LaTeX Production Engineer en American Mathematical Society

POSITION:  LaTeX Production Engineer

LOCATION:  Providence, Rhode Island

ABOUT THE AMERICAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY

The American Mathematical Society (AMS), founded in 1888, is a non-profit membership organization that is dedicated to advancing research and connecting the diverse global mathematical community through our publications, meetings and conferences, MathSciNet, professional services, advocacy, and awareness programs.  The AMS has 30,000 members worldwide and offices in Rhode Island, Michigan, and Washington, DC.

WHY WORK AT THE AMS

At the AMS we value excellence, inclusivity and teamwork. We work at the forefront of advancing and connecting the diverse mathematical community worldwide, and we are seeking curious, innovative, collaborative individuals to join our team.

• Excellent work-life balance with potential for hybrid work
• Generous benefit offerings including:
  1. 9.5% employer contribution to 403(a) Retirement Plan 
  2. 100% employer-paid Life, AD&D, Short- and Long-Term Disability Insurance
  3. Medical and dental coverage with employer cost share 
  4. Voluntary vision, Life/AD&D, and Long-term Care Insurance available through payroll deduction
• 12 paid holidays 
• Generous paid time off
• Technology equipment reimbursement for applicable roles
• Tuition reimbursement
• Commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and a welcoming environment

SUMMARY:

The LaTeX Production Engineer works within the Technical Editing Group (TEG) to process author-prepared book and journal submissions, using the LaTeX document preparation system. They will support the Production Department by creating, editing, and maintaining software systems that automate the workflow for book and journal production. The role blends technical editing of LaTeX manuscripts with computer programming. They will also write and consume APIs, use Linux command line tools, and craft complex regular expressions. The position requires a highly detail-oriented individual who possesses strong technical, analytical, research, and communication skills.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Technical:

• Prepare LaTeX and graphic files received from authors for copy editing and composition.
• Make corrections to LaTeX files in response to requests from Production Editors and authors.
• Design, develop, and maintain Perl scripts and auxiliary tools that automate key steps of the book and journal production pipeline
• Build, consume, and document APIs that interface with the AMS publishing system
• Code complicated mathematics and text in LaTeX.
• Write and maintain shell scripts and cron jobs to support nightly and on demand production workflows.
• Aid in the conversion of LaTeX source files to high-quality online products (e.g., HTML and EPUB).
• Use regular expressions to parse, validate, and transform LaTeX, XML, and PDF source files.

Administrative:

• Complete assigned tasks on schedule or notify appropriate staff promptly when delays are inevitable. Work with other staff and supervisors to resolve problems behind such delays.
• Communicate with Production Editors and other staff regarding assigned projects.
• Communicate with authors and editors as necessary.
• Maintain accuracy and completeness of the publications tracking data.
• Contribute information for status reports.
• Participate in trouble-shooting to resolve problems.
• Write and maintain documentation.
• Perform other administrative duties as needed.

INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL RELATIONSHIPS: 

• Works within the Information Systems Department of the Computer Services Division.
• Works in close collaboration with the Publications Technical Group.
• Works with Productions Editors and other members of the Publications Department.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• None

QUALIFICATIONS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience preferred.
• Two to five years IT experience.
• Willingness to engage in on-the-job learning in both group and individual settings.
• Basic familiarity with the LaTeX document processing system and how to create simple documents using it.   Ability and willingness to extend this to a comprehensive knowledge of LaTeX, including a wide array of add-on packages, within a reasonable time frame.
• Facility with using the Linux operating system.
• Good working knowledge of the GNU Emacs editor or willingness to acquire such knowledge within six months.
• Demonstrable analytical, problem-solving, and communication abilities.
• Basic understanding of mathematical notation, structure, and typographical conventions.
• Ability to work through difficult design challenges independently and with the benefit of input from others. 
• Proven experience coding in at least one language.
• Familiarity with objected-oriented Perl and willingness to learn and adhere to local coding standards.

ATTRIBUTES AND COMPETENCIES: The following attributes and competencies are indicators of the skills and/or behaviors necessary to successfully perform the essential functions of the position:

• Demonstrates understanding of organization’s mission, structure, culture, and constituencies
• Demonstrates knowledge of own department’s work activities and mission; understands how own job impacts work of department
• Responds positively to changes in the organization and the workplace
• Demonstrates flexibility in responding to work demands
• Demonstrates and communicates respect for the opinions and beliefs of other people at all levels and fosters a climate of mutual respect
• Plans and organizes work effectively
• Accepts accountability for job performance and results
• Works effectively with others in a variety of settings
• Uses communication tools effectively (e.g., presentation, verbal, writing, relationship building, negotiating, listening) to meet needs of audience and/or situation
• Maintains professional composure in challenging situations
• Exercises discretion in identifying, handling, and safeguarding confidential information
• Addresses issues constructively, building cooperative relationships within and across departments
• Receptive to feedback and willing to try different approaches in order to achieve the best results

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Duties performed cause light fatigue of eyes, fingers, or other faculties due to long periods of standing, sitting or repetitive motion
• Dexterity of hands and fingers to operate a computer keyboard, mouse, and other devices
• Duties at meetings and conferences require long periods of standing and walking

WORK ENVIRONMENT/CONDITIONS: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Typical office environment, climate-controlled, minimal noise
• Performing primarily sedentary work with limited physical exertion and lifting up to 25lbs
• Extended work hours may be required in the office to meet project deadlines, resolve unexpected problems.
• On-call availability to support production systems
• Some travel may be required for the purpose of off-site professional development less than 10%

Affirmative Action/EEO Statement

The American Mathematical Society is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. The AMS supports equality of opportunity and treatment for all individuals, regardless of sex, gender identity or expression, race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion or religious belief, age, marital status, sexual orientation, disability status, economic background, veteran, or immigration status, or any other social or physical component of their identity.

Other duties disclaimer: This job description is a general description of essential job functions. It is not intended as an employment contract, nor is it intended to describe all duties someone in this position may perform.