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Principal Editor

New York, New York, United States

About Us 

Virgo Health works for pharmaceutical, biotech, and device companies to inform and educate healthcare professionals about the latest developments in clinical research and therapeutic approaches. We leverage our meetings, digital, and interactive expertise to understand what’s easy and relevant for healthcare professionals to engage with. We tailor our content and design it to offer choice and active participation. Real, relevant, and human.

Job Overview

The principal editor assists in the development and delivery of high-quality medical education materials. This diverse role encourages best practices and use of health education processes across editorial services and the wider team, and successfully serves as a point of authority and/or source of advice for the brand.

Core Responsibilities

Editing

• Expert on the brand. Owns the agency process

• Demonstrates and applies extensive knowledge of assigned brands including key brand issues and copy strategy

• Proven skills across all medical editorial functions including substantive editing, copyediting, proofreading, and fact-checking

• Strengthens and maintains the editorial process; actively implements SOPs, communicates, ensures, and enforces adherence to flawless standards of quality

• Plans workload, forecasts and plans resourcing for editorial work, and proactively highlights resource gaps and recommends solutions

• Ensures all written communication produced aligns with Virgo quality and house style/client style (as appropriate)

• Acquires figure/table permissions and maintains permissions tracker • Ensures adequate therapy area knowledge to actively interrogate copy and assist team in identifying errors

• Sets up and ensures maintenance of appropriate filing systems and databases and delivers specific training as appropriate

• Negotiates with internal teams to strategize on timeline and editorial concerns

• Undertakes specific writing projects, eg, development of biographies, where appropriate incorporate basic client/author comments (under the direction of a medical writer)

• Undertakes advanced literature and broader internet searches to support medical writers and liaises with external services as required to initiate more complex searches

• Provides on-site meeting support as appropriate

• Assists account teams in compiling the results to program evaluations completed at live programs

Relationship Building

• Builds professional relationships with external suppliers (eg design, digital, printers), provides full briefs, and deals with any issues arising relating to specific aspects of projects

• Liaises with other external contacts (eg, obtains materials and permissions) and ensures documented approval

• Role models professional and positive qualities within the organization

Team Working

• Excellent communication skills

• Is an integral member of the broader team, contributes to meetings, flags priorities, helps drive deadlines, and chases comments driving flow of content from scientific based on timelines from client services to editorial

• Demonstrates significant knowledge of agency procedures, issues faced, and contributes to problem resolution

• Conveys credibility and maintains positive, professional image both internally and externally

Knowledge and Industry Awareness

• Thorough knowledge of AMA style and FDA regulations

• Demonstrates in-depth knowledge in multiple therapy areas

• Keeps updated on all major style guides, maintains and improves the Virgo house style guide as well as all brand-specific style guides

• Maintains an excellent understanding of major style guides and our clients’ brand-specific style guides

• Keeps updated on new developments within the medical education industry

Project Management 

• Estimates editorial hours for input into budgets

• Plans workload and proactively highlights resource gaps and recommends solutions

• Manages and coordinates materials through studio to print-ready stage, including consideration of style, layout, design, color, formatting, compliance, and proofreading

• Works within agreed deadlines and budgeted hours to complete projects

• Manages additional support (freelance) that may be brought in on the brands

 Experience/Skills Required

• Excellent attention to detail

• Excellent copy-editing and English language skills

• Excellent organization and administration skills and ability to multitask

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

• Working knowledge of copyright law and procedures

• Coaching/mentoring skills

• Ability to prioritize editorial department’s workload and work under pressure

• Systematic and logical approach to planning

• Experience with Veeva Vault or similar systems a plus

• Proficiency in use of PowerPoint, Word, Excel, internet (searches), and specialist software (eg, RefMan) 

Virgo Characteristics

• Team player

• Passionate commitment

• Professionalism and client focus

• Open communication

• Self-development

• Detail focus

• Organization

• Reliable

• Conscientious

• Direction setting

• Setting the standard

• Commercial awareness

• Embraces change

Key Performance Indicators

• Client feedback

• Annual performance objectives and performance appraisal

• Quality of edited materials

Virgo is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, disability or protected veteran status.