Managing Editor

The Conservation Management Institute at Virginia Tech is seeking a Managing Editor to oversee content development and publication of Virginia’s Second Breeding Bird Atlas (VABBA2) as a web-based publication. The VABBA2 (vabba2.org, virginiabirds.org/about-vabba2) collected data on the distribution and status of Virginia’s breeding bird species between 2016 and 2020. The Managing Editor will be involved in all aspects of the project publication process, working with the Project Coordinator and Atlas Final Products Committee to see the project to completion. This position is planned to begin in July 2023 and continue through publication of the website in September/October 2025. This position offers the possibility of working remotely from a home office, or of working in an office setting in Henrico County, Virginia, if preferred.

The ideal candidate will bring ideas and enthusiasm to assist in bringing the VABBA2 to its envisioned publication. This will require strong interpersonal and social skills, a positive attitude, and good sense of humor. Detail-orientation is also essential. Specific duties for this position include:
● recruiting and managing paid authors charged with writing narratives for over 200 individual Species Accounts based on Atlas-derived data (e.g., distribution maps and population models); preparing guidance and production schedules for authors; directly supervising authors
● overseeing the work of volunteer authors charged with developing other sections of the website that include sections on (but are not limited to) Atlas purpose and methodology, Virginia geography and habitats, Atlas coverage and results, and Atlas contributions to conservation
● editorial duties, including reviewing, fact-checking and editing author drafts for consistency in style, tone, content, and quality of writing; coordinating with reviewers and incorporating their comments into author drafts, and providing final reviews and publication approvals
● contributing to written content production, which may include authoring individual Species Accounts as well as other sections of the website as needed
● tracking literature citations using appropriate software, developing literature citation section of website
● organizing supplementary information for display on website, including layout design, editing and/or authoring explanatory text for tables and figures
● regular communications with the Atlas Final Products Committee on project progress and addressing emerging needs or problems with that Committee
● acting as liaison to Web Developer and Webmaster in production of website by assisting with conceptualizing website design to ensure that content is well-organized, easily accessible and visually appealing;
● assisting with review and selection of images of birds and habitats for incorporation into the website
● overseeing content upload to website prior to its publication, and ensuring that the resulting product conforms to standardized layouts and has been vetted for accuracy