants
  • Serving as their first point of escalation
• Act as the primary liaison between SAGE and journal editors, communicating key updates and ensuring smooth collaboration.
• Share Editorial Board updates with relevant Global Publishing Editors and Production Editors.

Reporting & Monitoring

• Maintain a Daily Tracker to record ongoing tasks and activities.
• Submit weekly user performance reports to the Peer Review Supervisor and US Manager.
• Populate the weekly Overdue Task Report with updated journal comments.
• Run and share reports from SAGE Track periodically as requested.

System & Site Maintenance

• Troubleshoot functionality issues on SAGE Track.
• Ensure journal sites remain current and aligned with global standards and initiatives.
• Collaborate with US and UK teams to implement peer review systems for new journals or migrate existing ones.

Productivity Standards

• Manage a manuscript workload in alignment with the annual Work Allocation Plan (WAP) post-training.
• Provide timely, professional, and solution-oriented responses to all stakeholders.
• Support journal editors and internal teams with special projects and initiatives, as needed.
• Adhere to journal-specific editorial guidelines and processes outlined in the Journal Editor’s Guide.

Teamwork & Collaboration

• Contribute ideas and feedback constructively to improve team operations.
• Assist fellow team members on designated journals when needed.
• Participate in departmental projects, committees, or task forces.
• Foster a collaborative, respectful, and positive team environment.

Required Skills & Competencies

• Excellent written and verbal communication
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and meet tight deadlines
• Problem-solving mindset with a proactive approach
• Team-oriented, cooperative, and respectful demeanor
• Adaptable to new systems, processes, and priorities

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree (required)
• 1–2 years of relevant experience in the publishing industry, preferably in peer review or editorial support

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

At Sage we are committed to building a diverse and inclusive team that is representative of all sections of society and to sustaining a culture that celebrates difference, encourages authenticity, and creates a deep sense of belonging. We welcome applications from all members of society irrespective of age, disability, sex or gender identity, sexual orientation, color, race, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief as creating value through diversity is what makes us strong.  As a business and as an organization with an increasingly agile workforce, we're open to flexible working arrangements where appropriate.