The Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand Seeks New Associate Editors Worldwide

The Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand (JRSNZ) invites applications from enthusiastic and knowledgeable researchers worldwide to join our editorial team as Associate Editors. We welcome applications from active, publishing researchers who are well connected within their scholarly communities.

We are especially interested in candidates working in the following areas not covered by our sister journals: Medicine, Engineering, Computer Science, Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, Physics, Psychology, Chemistry, and Materials Science. This is a unique opportunity to contribute to the editorial leadership of the Society’s flagship multidisciplinary journal.

As JRSNZ continues to expand in scope and international engagement, we are committed to enhancing the diversity of perspectives represented on our editorial board. By strengthening  disciplinary representation, we aim to maintain our focus on publishing high-quality, impactful work.

JRSNZ is ranked a Q1 journal in Multidisciplinary science with a CiteScore of 5.7 (Scopus, 2024), a 5-yr Impact Factor of 2.4 (Clarivate Analytics, 2024), and is also officially indexed in PubMed Central® (PMC), a prestigious free full-text archive of biomedical and life sciences literature. 

You’ll be joining the journal at a particularly exciting time. From 2026, all Royal Society of NZ journals, including JRSNZ, will be published in partnership with Wiley. Wiley brings deep subject expertise, global visibility, and a strong commitment to society publishing, including 125 Open Access agreements worldwide to cover 3,800+ institutions. We’re confident this move will open new opportunities for JRSNZ and its editorial community.

Responsibilities of Associate Editors Include:

• Identifying themes for special issues, which you may also help to organise and/or guest-edit.
• Managing the peer-review and final decision process for approximately five manuscripts per year in a fair, timely, and thorough manner.
• Contributing at least one paper for publication during each term of service.
• Attracting new authors and submissions, including special issue proposals, to enhance the journal’s project pipeline.
• Advising on journal policy and scope.
• Acting as an advisor in complex publishing ethics discussions when needed.
• Promoting the journal to peers and colleagues and representing the journal at conferences.

To Be Considered for the Position, You Will Have:

• A strong record of peer-reviewed publications (appropriate to career stage).
• Experience as a regular reviewer for scholarly journals.
• An excellent network of contacts regionally and internationally.
• An interest in digital communication and scholarly publishing.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Strong organisational skills and ability to prioritise, effectively.
• The capability critically assess the novelty, context, and implications of submitted research.
• A willingness to engage constructively with authors and support then in aligning their work with the journal’s aims.
• The ability to work cooperatively with fellow editors.
• Applicants do not need to be affiliated with Royal Society Te Apārangi to be considered for this role.

Term: The first term of appointment will be 2 years, with the possibility of renewal by mutual agreement.

How to Apply: Applicants should submit a two-page CV and a one-page cover letter detailing their interest in the position and how their skills, knowledge, and background would contribute to the journal.

Please send your application by email to Publish@royalsociety.org.nz.

The editorial team is committed to advancing gender equality and promoting diversity.

Closing Date: Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until 31 March 2026; therefore, early applications are encouraged.

We will get back to candidates of interest within a month to arrange further details. If you do not receive a reply, please assume that we have considered your application but have chosen not to progress it further.