Editorial, Design, and Production Manager

Organization

The University of Oklahoma Press seeks a highly organized, deadline-driven project manager with strong language and leadership skills to serve as our next Editorial, Design, and Production Manager (EDP Manager). This position is responsible for managing the full production lifecycle of approximately 30 new titles and 75+ reprints each year. The EDP Manager supervises an in-house team and coordinates a broad network of freelancers and vendors to ensure timely, high-quality books in print and digital formats.

The EDP Manager is responsible for overseeing production schedules, managing quality assurance on editorial work, and ensuring final deliverables meet standards for accuracy, consistency, and visual integrity. Working closely with the Director and senior staff, the EDP Manager contributes to strategic planning, seasonal scheduling, vendor selection, and process improvements across departments.

You don’t need a background in scholarly publishing but you must be sharp, detail-focused, and capable of navigating deadline-sensitive, multi-phase projects involving text, images, editorial standards, vendors, and budgets. You should have excellent writing and communication instincts, experience managing people and projects, and an understanding of style guides (Chicago, AP, etc.) and their relationship to editorial quality.

The EDP Manager plays a key leadership role at the Press and will receive direct mentorship from the Director and support from experienced staff. This is a leadership role with clear ownership over press operations and opportunities for deeper publishing expertise and strategic growth.

This is an on-site position in Norman, Oklahoma with some flexibility for hybrid scheduling. Fully remote arrangements are not possible.

Job Duties :

• Responsible for program management and oversight of day-to-day operations
• Responsible for daily program management throughout the program lifecycle
• Aligns deliverables to the program's outcome
• Meets with stakeholders to discuss program status and goals
• Manages the program budget. Develops proposals, negotiates and administers grants and contracts
• Supervises staff, including hiring, training, and performance evaluation
• Provides oversight of ongoing projects
• Interfaces with university departments, funding sources, outside organizations and state & government agencies
• Assesses program effectiveness and identifies areas of improvement
• Manages program documentation, data collection, and reporting
• Develops program goals and objectives
• Performs various duties as needed to successfully fulfill the function of the position

Job Location

Required Education and Experience : Bachelor's degree, AND :

Equivalency / Substitution :    Will accept 48 months of related experience in lieu of the Bachelor's degree for a total of 96 months of related experience.

Departmental Preferences :

Key Responsibilities :

Ideal Candidate :

Proven experience managing complex editorial or production projects—books, magazines, educational content, reports, or similar

Preferred Experience :

Supervision :  Supervises Production Coordinator, Reprint Coordinator, project editors, and Student Intern(s)

Special Instructions : If you are selected as a final candidate for this position, you will be subject to The University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Tuberculosis Testing policy. To view the policy, visit https : / / hr.ou.edu / Policies-Handbooks / TB-Testing .

Why You Belong at the University of Oklahoma : The University of Oklahoma values our community's unique talents, perspectives, and experiences. At OU, we aspire to harness our innovation, creativity, and collaboration for the advancement of people everywhere. You Belong Here!

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement : The University, in compliance with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, genetic information, gender identity / expression (consistent with applicable law), age (40 or older), religion, disability, political beliefs, or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices, or procedures. This includes but is not limited to admissions, employment, housing, financial aid, and educational services.

Organization : University Press

Job Location : Oklahoma-Norman-Norman Campus

Schedule : Full-time

Job Posting : Jul 30, 2025