Call for Expressions of Interest for the Appointment of Two Editors of The International Spectator

The Istituto Affari Internazionali invites expressions of interest for the appointment of up to two new Editors of The International Spectator: Italian Journal of International Affairs.

Founded in 1966, The International Spectator is one of Europe’s longest-standing English-language journals of international affairs. Published by Routledge/Taylor & Francis and edited by IAI, the journal provides a forum for analytically rigorous, theoretically informed and policy-relevant research on international politics, foreign policy, global governance, security, international political economy and related fields. With 225,000 downloads per year, an impact factor of 1.6 and inclusion in Q1 in both the Scimago and CiteScore rankings, the journal has a strong international academic profile.

The two Editors will work together to guide the intellectual direction of the journal, uphold its scholarly standards and strengthen its international profile. 

This is an unpaid three-year appointment, intended for scholars of high academic standing, as demonstrated by a solid academic position, a strong research record and a broad understanding of international affairs. A commitment to combining academic excellence with policy relevance is highly desirable. 

Main responsibilities

The Editors will work closely with the Managing Editor, who is a member of IAI’s permanent staff and is responsible for the journal’s editorial operations, including liaison with the publisher, correspondence with authors, support in identifying reviewers, management of the online submission platform and coordination of production workflows. 

The Editors are expected to:

• Oversee the peer-review process for research articles, opinion essays and other journal content, including initial screening of submissions, identification of suitable reviewers, assessment of referee reports and preparation of editorial decisions.
• Ensure the quality, originality and relevance of published contributions, in line with the journal’s mission.
• Contribute to defining the journal’s editorial strategy, including the identification of emerging themes, special issue opportunities and possible clusters of articles on major developments in international affairs.
• Commission or encourage submissions from leading and emerging scholars, with particular attention to geographical, methodological, gender and career-stage diversity.
• Work with the journal’s managing/editorial staff, publisher and editorial boards to ensure the timely preparation of issues and the smooth functioning of editorial workflows.
• Support the visibility and impact of the journal by promoting published articles, engaging with relevant academic and policy networks, and helping to consolidate the journal’s position in the international debate.
• Uphold the highest standards of publication ethics, transparency, peer-review integrity and editorial independence.
• The Academic Editors, in coordination and agreement with the Managing Editor, will select the members of the Editorial Board and the International Advisory Board

Benefits of the role

The editorship offers an opportunity for professional visibility and intellectual leadership, allowing the Editors to help shape the agenda of a prestigious international affairs journal with a long history, an established readership and a strong connection to both scholarly and policy communities.

The role provides direct engagement with cutting-edge research across international relations and foreign policy, as well as close interaction with recognised scholars, policy experts, reviewers, authors, editorial board members and publishing professionals. It is particularly valuable for scholars seeking to broaden their international academic network, develop editorial and institutional leadership experience, and contribute to the circulation of high-quality research beyond strictly academic audiences.

Profile of candidates

Candidates should normally have:

• A strong publication record in international relations, international political economy, security studies, foreign policy, regional studies, global governance or related fields.
• Experience with peer review, academic publishing or journal editing, whether as author, reviewer, guest editor, board member or editor.
• A broad intellectual outlook and the ability to assess work across different theoretical, methodological and regional traditions.
• A commitment to academic excellence, editorial independence, diversity and internationalisation.
• Excellent command of written English and the ability to work collegially with co-editors, editorial staff, authors and reviewers.

Term and working arrangements

The appointment will be for an initial term of three years, renewable. The position is unpaid. The editors will work in coordination with IAI and the journal’s publishing partner, Routledge/Taylor & Francis.

Application procedure

Please apply by sending an email to Marco Simoni, the Director of IAI, at: direttore@iai.it

The email should include:

• A short cover letter outlining motivation and editorial vision for The International Spectator.
• A full academic CV.
• The names and contact details of two referees, who may be contacted at a later stage

Shortlisted candidates may be invited for an interview with representatives of IAI’s leadership team.