The Society for the Study of French History (SSFH), and the editorial board of French History, wish to offer an early or mid-career scholar the opportunity to gain experience as an associate editor of the journal. Applicants should be specialists in the history of France and/or the Francophone world, and holders of a doctoral degree with a record of publication in the field. While we welcome applicants working on any time period, preference may be given to applicants with expertise in the eighteenth-century and/or the revolutionary era. We particularly welcome and encourage applications from candidates belonging to groups that have been under-represented within the profession.
The position is for a fixed term of three years and will begin on 1 April 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter.
French History is a leading international journal, published by Oxford University Press. This position will offer the holder the opportunity to explore all aspects of running such a publication. Working with the journal’s editors, Claire Eldridge and Tom Hamilton, the two current associate editors Erika Graham-Goering and Will Pooley, the editorial board, the OUP press and productions teams and the SSFH, the new associate editor will be supported to take particular responsibility for specific areas of the journal’s activities:
- Commissioning special issues and standalone content. This will entail assessing special issue proposals and/or designing calls for such issues, developing relationships with guest editors and working to ensure that at least 2-3 viable special issues are in development at any time. The associate editor will also share responsibility with the editors for commissioning standalone content (e.g. roundtables, state-of-the-field essays and review articles) that responds to anniversaries, major events and emerging issues of relevance to the journal’s readership. This work will support the journal’s aim to diversify its content, author base and readership.
- Editing the ‘Society News’ feature to reflect information about SSFH grants, prizes and publications.
- Development of the journal’s international presence with a particular focus on France and the Francophone world. This will entail pursuing initiatives to raise the journal’s profile with academics in France and globally and to encourage copy flow internationally.
- Editorial board liaison, managing the practical side of liaison with the editorial board, overseeing the list of board members and their appointment terms.
The associate editor will also have an opportunity to gain experience, with the editors’ assistance, in the day-to-day administration of an academic journal and in managing the process involved in the peer-review and production of research articles.
The editors and the SSFH intend that associate editor positions will be taken up by a number of people over the longer term. It should therefore be understood by applicants that they remain separate from any processes relative to the appointment of future full editors.
A small financial stipend is attached to the role. Expenses incurred in the course of associate editors’ responsibilities will be reimbursed by the SSFH.
Enquiries and letters of application, outlining the candidate’s suitability for the role and including an up-to-date curriculum vitae, should be directed to the journal’s co-editors Claire Eldridge (c.eldridge@leeds.ac.uk) and Tom Hamilton (tom.b.hamilton@durham.ac.uk). Applicants’ letters of application and CVs should be no longer than 2 pages each.
The closing date for the receipt of applications is 5pm GMT Friday 14 March 2025.
