We are seeking 2 people to journal our editorial team

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Buildings & Cities journal is looking for 2 Associate Editors to join our outstanding editorial team to support the journal’s mission. The Associate Editors will work in close cooperation with other B&C Editors. The commitment for each would be 3 hours per week. Associate Editors are also required to attend virtual Editorial meetings. These are community service roles that are non-remunerative.

The roles

The Feedback Editor would be responsible for non-peer-reviewed essays providing (i) commentaries from other researchers, practitioners and policymakers on the content of each special issue after it is published and (ii) reflective essays on insights from an individual's research career.  For a sample of the range of Feedback essays see:
https://www.buildingsandcities.org/journal-content/special-issues/data-politics-si.html and
https://www.buildingsandcities.org/journal-content/special-issues/energy-emerging-tech-gender.html

The Briefing Notes Editor would work within team and be responsible for the creation of Briefing Notes.  This involves liaison with the Practitioner Panel and chairing virtual meetings with them, selecting topics, identifying and commissioning appropriate authors, advising and editing their drafts, and overseeing the peer review process for these articles. The purpose of a B&C Briefing Note is to provide readers (from outside the research community) with a concise summary, in plain English, of a what is known in a particular research topic, to understand the most significant issues involved and specifically how they can respond to them. For a sample of published Briefing Notes see: https://www.buildingsandcities.org/journal-content/briefing-notes.html

Selection criteria

• A strong understanding of built environment research issues
• Research experience (PhD or equivalent)
• Academic writing and publication experience
• Excellent communication skills and an ability to write clearly and succinctly in English language
• Editing experience in English language
• Ability to synthesise information succinctly and clearly 
• An ability to work in an international context
• Excellent teamworking abilities and willingness to contribute to collaborative decision-making processes
• Able to organise and fulfil tasks to a deadline
• Sensitivity to both authors’ and readers’ needs
• Web authoring skills (desirable)
• Experience in electronic publishing (desirable)

Briefing Notes editor: In addition to the above, a deep understanding of research translation, public communication of science and the needs and expectations of built environment practitioners. Experience as a built environment professional (desirable). Experience in managing the peer review process (desirable).

We seek to recruit and appoint the best talent regardless of age, sex, gender identity, ethnicity, disability, socio-economic background, religion and/or belief.   

What’s in it for you?

These intellectually stimulating and demanding roles will expand your international networks and provide a broad overview of emerging issues and research.  Working within a friendly, small, highly experienced, editorial team, this is an opportunity to expand your knowledge as well as writing and dissemination skills. 

You will be involved in engagement with academics, practitioners and users in the built environment, including exposure to networks of scholars, our international editorial board and practitioner panel. You will promote the dissemination and engagement with cutting edge research.

These part time roles should be considered as a service to the research and wider built environment community and an opportunity to enhance and further develop a personal research career. The posts are not remunerative. It is anticipated that each role will require approximately 3 hours a week on average. Applicants may receive support from their academic institution for their time commitment in this role as career development and/or community service.

How to apply

Please submit the following documents to

1. a cover letter highlighting your relevant experience and skills, your contact details and your interest in this positions
2. a CV
3. two relevant samples of your writing aimed at engagement with different audiences
4. two references

Closing date: 10 October 2025 (noon GMT).

Shortlisted applicants will be asked:

1. to attend a virtual interview
2. to make a short 5-minute presentation about their strategy and skills for the post(s) they are applying for
3. to edit and comment on a short sample text.

About us

Buildings & Cities is an independent and not-for-profit top quartile peer-reviewed journal and an intellectual space for engagement between researchers, practitioners and policy makers in the built environment.  Buildings & Cities is a highly dynamic transdisciplinary built environment journal that actively promotes excellence in research, two-way dialogue with the end users of this research and supports early career researchers. The journal publishes peer reviewed scholarship (https://journal-buildingscities.org/) as well as news, commentaries, briefing notes, feedback on special issues and book reviews (https://www.buildingsandcities.org/)

Our editorial team is united by a mission to deliver world-class peer-reviewed quality research and provide clear reliable and usable information to the ‘end users’ of research. We encourage research that responds to societal demands and capabilities.

Our values

In addition to the journal’s Aims & Scope, our actions are underpinned by our values and commitments:

1. We seek to publish highest quality research that has been evaluated through a fair, rigorous and robust peer-review process.
2. Encourage and publish research and ideas that help improve the built environment, not just describe it.
3. Maintain integrity in all our work with authors and oblige them to undertake and present their work according to ethical research and publishing guidelines. We are truthful, accurate, ethical and unbiased.
4. Make all research articles in the journal freely available (open access).
5. Translate: make the research accessible not only for academics and researchers, but also for the end-users of research: policymakers, practitioners, clients, teachers and occupants.
6. Inspire and engage: promote dialogue and greater understanding between authors and the end-users of research, to have greater impact through discussions in virtual and live events.
7. Create an inclusive and supportive community of authors, and assist those without funding to publish in our journal.
8. Operate as a not-for-profit, reinvesting any surplus funds into the journal and the research community that we serve.
9. Be independent: our role and content are independent of the interests of any organisation, institution, company or government.
10. We are inclusive: we value the different perspectives and experiences of researchers, academics and practitioners from around the world who understand both the content, context and applications of built environment research. We support authors in the Global South.

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