Production Systems Manager

About the Role

The role of Production Systems Manager focuses on maintaining and managing critical data within OUP’s journals workflow management system (WMS), including workflow templates, scheduling, and essential metadata. You will be involved in collaboration with third-party content creation suppliers to ensure seamless data exchange and article ingestion, as well as resolving issues that may arise during production. You will also support system development through planning, testing, and implementation of enhancements, while facilitating accurate documentation and training across teams to improve journal production workflows.

In addition, the role contributes strategic value by delivering data analysis and cost estimates to guide decision-making and supplier management. You will support the smooth running of operations by providing insights into production efficiency and cost-effectiveness, helping to standardize and improve departmental processes. Participation in change initiatives and collaborative projects underscores a commitment to continual improvement, operational excellence, and the successful delivery of high-quality journal content.

We operate a hybrid working policy that requires a minimum of 2 days per week in the Oxford office.

About You

Essential:

• Excellent communication skills
• Good organizational skills
• Ability to work independently, handle multiple projects simultaneously, and work to tight deadlines
• Ability to work in a team
• Ability to learn quickly and work flexibly with varied software
• Good IT skills

Desirable:

• Experience in a publishing environment
• Experience in production, including familiarity with new, sensitive, or significantly complex work
• Familiarity with workflow management systems
• Familiarity with XML
• Experience working with contractors or 3rd-party suppliers
• Experience in creating or managing technical documentation
• Experience managing and working with operational costs and budgets

Please note, this is a 9 month fixed term contract.

Benefits

We care about work/life balance here at OUP. With this in mind we offer 25 days’ holiday that rises with service, plus bank holidays and Christmas closure (3-days) and a 35-hour working week. We are open to discussing flexibility in respect to working patterns, dependent on role. We also have a great variety of active employee networks and societies.

We help make your money go further by contributing to your pension up to 12%, offering loans and savings schemes through our partnership with Salary Finance, in addition to travel to work schemes and access to a wide range of local discounts.

This role comes with the added benefit of a discretionary annual payment.

Please see our Rewards and Recognition page for more information.