Work with the HIS Journals team
About Infection Prevention in Practice
Infection Prevention in Practice (IPIP) is the editorially independent, gold open access publication of the Healthcare Infection Society (HIS). The aim of IPIP is to publish a high-quality and comprehensive fully open access resource for all those working in the field of prevention and treatment of healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) worldwide.
The Society is seeking a new Editor in Chief to lead the editorial team of the journal to develop and achieve the Aims and Scope of the Journal.
Please submit your application to journals@his.org.uk no later than Monday 31 August 2026.
Overall aims of the role
The Editor-in-Chief role is a leadership position on IPIP, appointed to the post by HIS Council for a period of three years, which can be extended up to two additional terms each of two years. The Editor-in-Chief additionally sits on HIS Council as a co-opted member.
This important senior leadership role will require a significant and variable time commitment on a weekly basis and will be recompensed by a quarterly stipend. It is important to note that this is a voluntary role supported by a stipend, rather than a paid position at HIS. A study and travel budget is associated with the role.
The overall aim of the role is to ensure that the Aims and Scope of the Journal are achieved, to oversee the strategic and practical development of the journal, to maintain high-quality editorial standards, to provide strong leadership for the journal’s Editorial Team and International Editorial Board, including the appointment of new members as required, and promotion of the journal. The Editor-in-Chief can be based in any international location but would be required to join HIS if not already a member.
The Editor-in-Chief is additionally responsible for overseeing the IPIP peer review process, and for ensuring that the Publisher is provided with a sufficient flow of high-quality articles to maintain the Journal publication schedule. The Editor-in-Chief will work with the IPIP Editorial Team, the team of our sister publication, the Journal of Hospital Infection, the HIS Editorial Manager and representatives from our publisher, Elsevier. They will report to the Executive Editorial Board and HIS Council.
Applicants should provide a CV, a short list of selected publications over the last five years and a covering letter addressing your suitability for the role based on the following selection criteria:
Essential
- Editorial and peer review experience
- Nominated area(s) of expertise (though the Editor in chief will need a broad knowledge base and feel confident handling all manuscripts that fall within the journal’s Aims and Scope.
- A brief description of one strategic initiative that you could implement as Editor in Chief of IPIP. This should include a summary of what you would do and what it would achieve.
Desirable
- Outline any current involvement in research and/or research supervision
- Experience in clinical or academic leadership roles
- Proficient in public speaking and high-quality presentation skills
An understanding of publication ethics, processes and finance, impact factors, and manuscript commissioning. The role is for an initial three-year term with an option for two further terms of two years.
If you’re unsure whether your experience is relevant, please get in touch and we would be happy to offer advice: journals@his.org.uk
To Apply
To apply, please submit a CV, a summary of your vision for IPIP, and an accompanying letter outlining the skills, experience and knowledge you can bring to this position to journals@his.org.uk.
Key dates:
- Application deadline: 31st August 2026
- Scheduled interview date: 17th September 2026
- Formal start of duties: 1st January 2027
Applications will be shortlisted after the closing date, with interviews to be held on 17th September 2026.
A full job description can be downloaded below.