Publishing Rights Coordination Assistant

Introduction

The position is located in the Production Management Services Unit (PMSERV) within the Publications Production and Publishing Management Unit (PRODOC), of the Internal Services and Administration Department (INTSERV). INTSERV is responsible for the general management of facilities, property and inventory; safety and security; printing, publishing and distribution; diplomatic privileges; travel and transport, use of public spaces and general internal services.  PRODOC is responsible for all aspects of publishing, including open access, copyright, design, editing/proofreading/quality control, digital production, and internal and external printing. The unit produces and distributes ILO official documents as well as most publications issued at ILO headquarters. The Production Management Services Unit (PMSERV) is responsible for publishing rights, digital publishing, printing and distribution services.

The incumbent is specifically responsible for carrying out the operations for rights of ILO publications.

The position will report to the PMSERV Lead.

Specific Duties

1.    Act as the focal point for Open Access-related matters. Provide guidance on rules and regulations and respond to questions pertaining to Open Access and Creative Commons licences.
2.    Provide guidance and support to departments and field offices on Open Access partnerships, including on translation, reprints, and other forms of reuse.  Liaise with commercial publishers to facilitate the publication of ILO material under Creative Commons licences.
3.    Carry out all operations for licensing and administration of ILO copyright publications and material published prior to ILO’s Open Access launch date. Support the drafting and preparation of administrative documents and standard contractual agreements related to ILO copyright matters and co-publishing arrangements and coordinate with the Editorial Administrator.
4.    Monitor adherence to existing licencing agreements (both by ILO and its partners). Respond to general first line enquiries on publishing or copyright matters, such as, but not limited to copyright pages.  
5.    In consultation with the supervisor, bring to the attention of the Office of the Legal Adviser issues relating to Open Access or licensing that are of particular importance due to their complexity or potential legal or political implications.  Provide information and documentation as required and keep the supervisor informed.
6.    Process ISBN and ISSN allocation for ILO publications using the ILO’s publishing and asset management system. Respond to general ISBN and production queries.
7.    Coordinate requests for digital object identifiers (DOIs) and Cataloguing in Publication (CIP) data in collaboration with the ILO Library. Compile annual ISBN statistics for ISBN Agency.
8.    Prepare reports and statistics related to negotiations with publishers, institutions, and governments, if requested. 
9.    Coordinate royalty payments and the recovery of local tax or other incorrect/improper deductions; verify and settle invoices relating to externally published books, liaising with technical units as necessary. 
10.    Archive copyright, permissions and sales documentation in the ILO’s publishing and asset management system, as well as physical filing into official registry files. 
11.    Administer sales operation with ILO’s main distributor including stock management and dispatch of documents and publications.
12.    Perform other relevant duties as assigned. 

Required qualifications

Education

Completion of secondary school education.  Training in a relevant field.

Experience

Minimum of six years of relevant experience.
 

Languages

Excellent command of two working languages (English, French, Spanish) of the Organization.  One of these languages must be English.

Competencies

Good knowledge of publishing rights licensing.  Good understanding of publishing sales and distribution channels. Ability to coordinate sales operations with distributors. Commercial mindset with strong customer service as well as meticulous attention to detail. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, ability to build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders. Ability to efficiently coordinate multiple projects and priorities. Strong organizational and time management skills. Ability to work independently and as part of a team. Good knowledge of publishing and asset management systems. Proficient in the use of computer software packages, such as Office 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams).  Excellent drafting skills.  Analytical skills.  Ability to collaborate and communicate effectively with colleagues and external partners. Ability to work in a multicultural environment and to demonstrate gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory behaviour and attitudes.