Senior Publicist

Purpose of job
Yale University Press London is looking for a Senior Publicist with 3+ years’ non-fiction publicity experience to join our trade communications team. Reporting to the Communications Manager and working closely with the Trade Marketing Executive, the Senior Publicist will be responsible for covering a wide ranging list that includes history, philosophy, current affairs, economics and popular science.
 

About Us: 
Originally founded in New Haven Connecticut in 1908, Yale University Press has a unique position as the only American university press with a full-scale publishing operation in Europe, publishing serious non-fiction that contributes to a global understanding of human affairs. Our diverse and prize winning list includes, Richard Holloway, Clive James, A.C. Grayling, David Rieff, Julian Baggini, Geoffrey Parker, Terry Eagleton and Zeynep Tufekci.
 

Key tasks

• Building and maintaining good relationships with UK press contacts
• Creating and adapting publicity plans
• Drafting press materials
• Liaising with authors
• Pitching for coverage in national print, broadcast and online media
• Working with other members of the trade communications team to pitch for and manage author events in a variety of settings
• Working with the other members of the trade communications team to maximise the impact of press coverage
• Liaising with Editorial and Acquisitions 
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Person Specification – Key knowledge & skills

A proactive self-starter with excellent communication skills and an eye for identifying an effective pitch, you will be used to running publicity campaigns for a demanding list of authors. 
 

Essential

• An in-depth knowledge of the UK press
• Superb copywriting skills
• Strong project management skills
• 3+ years’ non-fiction publicity experience or equivalent
• Excellent interpersonal and team working skills
• Experience of using Microsoft Word and Excel

Desirable

• Experience of using the Gorkana Media Database 
• Experience of using Adobe Creative Cloud (Acrobat and InDesign)

The role is advertised as a senior publicist position but exceptional candidates with less experience may also be considered. 
 

The Location:
The role will be based in our offices on Bedford Square in Bloomsbury WC1, with convenient access to the Northern and Central lines as well as many bus routes. 

Please send your CV and supporting covering letter (including availability, notice period details and current salary) to:

Robert Owen (Head of People & Office Operations):  robert.owen@yaleup.co.uk

Closing date: Friday 7th April at 5pm