Coordinating Lead Editor needed for Third World Quarterly
Coordinating Lead Editor required
Deadline 01 July 2026
About the role
Third World Quarterly (TWQ) is currently recruiting for a Coordinating Lead Editor. This role is a great opportunity for an academic with a strong record in a relevant Global South Studies discipline along with the commitment, drive and ability to help develop the journal. At the heart of this role is the oversight and administration of a rigorous and robust peer review process that delivers an agreed amount of content of suitable scope and quality within an agreed publication timeframe. The peer review process will deliver:- a minimum agreed number of accepted Research Articles and Research Notes (in collaboration with the Academic Editors), including Special Issues in collaboration with the Special Issue Editors,
- all within the Aims & Scope of the journal,
- to an agreed quality threshold and an agreed publication timetable,
- in accordance with the Taylor & Francis Editor Code of Conduct.
- work to maintain and enhance the journal’s quality and reputation internationally as the leading flagship publication in the field of Global South Studies;
- be responsible for commissioning high-quality content for the journal;
- coordinate the peer review processes of the journal;
- manage relations between the Academic Editor team (including Special Issues Editors and Research Notes Editor), the Publisher (Routledge, Taylor & Francis), the international Editorial Advisory Board, and the journal administration team;
- be an ambassador for the journal and attend key conferences on behalf of the journal within an agreed budget;
- liaise with individual Academic Editors regularly and with the Academic Editor team (typically through a monthly meeting) to ensure workload is divided fairly, that their role and responsibility is understood, and that expectations around article turnaround, peer review decisioning and quality have been defined and are observed.
- communicating promptly, consistently and professionally with authors during the review and publication process;
- organising desk rejections, peer review and decisioning in their own area(s) of subject expertise;
- working closely with scholars from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds to make their work accessible and engaging to readers from a range of disciplinary perspectives;
- promoting the journal with relevant subject communities and developing networks within the Global South to encourage and support authors in developing their work and submitting it to the journal;
- acting proactively on any expressions of concerns or allegations of research misconduct received about content published in the journal, assisting and working with Taylor & Francis to resolve these according to the journal’s Guidelines on Publishing Ethics;
- participating as lead in an annual virtual Editorial Advisory Board meeting;
- taking part in a virtual meeting (every four months typically, usually January, May and October) and review of the journal’s academic performance with Taylor & Francis and Global South Journals to set strategic development goals;
- providing input to the journal’s Editorial Advisory Board with the Chair of the Board, including refreshing its membership periodically to ensure appropriate expertise and diversity, and providing members with updates;
- introducing content and working alongside the Web Curator and Founding Editor of the associated platform, Global Souths Hub news and blog site.
About the journal
Third World Quarterly (TWQ) is the leading journal in the field of Global South studies, focussed on historical and contemporary structures and relations of inequality and development. It was launched in 1978, in the context of the North-South Dialogue and the then-emerging New International Economic Order. TWQ is committed to a just and equitable future for what is historically known as the ‘Third World’.
The journal has a legacy of publishing progressive and exploratory content that is anti-racist, anti-imperialist and anti-sexist. It continues to shape academic and policy agendas across political and development discourses, as well as the postcolonial trajectories of Global South nations and peoples. TWQ articles showcase the agency and rising power of the Global South in setting the agenda and providing alternatives to Western ideologies, global inequities, and responses to the global permacrisis.
TWQ has a broad remit and publishes a wide range of research on social justice, environmental sustainability, health, statebuilding, mobilities, security, financial systems, peacebuilding and human rights, culture and art, among other topics. The journal encourages contributions from across the social sciences and humanities, including but not limited to:
- international relations;
- development studies;
- women’s, gender and queer studies;
- race, class and ethnicity studies;
- heterodox economics and critical political economy;
- and historical and sociocultural research.
Key Skills and Attributes
Ready to apply? Here are the skills and attributes we are looking for in a successful applicant:
- Experience of working in an editorial capacity on an academic journal or journals. (Essential)
- Experience of working with standard publishing platforms (ScholarOne or Editorial Manager) and database management, along with MS Office applications. (Essential)
- Postgraduate qualification in International Relations, Development Studies or a related discipline; and/or a demonstrable ability to communicate with authority on the academic discipline covered by TWQ. (Essential)
- An understanding of journals and the evolving academic publishing environment. (Desirable)
- Strong experience of team coordination and management. Strong written and oral communications and stakeholder management skills. (Desirable)
- A good understanding of major marketing platforms and channels. (Desirable)
- Demonstratable social media and digital communication skills, including strategic use of Bluesky and LinkedIn for professional networking, thought leadership and community engagement. (Desirable)
This role is planned to start from 1 October 2026. An honorarium is payable for the role.
Application instructions
Applications should include your CV, a Cover Letter and a Vision Statement. Your Vision Statement should be no longer than one page and include:- What you think you’ll bring to the journal as Coordinating Lead Editor;
- How you would work in partnership with Academic Editors and the Editorial Board;
- Where you believe the subjects covered by the journal are advancing, and how the journal’s place within the field can progress;
- How you would develop proactive commissioning to attract a range of high-quality submissions;
- How you would uphold the journal’s standards of research and publishing integrity throughout the desk rejection, peer review and decisioning process.
Journal pledge
The journal is committed to ensuring diversity, equity and inclusion within its editorial team and decision making processes. All applications will be treated as strictly confidential, and each will be judged on its merits without bias for seniority of institutional affiliation. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, ancestry, national origin, religion, or religious creed, mental or physical disability, medical condition, genetic information, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, military or protected veteran status, citizenship, or other protected characteristics.
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