Digital Portfolio Director, Humanities & Social Sciences

Bloomsbury Digital Resources is looking for a Digital Portfolio Director to lead the vision, direction and strategy for our portfolio of award-winning digital products in humanities and social sciences. This is an exciting opportunity for someone with a passion for and a proven track record in creating and managing digital products for the higher education market to manage a portfolio of products including our platforms in history, theology and religion, philosophy, education and sports science. You will be an experienced content acquisitions person and a positive, proactive self-starter with strong creative vision and an ability to work with stakeholders both within and outside the business. The role is part of the Digital Editorial team, reports into the Academic Publishing Director and is responsible for managing a team of three (one direct report).

Bloomsbury Digital Resources is committed to serving a global community of students, scholars, instructors, and librarians by providing creative online research and learning environments that deliver excellence and originality. Whether it be critical texts, learning materials, or the latest in video and audio resources, we are committed to enhancing the research experience with innovative, engaging, and dynamic digital resources of the highest quality.

Bloomsbury offers a collegial working environment, with a dedicated and enthusiastic team committed to excellence and innovation.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Leading the products and teams that comprise the portfolio
• Reviewing portfolio performance and actioning initiatives to increase performance, where needed, to hit agreed profitability and revenue targets
• Business justifications for third party partnerships resulting in large scale digital resources and presentation to internal stakeholders
• Contracting / developing products to a pre-agreed acquisitions revenue target per annum to ensure delivery to plan
• Working with team members to brainstorm ideas for products within the portfolio
• When required, serving as digital editorial lead on products produced from internal Bloomsbury IP
• Managing market research, overseeing, writing and presenting business plans for product concepts
• Once signed off, working with BDR product staff to schedule key deliverables in light of overall launch requirements
• Researching and strategically targeting content providers for partnership opportunities, maintaining an ongoing list of leads
• Pitching to IP holders, underscoring the value of a Bloomsbury partnership
• Where appropriate, responding to tenders for hosting IP
• Contract negotiation and relationship building with external partners
• Participating in all phases of the product life cycle, with decision-making authority on issues regarding the portfolio
• Keeping on top of and reporting back on competitor activity to ensure we remain innovative
• Line managing staff, as required
• Representing Bloomsbury at conferences and key library events, as required

Knowledge, skills and experience 

• The ability to conceive of large-scale projects that excite and engage end users and create profile for Bloomsbury as we scale our business
• Solid, demonstrable commercial nous, including the ability to think big and deliver on vision, and also on annual revenue targets while remaining within budget
• The ability to set high-level portfolio strategy and communicate that to team members and stakeholders across the business
• Solid experience in academic publishing, with a demonstrable track record of successfully advancing large-scale products – ideally from partnerships, and ideally digital
• A track record of successful content acquisition, via licensing and/or commissioning
• Self-starter, focused on the competitive landscape, who thrives on winning business and moving new ideas and products forward
• Good interpersonal and negotiation skills
• Drive, determination and commercial creativity
• A demonstrable ability to work well with others to advance common goals
• A successful track record of working with partners / third party content providers and managing third-party relationships on an ongoing basis to ensure success
• A demonstrable understanding of the value of the editorial process to product success
• A track record of meeting targets and deadlines
• Knowledge of emerging trends and issues in the academic marketplace, in particular in relation to digital products and library sales 

Additional information

The role is a full-time permanent position (35 hours).

Salary Range:  £56,500 - £65,000

The role is based at our London office 50 Bedford Square, London, WC1B 3DP on a hybrid-working pattern of 2 days office based / 3 days home based (or fully office based if preferred).  Allocated office days for this role are: Wednesday and Thursday

Please apply with a CV and covering letter addressed to Human Resources (Word or PDF format only) via the ‘APPLY NOW’ button detailing how you meet the requirements outlined above for this role by 22nd May 2024

For best results, please use a desktop to apply as some mobile browsers may not fully support the application portal.

Bloomsbury reserve the right to close the role early if we exceed the required number of applications

Bloomsbury Benefits

As well as a fantastic opportunity to join a global award-winning organisation, Bloomsbury offers the following competitive benefits package:

Working Pattern

• hybrid working pattern of 2 days office based / 3 days home based (or fully office based if preferred)

Holidays

• 25 days holiday
• 3.5 days Christmas company holiday

Other Benefits

• Two paid Personal Wellness Days
• Flexible Fridays – take Friday afternoon off by working an additional 3 hours and 30 minutes earlier in the week
• Season Ticket Loan
• Share save Scheme
• AXA Healthcare Plan (Private Medical Insurance)
• In-house Doctor
• Eye care Voucher Scheme

Company culture – Employee Voice Meetings, Staff Networks (Bloom (BAME), Accessibility, Mental Health, Pride, and Parents, Guardians and Carers, Multi-Faith), 21 Mental Health First Aiders trained across the UK offices, Publishing Events and access to free Publishing Resources

For additional benefits see below 

Bloomsbury is a place where anyone of any background, race, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, gender identity, age, ability, or socio-economic status can thrive, feel comfortable, and be heard and accepted. We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all sections of the community.

We are willing to make any reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process, please flag to the recruitment team if required

Applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK – Bloomsbury Publishing do not sponsor visa applications 

The Company

Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.

Bloomsbury Publishing is a leading independent publishing house, established in 1986, with authors who have won the Nobel, Pulitzer and Booker Prizes, and is the originating publisher and custodian of the Harry Potter series. Bloomsbury has offices in London, New York, New Delhi, Oxford and Sydney. Within Bloomsbury’s Academic division, it publishes under Bloomsbury, as well as under a number of prestigious and historic imprint names. Read Our Story for how it all began. 

 Bloomsbury is committed to creating a working environment that stimulates creativity and collaboration, is respectful of difference, is inclusive and ethical in its practice, and promotes well-being. We are determined to nurture and develop our employees to reach their highest potential, and we know that our success is down to the passion, commitment and hard work of our talented people. We recognise the urgent need to attract and support applicants from all backgrounds and identities to become part of the global publishing industry, allowing diverse voices to reflect and shape our culture and society.

Please read more on our Missions and Values here.

Please read our environmental policy here.