Managing Editor

Role outline:

The Catholic Truth Society (CTS) is a well established and successful publisher operating in a competitive market-place. CTS is a Charity and a limited company. We are now looking for an experienced and enthusiastic person to lead our publishing program.  This an important and exciting role that lies at the heart of CTS’s apostolic and publishing mission  with a specific focus on developing reliable and informative publications and content on Catholic life, faith and practice for current and new constituencies.  As a key part of the senior management team we are looking for someone who will share our commitment to growing and strengthening our mission/operation.

Reporting directly to the General Secretary (CEO), you will have responsibility for developing and managing an attractive and imaginative publishing program in line with the Society’s stated mission and publishing objectives.

Measured against publishing targets, plans and profitability the role will focus on fulfilling CTS’s mission and products by developing and implementing a publishing strategy, with accompanying plans and programme. Understanding the needs of readers and CTS’s broader constituency will be critical, as will working productively with commissioning editors, production, design, marketing and sales colleagues to ensure those needs are met in the required formats and through the most effective sales channels. Responsibilities will include ensuring that author experiences are of the highest quality. An effective manager, you will also inspire and motivate your team and champion the brief successfully with internal and external partners.

The Managing Editor will be based at Vauxhall, London (good transport connections) where he or she will be supported by a Production Editor, Production Designer, Production Controller and Editorial Assistant, and external Commissioning Editors.

Key Functions:

• Develop and implement publishing strategy with accompanying forecasts and budgets
• Execute annual publishing plans, to achieve publishing output and revenue targets
• Develop content and products, including electronic publishing, suitable for the different readership groups within CTS’s growing constituency
• Generate own publishing projects, as well as with other Commissioning Editors and Editorial Advisors, and evaluate  editorial and financial viability of publishing proposals
• Act as an ambassador for CTS and its publishing aspirations, attend conferences, book fairs, develop productive relations with partnership  organisations at home and abroad, maximise networking opportunities.
• Manage the publishing list, set and monitor editorial, production  and design standards and processes, as well as targets for new publishing projects and proposals for various product types and subject areas
• Liaise with other departments effectively to ensure publishing programme plans are fully integrated with their plans and workflows
• Performance management of staff and motivating your commissioning, editorial, production and design teams
• Actively participating in the senior management team, and contributing to the ongoing vision, success and focus of the organisation

Person specification:

The candidate will be an experienced publishing professional, ideally with a background in commissioning and product development, preferably in the Humanities, Social Sciences or Religious/Theological publishing.  It is essential that he or she has a working knowledge and understanding of publishing processes, offline and online, and of commissioning, product development and author management. Excellent project and people management skills are required.

The successful candidate will possess the excellent leadership skills and have the interpersonal skills required to facilitate good relations with internal and external colleagues and partners. It would be an advantage to have a good and sympathetic knowledge of the Roman Catholic Church in the United Kingdom and beyond, but this is not essential. 

You will be strategically minded, and have relevant and recent experience of developing and delivering agreed business plans in either commercial or charity sectors. The person will be expected to have experience in driving growth and developing content, publications, formats and readers in new markets. You will demonstrate excellent writing and other communication skills, and also show experience of successful team work

Organisation:

CTS has developed its publishing list (some 600 titles) considerably over recent years. We publish Bibles, Liturgical texts, Missals (both Ritual and Peoples’ editions), catechisms, Courses and children’s books. As publisher to the Holy See, CTS publishes official Church documents from the Vatican and the Bishops’ Conference. We are perhaps best known for our pocket-sized booklets covering a wide range of subjects, alongside simpler explanatory leaflets, prayer cards, and certificates.

You are encouraged to find more information about the Catholic Truth Society on-line at www.ctsbooks.org

HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidates should email their CV together with a covering letter to Bill Brewer of Pathfinder HR. Email address: bill@pathfinderhr.co.uk

You may telephone Bill for an informal conversation on 07834 895 123.

Information pack: If you’d like to learn a bit more about what we do and about this role, then please email Natasha here at CTS N.Cade@ctsbooks.org and she’ll get an information pack off to you in the post.