American Journal of Evaluation

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Call for Applications: Editor-in-Chief

Application Deadline: March 31, 2026

The American Journal of Evaluation is a leading scholarly journal, publishing articles on evaluation theory, methods, and practice across a wide array of subject areas. The Editor-in-Chief (or Co-Editors-in-Chief) oversees the journal’s vision and daily operations. Key responsibilities include soliciting articles, managing the peer-review process, making editorial decisions, and curating four issues each year. This role also involves assembling and leading a team of Associate and Section Editors and an Editorial Board, as well as collaborating with the journal’s publisher, SAGE, and its production editorial team. The individual in this position is charged with maintaining and enhancing the journal’s excellence, visibility, readership, impact, and relevance to a diverse field of scholars and practitioners.

In addition, the Editor-in-Chief will ensure that the journal reflects AEA’s values and ends goals through both its operations and its content. Appointment is made by the AEA Board of Directors for a 3-year term, with the possibility of renewal following a satisfactory annual performance review. This compensated role includes a stipend to support a part-time managing editor, who will be selected by the Editor-in-Chief.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Establish a vision and plan for executing it, involving an editorial leadership team of Associate Editors, Section Editors, and an Editorial Board
• Operate and manage the peer review system (Manuscript Central/Scholar One) with integrity, which involves assigning associate/section editors responsibility for ushering manuscripts through the review process
• Represent the journal at appropriate conferences and venues;
• Curate four published issues per year within a page budget, working with the Publisher on production matters
• With the Managing Editor, ensure that the journal’s processes and content align with AEA’s mission, vision, and values, and that the review and other processes are carried out with integrity
• Communicate regularly with the AEA President and Executive Director regarding the state of the Journal

Term:

Three (3) years, beginning January 1, 2027 (with a three-month overlap/transition period with the current editorial team, October-December 2026).

Criteria:

• AEA Member for at least five (5) years
• Earned a Doctorate in an evaluation-related field
• Senior or mid-career evaluation scholar with demonstrated deep appreciation for the distinctive and diverse nature of evaluation’s theory, methods, and practice and for the breadth and heterogeneity of the profession and its scholarship
• Demonstrated record of academic and evaluation accomplishments, including a strong record of peer-reviewed publications on evaluation
• Strong working knowledge of the editorial process as an editor, associate or assistant editor, or editorial board member
• Experience as an effective manager and leader
• Preference for an applicant with an institutional home that agrees to provide the applicant with needed accommodations to perform ordinary duties to fulfil the role of Editor-in-Chief

Compensation:

• $15,000
• Budget includes support for a Managing Editor

Application materials must be submitted to AEA’s Executive Director, Anisha Lewis (alewis@eval.org). Packets must include for the applicant, or in the case of a Co-Editor-in-Chief application, both applicants:

1. A cover letter that addresses the applicant’s qualifications for the role and describes the institutional support available to fulfil them
2. A curriculum vitae
3. The names and contact information for three references who can speak to the applicant’s ability to perform the required editorial duties

Application Deadline: March 31, 2026

Applicants are strongly encouraged to provide evidence of institutional support for fulfilling the role of Editor-in-Chief, given the substantial commitment of time required to edit a prestigious scholarly journal like AJE. Applications will be reviewed by the Publications Task Force, and an appointment will be made by the Board of Directors by Summer 2026 for the expected transition beginning October 2026.

Learn more about this position:

Learn More

Call for Contributions

The Ethics, Values, and Culture Section invites you to submit manuscripts about positionality statements in evaluation. Section Editors are interested in receiving extended abstracts by September 16th. Access the full call here.

The Economic Evaluation Section invites you to submit manuscripts describing theories, qualitative as well as quantitative methods, findings, uses, and constructive critiques of cost-inclusive evaluations. Access the full call here.