Position Description

The National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) is seeking candidates for the position of Editor-In-Chief of the Journal of Genetic Counseling (JOGC) effective January 1, 2024.

Subject to NSGC Board of Directors approval, the Editor-In-Chief is responsible for assembling a team to facilitate manuscript peer-review and editorial decision-making (e.g., deputy editors, associate editors, and section editors), selecting new editorial board members, setting the editorial scope and vision for the JOGC, and overseeing the annual publication of six (6) issues. This is a part-time position.

The Editor-In-Chief is appointed for a 5-year term, potentially renewable at the discretion of the NSGC Board of Directors.

Interested candidates should submit a letter of interest including a 300 word summary describing interest in the Editor-In-Chief position and thoughts on future advancements for JOGC. Candidates must also include a curriculum vita and conflict of interest disclosure no later than Friday, December 16, 2016 at 5:00 pm CST.

The Ad Hoc Editor Search Committee will select top candidates from the pool of applicants who have submitted a letter of interest and required materials. These top candidates will be invited to participate in a virtual interview with the Ad Hoc Editor Search Committee in or around March of 2023.

The NSGC Ad Hoc Editor Search Committee will recommend a candidate for approval by the NSGC Board of Directors in May 2023. The selected candidate will begin working as Editor-Elect with the Editor-in-Chief and the JOGC editorial office team in July 2023, and will assume the full responsibilities of Editor-in-Chief on January 1, 2024.

Submit questions and all application materials to Meghan Carey, NSGC Executive Director, at mcarey@nsgc.org by December 16, 2022.

Qualifications, Expectations, Role, and Responsibilities

Background

The Journal of Genetic Counseling (JOGC) is the flagship journal of the National Society of Genetic Counselors and is the leading journal focusing exclusively on genetic counseling. JOGC is published six times per year. Peer review and overall management of the publication are performed electronically and through the JOGC editorial office, currently located at the University of California, Los Angeles. JOGC is published by Wiley.

Mission

NSGC’s mission is to advance the various roles of genetic counselors in health care by fostering education, research, and public policy to ensure the availability of quality genetic services.

Scope

The JOGC, published for NSGC, is a timely, international forum addressing all aspects of the discipline and practice of genetic counseling. The JOGC focuses on the critical questions and challenges that arise at the interface between rapid advances in genetics and technology and the impact on individuals and communities at genetic risk. The publication provides genetic counselors, other clinicians and health educators, laboratory geneticists, bioethicists, legal scholars, social scientists, and other researchers with a premier resource on genetic counseling topics in national, international, and cross-national contexts.

The main focus of the work published in the JOGC is the ethical, psychosocial and clinical aspects of genetics and genetic counseling and the implications for teaching, research and service provision.

Qualifications

Ideal candidates will be genetic counselors with a strong record of published research as primary author.  Qualified candidates will have a graduate degree with training in genetic counseling. Full membership in NSGC is required. Certification by the American Board of Genetic Counseling, American Board of Medical Genetics or Canadian Association of Genetic Counseling is preferred.   

Qualified candidates will have familiarity with major researchers, institutions, and resources and a desire to set the standard for intellectual rigor in the discipline. Knowledge of clinical research design and basic concepts of statistics and ethics of research; administrative and editorial skills, including familiarity with online peer review systems; capacity for detailed and deadline-dependent work; an understanding of the national and international community of genetic counselor researchers and practitioners; and strong interpersonal, communication and writing skills are strongly preferred.

The Editor-In-Chief must possess the energy and vision to sustain and further develop the Journal as a leading forum in genetic counseling, delivering timely and accurate information to this and related topics. Candidates should be willing to make a five (5) year commitment. It is expected that the candidate will comply with the policies of both NSGC and JOGC regarding conflict of interest guidelines, confidentiality policy, and diversity, equity and inclusion policies.

Support for the Editor-In-Chief

Funding is available to support the efforts of the Editor-in-Chief and their editorial team and to handle all aspects of the manuscript submission, peer review and editing process. Compensation will be negotiated with the Editor-in-Chief or his/her/their institution to offset the time and effort involved in this position. The Editor-In-Chief position is supported by the Publishing Manager and editorial team at Wiley.

Responsibilities of the Editor-In-Chief

The Editor-In-Chief is expected to:

• Work hand-in-hand with NSGC leadership to uphold and enhance JOGC’s mission, editorial quality, rigorous ethical standards, and reputation for meaningful scholarship.
• Work closely with Wiley on journal development to raise JOGC’s impact and advance the profession of genetic counseling.
• Encourage and solicit the submission of relevant, original, high‐quality manuscripts for JOGC and act as an ambassador for JOGC.
• Establish and manage your editorial office to efficiently and effectively oversee the JOGC peer review and publication process, and ensure the content and quality of each issue.
• Define and update the aims and scope of JOGC in order to enhance its relevance and usage.
• Work with the editorial office to maintain and administer JOGC editorial policies and procedures, and to revise them or establish new policies as appropriate, subject to NSGC Board approval, to reflect relevant changes and best practices in research, clinical practice, and scholarly publishing.
• Recruit, select, and appoint associate editors as needed (including deputy, associate, section, managing, assistant, and contributing editors, special issue editors, editorial board members, and others), to represent the depth and breadth of genetic counseling and related disciplines. The Editorial Board should comprise members with high stature and respect in the genetic counseling community, and with the technical expertise sufficient to oversee the content of submitted articles.
• Recruit, select, and train reviewers as needed.
• Monitor the peer review process to ensure that appropriate and well‐defined procedures for timely review are unbiased and faithfully executed; and maintain the integrity and confidentiality of authors’ work while it is under evaluation for publication.
• Review any proposals and initiatives submitted to JOGC for suitability, applicability, and interest to the JOGC readership.
• Select articles suitable for the scope of JOGC and interest level of readers, and make decisions with the advice and recommendations of other editors and peer reviewers.
• Respond to correspondence from authors, other Editors-In-Chief, Editorial Board members, reviewers, NSGC members, readers, and others regarding peer review and/or manuscript decisions, as needed.
• Respond to and manage incidents of error and allegations of ethical misconduct according to industry standards and best practices in scholarly publishing.
• Oversee annual Editorial Board meetings; keep the Editorial Board active, committed, engaged and responsive to the needs of JOGC; and report to them on the year’s activities.
• Report to the NSGC Board of Directors at least once per year, and upon request be available and responsive to communications and requests from NSGC leaders and staff.
• Oversee administration of the annual Journal of Genetic Counseling Student Manuscript Award.
• Review and provide recommendations to Wiley regarding Journal website updates.
• Provide upcoming Journal table of contents with individuals managing the NSGC Journal CEU program to ensure timely selection of CEU articles
• Review and provide recommendations to the NSGC Executive Director regarding proposed advertising and promotional opportunities.
• Aid the publisher in selecting/crafting content and other information to be used in special features, reports, and marketing and promotional pieces.
• Be available and responsive to the Publisher and NSGC Executive Office routinely and as necessary to ensure that timely progress can be made on all projects, tasks, and initiatives.