Vacancy: Director of cOAlition S

10/12/2025

Launched in 2018, cOAlition S brings together a group of organisations committed to achieving full and immediate Open Access to scholarly publications in line with Plan S. Seven years on, and after significant progress in achieving the goals of the members, cOAlition S has adopted a new strategic plan and governance structure to take forward its work on Open Access.

Our goal is a scholarly communication system that enables rapid, open, transparent, and equitable sharing of trustworthy scientific knowledge by:

strengthening the foundations for full, immediate, sustainable, and equitable Open Access to scholarly peer-reviewed articles;
supporting digital infrastructures that enable Open Access; and
exploring financially sustainable and equitable publishing systems and monitoring mechanisms.

We now wish to appoint an experienced Director to lead and coordinate the work of the coalition in delivering this strategy.

The Role

The Director will guide and support the work of the member organisations by proposing, shaping, and monitoring action plans consistent with the agreed strategy. The Director will also act as spokesperson for cOAlition S in national and international research-policy fora.

The Director leads the cOAlition S team in the Host Secretariat. As set out in the description of the responsibilities of the Director in the Terms of Reference of the Governance Structure, the Director reports to the Chair of the Executive Steering Group (ESG) routinely, and to the Chair of the Leaders Group (LG) formally.

As a membership organisation, cOAlition S depends on active collaboration among its members. The Director must therefore lead with the membership—helping to represent, articulate, and advance the shared strategy and objectives of the members—while fostering cohesion across diverse Open Access policy approaches.

Influence and advocacy are central to the role. The Director should be able to speak effectively for the shared strategic goals and principles of cOAlition S, taking account of a range of specific publishing models which may deliver our goals.

The Director combines leadership and management responsibilities of the kind expected in leading substantial programmes, requiring strong skills in planning, coordination, consensus-building, high-level administration, monitoring, risk mitigation, and delivery.

The position requires full-time commitment. Remuneration will be commensurate to the experience and credentials of the candidate.

Term of Office and place of work

The Director’s appointment will align with the current strategic cycle: an initial term of two years, extendable for a further three years subject to satisfactory progress and outcomes.

Remote work is possible, provided that in-person meetings are scheduled regularly with the rest of the Secretariat team. The Director should be able to travel in Europe and overseas to represent the coalition in relevant meetings and events.

Qualifications and Experience

Candidates should demonstrate:

evidence of knowledge and expertise in the scholarly publication system and of Open Access practices and policies;
ability to work collaboratively with the leaders of cOAlition S member organisations, Open Access experts, and colleagues;
capacity to balance diverse stakeholder perspectives while maintaining a cohesive membership; and
ability to propose, lead, and manage supporting actions, including the development of influential narratives for Open Access.

This position may suit senior managers in funding bodies or research-performing organisations, senior librarians, experienced policy-makers, or industry professionals with substantial international collaboration experience and knowledge of the scholarly publishing system.

Assessment Criteria

In assessing candidates, cOAlition S will give particular weight to:

demonstrated expertise in scholarly publishing, ideally from different roles or perspectives;
proven ability to develop and lead activities aligned with members’ interests;
experience engaging with external partners and wider society;
management, leadership, and consensus-building competence;
high-level administrative skills in planning, shaping, monitoring, risk management, legal understanding and delivery; and
personal leadership qualities evidenced through project management, editorial work, or other comparable responsibilities.

Experience of working in or with cOAlition S member organisations, and understanding of their differing contexts and operating logics, will be a further advantage.

Secondment of a professional from another organisation may be considered for this position.

Submission process and timeline

Interested candidates should submit their application, including a one-page cover letter outlining their motivation and suitability for the role, their CV and the names and contact information of two professional references (ideally a current or former line manager). All documents must be sent to coalitionsdirectorjob@outlook.com by 31 January 2026 (17:00 CET). Applications received after this deadline will not be considered.

Interviews with shortlisted candidates will be conducted in February 2026, and the final decision is expected to be communicated by the end of February or early March 2026.

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