Editorial Assistant

Join our team, sharing the latest scientific advances in light-based technologies from around the world, including biomedical optics, astronomy, lasers, solar, nanotechnology, and more!  Make a difference by doing important work with a successful, international not-for-profit organization.

Full-time, 40 hours per week position available, with flexible work hours.

Description of duties

Responsible for clerical, editorial, peer review, and production support for the Press Department, under the supervision of the Director of Technical Content and Scientific Publishing. Duties may include author, customer, and vendor communications; preparing and maintaining spreadsheets and reports; proofreading; administrative support for Series Editors and advisory board; internal coordination of tasks; and general department support and special projects.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Coordinate between staff and external entities for tasks such as for composition, printing, and resellers.
• Perform interdepartmental coordination on marketing aspects, social media, book orders, website, and graphics as directed.
• Provide peer review support for Press staff including coordinating with external reviewers, processing honoraria, and shipping complementary books.
• Provide coordination of various publishing tasks for the Spotlight and Children’s Books series in coordination with department management.
• Prepare and publish book content files and other product information on SPIE.org, SPIE Digital Library, and Square as directed.
• Perform proofreading and quality control tasks for manuscripts and other documents as needed in support of Press staff.
• Assist with conference bookstore tasks such as preparing book ship list, printing labels, maintaining documentation, posters, and shipping and receiving items.
• Compile, maintain, and distribute publication data for resellers’ agents, and other external entities such as the Library of Congress.
• Prepare and maintain author contracts, publishing agreements, sales and royalty reports, and other spreadsheets and reports.
• Provide administrative support for Series Editors and Advisory Committee members.
• Perform research tasks using internal and web resources, as directed.
• Fulfill general departmental clerical support duties, including data entry, maintaining spreadsheets and reports, and special projects.

Other Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Experience using Excel tables, functions, and data visualization for reporting.
• Web production skills (HTML and XML), or web content management systems.
• Effective communication skills.
• Effective writing, spelling, and grammar skills.
• Excellent computer skills, including Microsoft Office and Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Adobe Acrobat, CMS software, and database facility.

Education & Experience Requirements

•  Two-year college degree, or equivalent, relevant experience required; Bachelor’s degree in English, communications, journalism, or equivalent preferred.
• Prior publications or communications experience preferred.

 Compensation and Benefits package include:

• Competitive wages, annual discretionary bonus. Pay range depending on experience is $20.04 to $28.05/hr., non-exempt position.
• Medical, dental & vision benefits provided (100% employer paid premium for the employee, 75% employer paid premium for the dependents).
• Defined retirement contribution: SPIE provides an automatic 5% contribution PLUS SPIE offers UP to 5% matching contributions and 25% vesting each year, 100% vested after 4 years.
• Paid Time Off plan begins at 31 days per year.
• Health savings accounts are partially funded by SPIE.
• Flexible spending accounts for dependent care and dental/vision expenses available.
• Employee life & disability insurance provided, dependent life insurance & Long-Term Care insurance available through payroll deduction.
• Many learning & development opportunities including tuition reimbursement & leadership development.

Location: Physical work location in Bellingham, WA.  Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.  The employer will not sponsor applicants for work visas.

Culture: At SPIE, we believe innovation thrives when people feel valued, supported, and empowered. We cultivate a culture of curiosity, collaboration, and continuous growth—where diverse perspectives are embraced, bold ideas are encouraged, and every voice matters.

Please apply online www.spie.jobs with a resume & cover letter, indicating how your experience & qualifications match the requirements & why you will be successful in this position.

All materials must be received by 5 p.m. 10/7/2026.

SPIE is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.  SPIE provides equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, color, age, religion, protected veteran or disability status, or genetic information.