Description

Organization: National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA)

Position Type: Contract, Part-Time (Approx. 25% FTE / 10–15 hours per week average; up to 20 hours initially)

Compensation: Annual Stipend of approximately $35,000 (Paid to the individual or their institution)

Location: Remote / Academic Institution Base

Position Overview

The National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) is seeking a visionary, highly collaborative Editor-in-Chief (EiC) for the Journal of Financial Service Professionals (JFSP).

The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for the overall quality of the intellectual content of the Journal and for overseeing a thorough, fair, and timely peer-review process. Acting as the public face and intellectual voice of JFSP, the EiC will uphold the publication's mission, select original and impactful contributions to the field, and lead the Editorial Board.

The ideal candidate is a respected academic or industry leader backed by a supportive university environment, with a track record of professional publishing, and a dedication to advancing the financial services profession.

Core Responsibilities

1. Strategic Direction & Board Leadership

• Provide strategic direction to the Journal aligned with the aims, scopes, and policies established by the NAIFA Professional Development Committee.
• Serve as Chair of the Journal Editorial Board; nominate representative board members for approval by NAIFA, consult with them on editorial development, and facilitate annual meetings.
• Prepare an annual performance, productivity, and editorial activity report for the NAIFA Professional Development Committee.

2. Content & Editorial Development

• Oversee content selection, develop the annual editorial calendar, and curate key review articles, columns, and ongoing special features.
• Actively invite authors to submit high-quality manuscripts in a timely fashion to satisfy production schedules.
• Drive content growth, targeting a 20% increase in published articles and columns in Year 1, followed by a 10% annual increase thereafter.
• Write regular, insightful editorials for the Journal.

3. Peer-Review Management

• Oversee the peer-review process using NAIFA’s provided manuscript management system, ensuring authors receive constructive, timely feedback.
• Maintain and grow a robust pool of expert, responsive reviewers and associate editors.
• Conduct initial screenings of new submissions for adherence to scope and formatting guidelines.
• Serve as the final arbiter for manuscript acceptance or rejection when reviewer evaluations differ.

4. Promotion & Ambassadorship

• Serve as the primary representative and ambassador of the Journal to the public, authors, reviewers, and industry conferences.
• Partner with the publisher and NAIFA to identify indexing opportunities, expand readership metrics (e.g., page views), and direct promotional materials.

5. Ethical Oversight & Operations

• Ensure adherence to customary ethical policies for scholarly publishing by identifying and investigating any potential breaches of conduct.
• Adhere strictly to the annual operating budget determined by NAIFA.
• Deliver complete, formatted text, illustrations, and references to the Managing Editor on schedule.
   

Authority & Operational Structure

• Editorial Independence: The Editor-in-Chief holds final decision-making authority for the acceptance or rejection of all manuscripts. The publisher does not intervene in editorial decisions.
• Administrative Support: The EiC is supported by a Managing Editor who oversees day-to-day administrative tasks, assists authors/reviewers with the manuscript system, coordinates special issues, and manages publisher communications. A cooperative, collaborative, and productive working relationship between EiC and Managing Editor is essential.
• Governance: The EiC reports to, receives advisory support from, and coordinates with the NAIFA Professional Development Committee.
   

Time Commitment & Breakdown

This role is structured to consume an average of 25% of Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) time, or approximately 10 hours per week. Because the initial phase involves establishing a team of Associate Editors to help delegate peer-review management, the workload may require up to 20 hours per week initially, stabilizing to a typical weekly breakdown:

• Initial Screening (1–3 hours): Auditing new submissions for scope and basic quality.
• Assigning Peer Reviewers (2–5 hours): Securing appropriate subject matter experts.
• Evaluating Reviews & Decisions (5–10 hours): Synthesizing referee reports and finalizing editorial decisions.
• Board Management & Strategy (2–5 hours): Author relations, planning future directions, and managing associate editors.

Note for Academic Faculty: Because of this time commitment, successful candidates should consider negotiating release time (teaching reductions) with their university departments. An endorsement from the candidate’s academic department to commit 25% time to this role is required.

Position Qualifications

Education & Designations

Holder of an advanced degree or relevant professional designation(s) in related fields, including but not limited to: PhD, JD, LL.M., MBA, CPA, LUTCF, LACP, CLU, ChFC, CFP®, RHU, REBC, MSFS, MSM, AEP, CFA, or FSA.

Experience & Environment

• Minimum of 3 years of experience in an editorial capacity (e.g., journal editorial board, associate editor).
• Current academic placement within a supportive University environment, preferably affiliated with a business, insurance, or finance department.
• Extensive research experience accompanied by a strong, proven publication record of articles, books, or other scholarly work in the financial services field.
• Prior involvement with the Journal of Financial Service Professionals, the Society of Financial Service Professionals, or NAIFA is highly desirable. Active NAIFA professional membership is preferred for all board roles.

Skills

• Demonstrated high proficiency in leadership, strategic innovation, and interpersonal communication. Ability to work independently and remotely, in an effective and efficient way, while maintaining a cooperative, collaborative, and productive working relationship with NAIFA staff and the NAIFA Professional Development Committee.
• Masterful command of Microsoft Office Suite; familiarity with Adobe Creative Suite and online peer-review management systems is preferred.
• Knowledge/experience with Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS), or understanding of house style guides
   

Key Success Indicators

• Delivery of an innovative, forward-looking vision for the Journal.
• Achievement of Year 1 (+20%) and ongoing (+10% annually) content volume growth targets.
• Optimization of the review workflow to minimize the duration between submission and publication.
• Consistently high metrics for author satisfaction regarding communication, fairness, and transparency.
• Measurable growth in Journal metrics and target index inclusions.
• A demonstrated collaborative, cooperative, and productive working relationship between the EiC and the Managing Editor.
   

How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit a CV, a cover letter detailing their vision for the Journal, and a sample and/or portfolio of previously published work in an academic journal or trade publication.

Please apply through LinkedIn or send applications to Ann Slebodnik ([email protected]) by August 21, 2026.