Divij Kotian

Experience

• 

  Bhabha Atomic Research Centre

  Dec 2013 - Aug 2014

  Research Intern

  Worked on a thesis project entitled; 'Cloning and Expression of divisome components of Deinococcus radiodurans in Bacterial Two Hybrid System'.

• 

  Packt

  Jan 2015 - now

  Team Leadership:- Lead, manage, and develop high-performance teams, emphasizing efficiency, quality, collaboration, and responsiveness.- Focus on individual and team development to enhance capabilities and performance.Project Management:- Successfully manage a pipeline of book projects, ensuring systematic & timely delivery of high-quality products.- Develop market awareness, collaborating closely with commercial teams for optimal outcomes.- Proactively identify, assess, and manage risks, implementing mitigation strategies to minimize disruptions.- Regularly review and update risk assessments, adapting strategies as necessary.- Collaborate with project managers to overcome challenges and optimize project timelines.Editorial Excellence:- Ensure high editorial standards in book projects, overseeing quality and adherence to guidelines.- Provide guidance and support to editors in addressing challenges related to content development and quality.Author Relationship Management:- Swiftly address and resolve editorial and author-relationship issues to maintain positive collaborations.- Act as a mediator between authors and editors/project managers, ensuring effective communication and problem resolution.- Foster a collaborative environment promoting open communication and mutual understanding.Vendor Management:- Effectively manage vendor relationships to ensure timely content allocation & delivery.Recruitment:- Actively involved in recruitment processes to bring in top talent.Learning and Development:- Collaborate with senior management & L&D teams to create and maintain academy courses fostering continuous learning and development. Show less Key Responsibilities:Project Management:- Managing the progress of contracted book projects.- Allocating work to the editorial team.- Creating, maintaining, and driving project schedules.- Ensuring the delivery of a pipeline of books to agreed delivery dates.- Managing the health of the pipeline and ensuring projects run as per schedule.- Planning production timelines and ensuring timely publication of books.Adaptability and Prioritization:- Ability to adapt, prioritize, and re-organize project schedules as needed.Communication:- Reporting on team performance to the Publisher.- Running project reviews (Project 360) with the senior manager to manage project risks.Problem Solving:- Encouraging the team to surface problems and empowering them to make appropriate and timely decisions.Performance Evaluation:- Tracking project timelines and discussing performance with team members.- Presenting plans to the senior managers for reviving inactive titles and publishing strategies. Show less Book Project Management:- Worked in partnership with authors to deliver high-quality books on time, aligning with the publishing plan.- Assumed ownership of book quality from the first draft through to publication.- Executed the book's vision as communicated by the acquisition team.- Ensured adherence to product guidelines, providing depth and detail for the intended audience.- Signed off on all content to guarantee the book met specified standards and was of high quality.- Identified and articulated weaknesses in a book's organization and writing.- Evaluated content to ensure it met outlined specifications.Editorial Leadership:- Used excellent English-language skills for effective communication.- Adopted a coaching and mentoring role with authors and trainee editors, providing feedback with firm but diplomatic communication.- Coached and mentored authors and trainee editors to shape their books and improve content quality.- Offered expertise on content and execution to trainee editors.- Acted as a Subject Matter Expert and Quality Assessor in editorial processes.Project Coordination:- Managed a pipeline of book projects concurrently, coordinating overlapping publishing dates.- Created SEO-friendly content for book covers, websites, and various platforms.- Led projects focused on process enhancement and change management in addition to core editorial tasks.Team Development:- Participated in the selection of new editors and conducted role-specific interviews.- Provided training and mentorship to new editors within the team. Show less

  • Senior Manager - Publisher

    Dec 2021 - now

  • Project Manager

    Jan 2017 - Nov 2021

  • Development Editor & Trainer

    Jan 2015 - Dec 2016
• 

  Claylab Education Foundation

  Nov 2023 - now

  Super Mentor

  - Dedicate 1 hour over the weekend to counsel and mentor Grade 10 students- Develop mentoring modules covering essential life skills such as communication, self-awareness, critical thinking, financial &digital literacy- Design engaging activities to enhance the mentoring experience