With the retirement of Editor Katherine Jansen forthcoming in 2025, the Medieval Academy of America seeks to appoint an Editor, or co-Editors, for Speculum. The position is configured as part-time, requiring between 20 and 30 hours per week, with some seasonal variation. The Editor is appointed for a five-year term, subject to acceptable yearly performance reviews, with the possibility of a second five-year term by mutual agreement. The Editor should be an established scholar with academic credentials in some field(s) of medieval studies, broadly defined, with demonstrated organizational and decision-making skills. Experience in journal, book, or series editing will be helpful but not necessary. The term of appointment begins in January of 2025. Terms and conditions are to be negotiated. Please note: the MAA does not offer remuneration for this position, aside from a summer stipend if the Editor is a faculty member, although the MAA may be able to continue offering support for otherwise staffing the journal (currently a Managing Editor and Associate Editor). It is understood that the Editor will negotiate terms of support with a host institution and these terms should be explicitly described as part of the application dossier. Interested parties should plan to attend an online information session in late May; details will be announced soon.
The search committee seeks to identify a diverse pool of candidates, and the MAA is eager to accommodate the various modes of professional life that characterize our profession. The Editor will likely need access to a major research library and to postdoctoral scholars or graduate students who can be hired for assistance, although some of this work can be done remotely.
Applications should be sent to the MAA by July 15, 2024. Virtual interviews will be held in the early Fall of 2024, with a start date in January of 2025. Cover letters may be addressed to Sara Lipton, Chair of the Search Committee. In addition to a curriculum vitae, the cover letter should include: the candidate’s vision for the journal and a discussion of how they envision configuring the staff. The applicant should describe in detail the institutional support they will bring to the position. Candidates should also include the names and email addresses of three scholars who can speak to the candidate’s editorial experience and scholarship; these references will only be contacted for short-listed candidates. The Chair of the search committee would be happy to respond to immediate questions about the duties involved, but candidates should also consult the fuller description of duties posted on the Academy website. The MAA also encourages nominations for the position, and there is a place to submit these on the website as well; all nominees will be sent a letter encouraging application. Interested parties should plan to attend an online information session in late May; details will be announced soon.
