Temporary Editorial Assistant

 
Polity is a leading international publisher in the social sciences and humanities and we publish some of the world’s best authors in these fields. Polity’s goal is to combine the publication of original, cutting-edge books of the highest quality with a systematic program of textbooks and course content for students and scholars in higher education. While the majority of our books are intended for students and scholars in higher education, many of our books are also of interest to a wide general readership. 
 
 
We are seeking to appoint a temporary Editorial Assistant for maternity leave cover to work with two Senior Editors across the media, philosophy and history lists. The person appointed would be working as part of our flourishing and dynamic editorial team. The role would ordinarily be based in our Cambridge office but we are able to offer remote working.  The ability to travel to our Cambridge office for training and meetings as required is essential.

The main responsibilities entail: 
 

• Managing editorial processes for new and ongoing book projects • Handling the peer reviews process for new projects
• Checking any required rights and permissions for third-party content
• Preparing typescripts for handover to production
• Proofing and editing cover copy, blurbs and manuscript proofs
• Liaising with authors and colleagues in editorial, marketing, production and sales
• Preparation of subject catalogues and leaflets 
 
 
This is an exciting opportunity for someone to gain a broad range of skills and experience in publishing. The person appointed will be working closely with our successful and established Senior Editors as well as collaborating with our other departments in Cambridge, Oxford and abroad.  

Required skills/knowledge: 
 
• Ability to demonstrate good publishing awareness and the ability to learn quickly
• Excellent writing and proofreading skills
• Excellent communication and team-working skills to deal with people at all levels, both within the company and externally, including authors and business partners
• The ability to work under pressure, manage a high volume of work and keep to tight schedules
• You should be numerate and computer literate with meticulous attention to detail
• You should be resilient and adaptable 
 
 
We offer a competitive salary, 5 weeks’ annual leave and a generous contributory pension scheme.  
 
Apply with covering letter, full CV and the names of two referees to Clare Ansell, General Manager: clare.ansell@politybooks.com. The closing date for applications is Noon, Friday 21st August 2020. Initial online Interviews will be held on 27th August and 1st September 2020.