Qualifications

Ideal candidates will be active in the genetic counseling community and have a strong record of published research as primary author.  Qualified candidates will have a graduate degree with training in genetic counseling. Full membership in NSGC is required.  Certification by the American Board of Genetic Counseling, American Board of Medical Genetics or Canadian Association of Genetic Counseling is preferred.   

Qualified candidates will have familiarity with major researchers, institutions, and resources and a desire to set the standard for intellectual rigor in the discipline.  Knowledge of clinical research design and basic concepts of statistics and ethics of research; administrative and editorial skills, including familiarity with online peer review systems; capacity for detailed and deadline-dependent work; an understanding of the national and international community of genetic counselor researchers and practitioners; and strong interpersonal, communication and writing skills are strongly preferred.

The Editor-In-Chief must possess the energy and vision to sustain and further develop the Journal as a leading forum in genetic counseling, delivering timely and accurate information to this and related topics.  Candidates should be willing to make a 5 year commitment.  It is expected that the candidate will comply with NSGC’s conflict of interest guidelines.

Support for the Editor-In-Chief

Funding is available to support the efforts of the Editor-in-Chief and her/his editorial team and to handle all aspects of the manuscript submission, peer review and editing process. Compensation will be negotiated with the Editor-in-Chief or her/his institution to offset the time and effort involved in this position. The Editor-In-Chief position is supported by the Publisher and Managing Editor at Springer.

Responsibilities of the Editor-In-Chief

The Editor-In-Chief is expected to:

• Work hand-in-hand with NSGC leadership to uphold and enhance JOGC’s mission, editorial quality, rigorous ethical standards, and reputation for meaningful scholarship.
• Work closely with Springer on journal development to raise JOGC’s impact and advance the profession of genetic counseling.
• Encourage and solicit the submission of relevant, original, high?quality manuscripts for JOGCand act as an ambassador for JOGC.
• Establish and manage your editorial office to efficiently and effectively oversee theJOGC peer review and publication process, and ensure the content and quality of each issue.
• Define and update the aims and scope of JOGC in order to enhance its relevance and usage.
• Work with the editorial office to maintain and administerJOGC editorial policies and procedures, and to revise them or establish new policies as appropriate, subject to NSGC Board approval, to reflect relevant changes and best practices in research, clinical practice, and scholarly publishing.
• Recruit, select, and appoint associate editors as needed (including associate, managing, assistant, and contributing editors, special issue editors, editorial board members, and others), to represent the depth and breadth of genetic counseling and related disciplines. The editorial board should comprise members with high stature and respect in the genetic counseling community, and with the technical expertise sufficient to oversee the content of submitted articles.
• Recruit, select, and train reviewers as needed.
• Monitor the peer review process to ensure that appropriate and well?defined procedures for timely review are unbiased and faithfully executed; and maintain the integrity and confidentiality of authors’ work while it is under evaluation for publication.
• Review any proposals and initiatives submitted to JOGCfor suitability, applicability, and interest to JOGC 
• Select articles suitable for the scope of JOGC and interest level of readers, and make decisions with the advice and recommendations of other editors and peer reviewers.
• Respond to correspondence from authors, fellow Editor-In-Chiefs, editorial board members, reviewers, NSGC members, readers, and others regarding peer review and/or manuscript decisions, as needed.
• Respond to and manage incidents of error and allegations of ethical misconduct according to industry standards and best practices in scholarly publishing.
• Oversee annual editorial board teleconferences and meetings; keep the editorial board active, committed, engaged and responsive to the needs of JOGC; and report to them on the year’s activities.
• Report to the NSGC Board of Directors at least once per year, and upon request be available and responsive to communications and requests from NSGC leaders and staff.
• Meet with the President and Executive Director at least once per year.
• Oversee administration of theannual Journal of Genetic Counseling Student Manuscript Award.
• Review and provide recommendations to the NSGC Executive Director regarding proposed advertising and promotional opportunities.
• Aid the publisher in selecting/crafting content and other information to be used in special features, reports, and marketing and promotional pieces.
• Be available and responsive to the Publisher and NSGC Executive Office routinely and as necessary to ensure that timely progress can be made on all projects, tasks, and initiatives.