Assistant Director of the Publishing Laboratory

Brief Summary of Work for this Position

Responsibilities of the Assistant Director of the Publishing Laboratory include a twelve-month schedule of supporting the Department of Creative Writing’s Publishing Laboratory and its book and magazine operations under supervision of the director, beginning January 2020.

This position maintains the desktop publishing facility, including a seventeen-station Macintosh lab and adjacent bindery, and manages and provides instruction for a staff of graduate teaching assistants and interns. The Assistant Director will teach courses in publishing and contribute to curriculum development and administration of the undergraduate Certificate in Publishing.

This position also mentors graduate students in editing, design, and marketing as they support the department’s publicity efforts and the work of Ecotone magazine and book imprint, Lookout.

Minimum Requirements

- Completion of an MFA in writing or publishing, or an MA in publishing

- At least three years of work experience in literary publishing: editing, design, and/or promotion

List the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the essential functions of the position

- Excellent computer skills (Mac); expertise in publication design with fluency in the Adobe Creative Suite of publishing software

 - Demonstrated excellence teaching at undergraduate and/or graduate levels- Thorough knowledge of literary publishing and its history, as well as contemporary literature

 - Superb oral, written, and verbal communication skills; attentive to detail and self-motivated; must be creative, dynamic, with the ability to multi-task in a small but fast-paced environment

 - Ability to work well under pressure and with deadlines

 - Strong managerial and organizational skills

Preferred formal education, professional skills and work experience

- Expertise in the Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign and Photoshop)

- Knowledge of print-on-demand technology, bindery equipment, and book production

- Experience teaching publishing curricula, with emphasis on diversity and inclusion

- Familiarity with the work of Ecotone magazine and titles published under the Publishing Laboratory and Lookout Books imprints

Primary purpose of the division, department, and/or grant

The UNCW Department of Creative Writing is a community of deeply committed writers who believe that the creation of art is valuable to self and culture. Our faculty encourages a rigorous yet safe, supportive environment in which diverse writers can grow as artists and as individuals. We believe excellence starts with an informed application of craft and we encourage writers to explore aesthetics and methods across genre lines. Our unique Publishing Laboratory and award-winning teaching press offer students engaged learning experiences in the art and craft of publishing.

College/School Information

At UNCW, the College of Arts and Sciences provides the vital foundation for the university’s pursuit of excellence. Through our teaching, we educate students for lives of fulfillment in the twenty-first century. Through our research, we advance the state of knowledge and creativity in the arts and sciences. And through our outreach, we improve the quality of life in Southeastern North Carolina and beyond.

University Information

The University of North Carolina Wilmington, the state’s coastal university, is dedicated to learning through the integration of teaching and mentoring with research and service. Guided by our Strategic Plan, the university is committed to nurturing a campus culture that reflects its values of diversity and globalization, ethics and integrity, and excellence and innovation. A public institution with nearly 17,000 students, the university is focused on supporting and enhancing the student-centered learning experience that has been a hallmark since its founding in 1947. UNCW offers an array of programs at the baccalaureate and master’s levels, and doctoral programs in marine biology, educational leadership, psychology and nursing practice. UNCW is one of the 17 institutions that make up the UNC System.

EEO Statement

The University of North Carolina at Wilmington is committed to and will provide equality of educational and employment opportunity for all persons regardless of race, sex (such as gender, gender identity, marital status, childbirth, and pregnancy), age, color, national origin (including ethnicity), religion, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, veteran status, military service member status, genetic information, or relationship to other university constituents – except where sex, age, or ability represent bona fide educational or occupational qualifications or where marital status is a statutorily established eligibility criterion for State funded employee benefit programs.

Applicant Instructions

Priority consideration will be given to applications received by August 9, 2019, but applications will be accepted until the position is filled. To apply, please complete the online application. A letter of application detailing publishing experience and pedagogical philosophy, complete curriculum vita, and contact information (including e-mail address) for three current professional references should be addressed to the Search Committee Chair, Emily Smith, and attached to the online application, not e-mailed, mailed or faxed. Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF attachments are required. In addition, please have three references forward their letters of recommendation to Megan Hubbard athubbardm@uncw.edu with name of the applicant in the email’s subject heading; if they prefer, they may send hard copies to Emily Smith, Chair, Search Committee, Department of Creative Writing, University of North Carolina Wilmington, 601 S. College Rd., Wilmington, NC 28403. For questions regarding the online application process, please contact Human Resources (hrsearch@uncw.edu), ph. 910.962.3160. Please do not contact the Chair of the Department of Creative Writing or the Director of the Publishing Laboratory.

Priority Consideration Information

Priority consideration will be given to applications received by the Priority Date; however, applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Applications must be submitted through the online application system to be considered.  Position details and full applicant instructions can be found at http://jobs.uncw.edu/postings/14875

Address application documents to:  Emily Smith