Commissioning Editor - London, United Kingdom - Penguin Books Limited

Penguin Books Limited

Verified Company

London, United Kingdom

2 weeks ago

Posted by:

Tom O´Connor

beBee Recruiter

Description

Are you passionate about children's publishing? Do you have an editorial eye and want to work on some of the biggest Children's brands? We have a new opportunity for a Commissioning Editor to join our Puffin Picture Books and Classic Preschool brands team on a full-time and permanent basis, based at our office in Embassy Gardens, London.

From classic brands such as Beatrix Potter, Spot and The Very Hungry Caterpillar to picture book creators including Tom Fletcher, Nadia Shireen and Rashmi Sirdeshpande, Nathan Bryon, Dapo Adeola and Rachel Bright, the Puffin picture books team work with some of the biggest names, and brightest new talents, to bring stories to life that change and shape lives.

The Opportunity
Joining a team of 12, we're looking for someone who can take our list to the next level.

To do this, you'll need to have enthusiasm and energy, a passion for books of all shapes and sizes, an interest in what's happening in the world around you and be a creative who's full of ideas.

At Penguin Random House, we make books for everyone because a book can change anyone, and we're looking for someone with a real drive to fulfil that purpose and find books for our picture book list for children of all backgrounds.

As Commissioning Editor, you'll play a key role in the change and growth of our list, seeking out new writers and taking control of each project through the editorial process; from acquisition to publication and beyond.

That means you'll be overseeing all stages of the book's life and presenting and pitching new titles to a number of internal departments including marketing and publicity, sales, design, and rights teams.

Day to day you can expect a varied workload which may include:

Identifying gaps in the list and wider market and finding books and authors to fill them
Proactively seeking out talent and voices from beyond the world of children's books who have the potential to write marketleading picture books for a broad audience
Constantly paying attention to the wider entertainment industry to keep abreast of trends and key players in the market.
Editorial work on picture books, writing notes on plots, structure and characters
Managing brand relationships at a more senior level working with estates, licensors and Rights holders for authors such as Roald Dahl and Eric Carle

What you'll bring

This is an exciting area of publishing that's moving quickly, and we're less concerned with your level of experience than your entrepreneurial attitude, and your passion to make exciting things happen.

Where you will have experience is in taking projects from a creative vision through to completion, balancing creativity with a commercial mind.

You'll be confident project managing a number of a projects concurrently, handling multiple priorities while keeping attention to detail.

You'll demonstrate financial awareness and analytical ability and ensure each book is executed to the highest standard within any constraints.

Importantly, you'll come with a love for all things Children's publishing and ready secure new and innovative titles onto our list.

As part of your Cover Letter, we'd like you to respond to the following question (no more than 200 words):
What approach would you take to seeking out new talent for the Puffin picture book list from beyond the publishing industry?

What you can expect from us

Salary:
Starting salary of £33,000, plus bonus and benefits

While our offices are places to connect, collaborate and celebrate with colleagues, we recognise that flexibility about where you work is just as important for doing your best work and for your wellbeing.

For this role, there are meetings and activities that you will need to attend in person at our offices in Embassy Gardens.

We are open to discussing the exact balance of office to remote working through the recruitment process.

Our employees are the heart of our business.

We have a range of benefits to reflect our commitment to our employees, some of which are:

27 days paid holiday entitlement in year one (plus bank holidays), increasing a day each year up to 30 days
Medical cover
Life assurance
Cycle to Work scheme
Discounted gym membership
Generous pension scheme
Summer working hours (role dependent)
Volunteering policy and charity matching
Employee Assistance programme
Mentoring programme
Extended gender neutral parental leave
Access to books and eBooks across Penguin Random House UK
Each site has trained mental health first aiders
We plant a tree for every new employee to our business

Our creativity is inspired by different perspectives, so we want our culture to be one of belonging, where everyone feels welcome and where differences are celebrated.
Please note, we are not able to accept agency CVs for this role. Any CVs sent speculatively will not be eligible for a fee.

Company:
Penguin Books Limited

Country:
United King