Tim Decker Email & Phone Number

New York, NY, US

New York, NY

• Manage 10-member (initially 14) US Publishing Support Team to meet journal portfolio targets and quality requirements; translate STM Journals division goals to tactical team objectives across the PS, LSSSE and HMS.
• Monitor the performance of direct reports on personal development plan objectives and action plans; establish KPIs and metrics for publishing support and support staff activities; identify training needs and provide.
• Foster strong relationships between the Team and Publishers, Publishing Directors and SVPs, develop a structured approach for communications, reporting and collaboration between publishing support staff and publishing.
• Drive delivery on support objectives for each journal portfolio, including maintenance of journal data, travel and meeting arrangements, reporting and research, journal management and society support.
• Oversee the effective implementation of workflows and procedures; optimize workflows; develop and share best practices.

New York, NY

• Managed team of project coordinators who develop and process all contracting documents (statements of work/contracts and service order requests) to fulfill program staffing requests for continuing medical education.
• Assigned tasks to copyeditors and freelance writers, aligning work assignments with individual expertise/interests when possible; enforced deadlines; prioritized work based on project timelines using WorkFront project.
• Provided day-to-day project support to freelancers by handling routine queries, troubleshooting technical issues relating to content delivery and offering administrative assistance as required.
• Designated editorial staff for newly confirmed projects based on therapeutic specialties and projected development timelines using SalesForce.
• Mitigated previous project delays by expediting freelanced work as necessary; communicate unavoidable project delays to program managers and other stakeholders.
• Maintained database of freelance resources, documenting expertise, bill rates, past projects and future availability to facilitate assigning new projects.

New York, NY

• Led team of 30+ production and creative staff and contractors responsible for 36 STM journals, a weekly science-business newsletter, and nine monthly Scientific American newsletters and archival one-shots.
• Directed successful pilot of XML-based online proofing and automated page layout tools, using elements of Agile project management. Suggested UI/UX improvements and proofed user support documentation. Previewed.
• Performed business process mapping and root cause analyses on production workflows using Lean Six Sigma methods.
• Conducted risk assessments and business impact analyses for production of key product lines. Developed avoidance and impact reduction strategies to ensure business continuity.
• Advised on Scientific American scanning project to digitize over a century’s worth of archival content. Conducted process testing and QC with vendors to optimize scanning quality to promote best practices to achieve.
• Assessed production tracking systems and provided feedback to Product Owner following demos.

New York, NY

• Led team of 16 production and creative staff responsible for nine STM journals.
• Outsourced typesetting of primary research content for nine Nature-branded research journals to achieve business cost savings and publication turnaround goals, absorbing added work from new launches and acquisitions to.
• Managed relationships with offshore vendors' production staff, senior management and top executives.
• Performed cost-benefit analyses for Publishers: growth in editorial and online-only pages for future resource planning, projected origination savings by publishing selected article text online-only, alternative options.
• Conducted RFP for Nature Chemistry. Obtained samples and price quotes from offshore copyediting and typesetting vendors.
• Coordinated all aspects of editorial production for Nature Protocols launch, which also required a substantial archive to be published concurrent with the launch.

New York, NY

• Managed team of 11 production staff responsible for six STM research journals. Actively involved in all functions of staff management: interviewing, hiring/firing, salary determination, explanation of roles.
• Collaborated with Web, Print, Copy Editing, Publishing and Editorial to develop and implement solutions relating to workflow, scheduling and templates.
• Oversaw accuracy and timeliness of layout, proofing, preparation and delivery of press-ready and Web-ready digital files for journal issues, special focuses, supplements and reprint collections.
• Analyzed editorial production workflow and implemented changes to maximize efficiency.
• Attended journal QC meetings; investigated and corrected root causes of content and process errors.
• Archived digital files and otherwise policed file server; burned DVDs for Reprints department.