Journal Administrative Assistant

Overview

The Journal Administrative Assistant works as an administrative assistant to the Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Public Health (AJPH), will serve as the Assistant Editor of the AJPH, and will work out of the American Public Health Association headquarters in Washington, DC. The position will provide daily administrative and editorial support to the Editor-in-Chief of the journal; inviting articles for submission and evaluation; and providing input on social media–related activities. This is a full-time position. The position is a direct report to the Deputy Director of Publications, who supervises the position at the direction of the Editor-in-Chief.

Responsibilities

Act as the liaison between the Editor-in-Chief and the publications department, APHA executive director and associate executive directors, public affairs and advocacy staff, and communications staff. Assist in developing journal promotion materials and coordinate email correspondence for journal submission inquiries. Assist in the identification and selection of feature articles for promotion on a monthly basis. Provide administrative support for the Editor-in-Chief, including managing the Editor-in-Chief’s travel and agenda when visiting the APHA office in Washington, DC; setting appointments; organizing trips; and processing travel reimbursements. Assist in processing and overseeing the submission and peer review process by: Inviting and helping to manage commissioned submissions (editorials, special section articles, book review invitations, and other commissioned articles) on behalf of the Editor-in-Chief, Deputy Editors, and Associate Editors. Responding to content-related questions posed by Associate Editors, authors, and peer reviewers. Conduct monthly review of Editor-in-Chief’s draft Table of Contents, confirms the order of articles and article titles, and identifies discrepancies between the AJPH database and Editor-in-Chief’s constructed Table of Contents. Assist with AJPH business session event planning for the Annual Meeting and Spring Meetings. Oversee the AJPH Think Tank activities, providing support and direction as needed; attends weekly meetings, oversees development of eventual special sections and articles from the Think Tank, acts as the liaison to Editor-in-Chief, and reports on Think Tank activities as required. Coordinate the Editor-in-Chief’s Annual Meeting sessions and coordinate with journal office on other AJPH-sponsored events. Manages the Editor-in-Chief’s social media account. Supports the Editor-in-Chief with selecting new applicants for the AJPH Think Tank and student editor. Other duties/projects as assigned by the Editor-in-Chief or Deputy Director of Publications as needed.

Qualifications

Advanced degree in Public Health preferred, bachelor’s degree in science- or Medical-related field required. One year of experience in scientific publishing environment and knowledge of periodical production and manuscript tracking systems desirable. Excellent project management and written/oral communication skills, proficiency in the MAC/PC environment, strong organizational ability, and attention to detail a must. Must be able to create graphical representations of quantitative and qualitative data. Must be flexible, reliable, and hard working. Familiarity with the AMA style desired but not essential. Physical Requirements: Travel to the Annual Meeting is required with other occasional travel possible. Must be able to work occasional evening and weekend work as job duties or projects require it. Requires occasional lifting and moving to 25 lbs.

Position is based in downtown DC near several metro stations. Hybrid work environment.

Hours: 35 hours a week, full-time, Monday - Friday (daytime). Number of openings: 1.

Applicants who meet the requirements and are interested in being considered for this position should submit the following information.

• Cover letter;
• Resume;
• A writing sample;
• Salary requirement;
• At least 2 supervisory references and 1 professional reference (name, title, company name and phone number and email).

Vaccination Policy: New Hires and Employees must adhere to APHA COVID-19 Vaccination Mandate Policy.

CLOSING DATE:    February 6, 2026 at 5 pm (EST)

SALARY RANGE:   Mid to high-40's (salary commensurate with experience & job role). APHA offers a competitive salary and excellent benefits.

EEO/AA/VETS/DISABILITY. APHA is strongly and actively committed to diversity in its workplace.