Applications Sought for Editor-In-Chief of the Journal, Movement Disorders

Application Deadline: August 18, 2025

The MDS Editorial Search Committee seeks applications for the position of Editor-In-Chief (EIC) of Movement Disorders to serve a 5-year term (renewable once), to begin on January 1, 2027. The current Editor-In-Chief, Dr. A. Jon Stoessl, will conclude his term on December 31, 2026. Under his dedicated leadership, the journal has continued to grow and remains the leading publication in the field of Movement Disorders. 

MDS will be considering both single and co-editorships to fill the role.

Duties and Responsibilities of the Editor-In-Chief, Movement Disorders

The Editor-In-Chief (EIC) is responsible for determining the suitability of submitted manuscripts for publication in the journal. The EIC is also responsible for organizing the content of each issue in collaboration with the Managing Editor.  The EIC currently maintains and oversees a Managing Editor, Deputy Editors, Associate Editors, and the International Editorial Board.  The International Editorial Board represents various specialty areas and is evenly distributed geographically as far as possible within the field of Movement Disorders. In conjunction with these Editors, the EIC works to: (1) ensure that a sound peer review process takes place; (2) solicit Journal articles; and (3) carry out editorial policies of the Society.  

The EIC establishes timelines for the review and publication process to maintain the highest standards of content for a peer-reviewed journal publication and maintains balance across disciplinary areas and specialties. The EIC also ensures that the journal promotes the Society's interests and implements the journal’s policies on matters such as conflict of interest.  

Candidates for the position of Editor-In-Chief should be innovative, have the ability to develop a vision for the journal, and implement that vision to create attractive content for the journal. In addition, correspondence with authors regarding queries, concerns, rebuttals, and articles is becoming more complex, and the Candidate will need to manage correspondence as well as the laborious decision-making process successfully.

Candidates should have strong writing and managerial skills, as well as strong technical accomplishments in one or more disciplines relevant to movement disorders, preferably have prior experience as an editor of scholarly publications, and have broad interests. Candidates should not hold positions that conflict or compete with those of the editorship or have other conflicts of interest that will be perceived as compromising the integrity of the post and the journal.  Candidates should have adequate time available to commit to the duties of Editor-In-Chief, which are estimated to require at least fifteen to twenty hours weekly on an ongoing basis, including usual vacation times from standard employment. The journal is currently receiving an average of 125-150 new submissions a month. As the journal is published in English, high language skills in both oral and written English are essential.  

The Editor-In-Chief will be required to sign and adhere to the MDS Code of Conduct agreement.  The EIC will receive an annual stipend, and the Society holds liability insurance to provide coverage to volunteers of the organization.

Reporting Structure

The Editor-In-Chief is given editorial independence in regard to content; however, this position is responsible for providing biannual reports to the MDS Publications Oversight Committee (POC) as well as the MDS Officers. These reports include both editorial successes and challenges, as well as metrics such as article downloads, time to publish, and article acceptance rates. Additionally, any budgetary requests or new projects would need the review and approval of both the POC and the Officers.

Additionally, an annual in-person strategic meeting is held between the MDS Journal Editors (MDJ and MDCP), the MDS Leadership, the Publication Oversight Committee, the Journal Publishers, and relevant staff. 

Applications

Applications for Editor-In-Chief should include a statement of the applicant’s qualifications, relevant experience, management approach, a CV, and a list of references.  Candidates should also submit their strategic vision for the journal, specifically addressing the following questions:

• What is your vision for the journal?
• What would you like to see changed and/or preserved?
• Are there any administrative changes you would make, or do you have ideas about an ideal administrative structure?
• What particular skills will you bring to the position?
• Please indicate which Editor Role (MDJ vs. MDCP) you are applying for in your application.

Applications must be submitted by August 18, 2025, in order to receive full consideration. The MDS Editorial Search Committee will carefully review them. Following this review, only those individuals deemed to be strong potential candidates for the positions will be contacted for an in-person interview during the 2025 International Congress in Honolulu. 

Applications should be submitted to: 
MDS International Secretariat
555 East Wells Street, Suite 1100 
Milwaukee, WI 53202-3823 USA 
TEL: +1 414-276-2145
FAX: +1 414-276-3349 
E-mail: info@movementdisorders.org