Job Description

Job Location: Cumberland University - Lebanon, TN 37087
—The Papers of Martin Van Buren
Assistant Editor
The Papers of Martin Van Buren seeks an assistant editor for a five-year appointment
from July 2026-June 2031 (with employment beyond the end date dependent on funding), at an
annual salary of $62,000. The successful candidate will verify transcriptions and produce
annotations, appendices, and indices for The Selected Papers of Martin Van Buren print edition,
as well as assist the University of Virginia Press with preparing the print edition for publication
on its Rotunda platform, among other assigned duties.

Qualifications for the position include an M.A. in history or related field (Ph.D. in history
preferred); the ability to work both independently and as part of a team; exceptional research,
analytical, and organizational skills; and proficiency in reading and comprehending nineteenth-
century handwriting. The committee is especially interested in applicants with documentary
editing experience, expertise with Drupal and/or XML, and a research specialty in U.S. history
between 1800 and 1865. The successful hire will be required to work in person at the project
office in Cumberland University’s Vise Library, located in Lebanon, Tennessee, 30 miles east of
Nashville.
Applicants should submit a letter of application outlining their qualifications for the
position, as well as a c.v. that lists three professional references. Questions about the position can
be directed to Dr. Mark Cheathem, Project Director, at mcheathem@cumberland.edu. The
committee will begin reviewing applications in late April.