Associate Editor, Physical Review Letters


Associate Editor, Physical Review Letters

Who we are:


The American Physical Society is a nonprofit membership organization working to advance physics by fostering a vibrant, inclusive, and global community dedicated to science and society. APS represents more than 50,000 members, including physicists in academia, national laboratories, and industry in the United States and around the world.

Position Summary:

Physical Review Letters (PRL) is the world’s premier physics letter journal and the American Physical Society’s (APS) flagship publication. Since 1958 PRL has contributed to the APS mission to advance physics by publishing many of the key results, including dozens of which led to Nobel prizes.

Would you like to join our close-knit team of editors running the world’s premier physics Letters journal? As an Associate Editor of Physical Review Letters, you would handle all phases of the peer review process and ultimately decide which papers we publish. For this important work, we seek a dynamic and personable individual with a strong scientific background in one or more of these areas: soft matter and statistical physics.

Our editors stay engaged with the physics community and abreast of the latest research by attending meetings and visiting research institutions around the world. In addition, editors participate in various editorial initiatives and cross-departmental APS projects.

No editorial experience is required, though we do expect familiarity with the review process as an author and referee. We will train you to develop the editorial skills needed to be part of our team. Candidates with considerable editorial experience in handling manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals, and demonstrated impact in that role, may qualify for a senior position.


The Associate Editor is a full-time position. This position does not include visa sponsorship.



APS has a “remote first” concept that promotes equal treatment and equal access within the United States, independent of physical work location, with a majority of staff working primarily from remote work locations. APS values diversity and welcomes candidates from a variety of backgrounds. APS offers a dynamic work environment with an outstanding total compensation package, including salary, outstanding benefits, and excellent paid time off.

Responsibilities:

  • Manage all aspects of peer review for a suite of manuscripts. This includes determining if review is warranted, selecting referees, evaluating responses, and deciding whether to publish.

  • Maintain close contact with the other PRL editors and with the editors of other journals in the Physical Review portfolio.

  • Help select and briefly summarize papers to highlight.

  • Keep up with current and emerging physics research, and communicate such information with editors across the portfolio.

  • Support the manuscript post acceptance process, as needed, including the acquisition of editorial summaries and images and the resolution of production issues.

  • Perform editorial checks to ensure the overall quality and timeliness of published papers.

  • Maintain high ethical standards and fairness at all editorial stages, ensuring that decisions align with editorial policy and practice.

  • Gain mastery of the peer-review management system.

  • Represent the journals and APS at scientific conferences.

  • Actively engage and develop strong relationships and trust with a broad network of researchers.

  • Contribute to journal-level projects and strategy, such as content commissioning, social media, organizing outreach events, and data analytics.

  • Actively contribute to ensuring the journals are diverse, equitable, and inclusive.


Education:

  • A PhD and postdoctoral experience in one or more of these areas: soft matter and statistical physics. PRL covers all areas of physics research, so we seek those with a broad background and outlook.

Experience, Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

  • A minimum of one year of postdoctoral experience.

  • Excellent knowledge of the science and literature in their field.

  • Familiarity with existing research groups in that area.

  • Strong sense of integrity.

  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

  • Ability to make prompt independent evaluations and decisions.

  • Ability to manage multiple priorities.

  • Strong written and verbal English communication skills.

  • Excellent attention to detail.

  • Ability to work well both alone and as part of a team.



Travel:

This role involves occasional travel, approximately up to 10%, for meetings with APS staff, departmental gatherings, and interactions with colleagues in the Long Island, NY, Washington, DC and College Park, MD areas. Additionally, the position requires world-wide travel to attend conferences and events, and to interact with researchers at their institutions and universities.



Salary:


The salary range for this position takes into account various factors influencing compensation decisions, such as skill sets, experience, training, and other business and organizational requirements. The salary listed within the specified ranges considers relevant experience. Our compensation philosophy at APS aims to maintain salaries at the midpoint of the market. As a result, we typically hire within the target starting range. Exceptional, rare cases may merit reviews above target starting range for specialized or niche skills aligned with strategic operational goals.


Hiring Range: $83,041/year - $113,143/year (USD)

Target Starting Range: $83,041/year - $92,382/year (USD)

Work Environment:

As noted above, APS offers a “Remote First” workplace. Although our Editorial Offices are located on Long Island, you can work from other places in the United States. We are flexible about work hours, but expect responsiveness during the core of the workday, Eastern Time. The successful candidate will join a collaborative international team of editors across the Physical Review journals.

This is Us:

Help us achieve our mission of advancing and diffusing the knowledge of physics for the benefit of humanity, promote physics, and serve the broader physics community.


Our Core Values: Our values are our guideposts

  • Scientific Method
  • Trust, Integrity, and Ethical Conduct
  • Equity, Diversity, and Respect
  • Collaboration
  • Education and Learning
  • Speaking Out

Amazing 2026 Benefit Offerings:

  • Flexible schedules and ability to work remotely

  • 8% employer-paid retirement contribution

  • Investment advisement services: 100% employer paid

  • Medical benefits: PPO or HDHP option

  • Employer contribution to FSA or HSA account, eligibility based on medical plan enrollment

  • Lifestyle Spending benefit up to $1,500.00 (USD) - 100% employer paid

  • Vision benefits: individual and dependent coverage 100% employer paid

  • Basic Life & Accident insurance: employee coverage 100% employer paid

  • Supplemental Life & Accident insurance, including spouse & dependent child(ren) coverage

  • Disability insurance: employee coverage 100% employer paid

  • Voluntary Accident & Critical Illness insurance

  • Healthcare, Commuter & Dependent care flexible spending accounts

  • Vacation: 15 days annually

  • Generous holiday leave: 17 paid office closures; includes one week closure at the end of December

  • Personal leave: 4 days annually

  • Volunteer leave: 1 day annually

  • Sick leave: 10 days annually

  • Bereavement & Compassion leave: 2 -15 days based on loss

  • 12 weeks employer-paid family leave

  • College tuition reimbursement plan

  • Job related seminar & continuing education 100% employer paid

  • Professional Certification/Recertification 100% employer paid

  • Training and professional development; access to LinkedIn Learning on-demand courses

  • Employee Assistance Program

  • Mindfulness Meditation: live and on-demand classes

  • APS does not offer relocation assistance/costs

The American Physical Society is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. It is the policy of American Physical Society not to discriminate or allow the harassment of employees or applicants on the basis of race, religious creed, immigration status, alienage or citizenship, religion, color, ethnicity, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, familial status, protected veteran status, protected military status, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, predisposing genetic characteristics, ancestry, domestic violence victim status or any other characteristic protected by law with regard to any employment practices, including recruitment, advertising, job application procedures, hiring, upgrading, training, promotion, transfer, compensation, job assignments, benefits and/or other terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, provided the individual is qualified, with or without reasonable accommodations, to perform the essential functions of the job. This policy applies to all jobs at APS. The American Physical Society is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. To request a reasonable accommodation, please contact APS Human Resources at hr@aps.org. The “Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal'' poster, prepared by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), provides an overview of several laws that protect you from discrimination on the job, and several rights are afforded to you by these laws. The “Pay Transparency Non Discrimination Provision,” prepared by the U.S. Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), provides an overview of several protections implemented to protect individuals working under federal contracts from discrimination when inquiring about or discussing compensation; these protections apply to all employees and applicants. The APS has a "remote first" concept that promotes equal treatment and equal access, independent of physical work location, with a majority of staff working primarily from remote work locations.

Application deadline March 27, 2026.

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