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Head of Marketing, Children's Books

The opportunity

We have an exciting opportunity for a strategic, creative, consumer-focussed and commercially aware Head of Marketing to join Bloomsbury Children’s books award-winning marketing and publicity team.  As Head of Marketing you will be responsible for leading and implementing creative, sales-driven campaigns to promote front and backlist titles and brands across our list.

 It’s an exciting opportunity for an imaginative and experienced marketer to create campaigns that break out debut talent, build bestselling names to new heights, and connect readers everywhere with their next great read.

You’ll be an experienced marketer who thinks commercially and strategically about your audiences, and understands how to connect them to their next favourite read with irresistible copy, creatives and conversation-starters – both on- and off-line.  You will have experience in working with a broad range of partners to take our books to children and their families globally.  You will know how to achieve maximum exposure for our books across all platforms.  You’ll have an excellent eye for design and the ability to work across a range of budgets.  You’ll be confident at contributing to publishing strategy and positioning as you will be about delivering campaigns for them.

A publishing background is not essential but you will have strong demonstrable experience in marketing content, brands and products to families and children.  Experience managing people, budgets and unforgettable campaigns with a positive and collaborative outlook is essential.

You’ll join a dynamic, collaborative and friendly marketing team reporting in to the Group Director, consumer marketing and publicity.  Together, and working in close partnership with our Head of Publicity, you will work to grow the children’s business through your targeted, creative, consumer-focused campaigns.

Bloomsbury Children’s Books celebrated list is home to perfect picture books, page-turning middle-grade adventures, blockbuster YA fantasy and award-winning non-fiction. Its award-winning, diverse list includes authors such as Brigid Kemmerer, Catherine Doyle, J.K. Rowling, Jessie Burton, Katherine Rundell, Neil Gaiman and Renée Watson, illustrators such as Chris Riddell, Emily Gravett, Jim Kay, Kate Pankhurst, Rikin Parekh and Tom Percival, as well as breakout voices such as Ben Bailey Smith, Lesley Parr, Kalynn Bayron and Melissa Cummings-Quarry and Natalie A. Carter.  We are also home to the most famous children’s brand in the world: Harry Potter.

The role

  • Manage the children’s marketing team to deliver successful campaign activity for their allocated areas of list responsibility in line with agreed budgets, targets and outcomes.
  • Work with the Group Director to audit and facilitate best practice in the team across key areas of marketing
  • Work with the Group Director to pinpoint areas of focus for the team across front and backlist titles, ensuring this focus appropriately represents our ambition for key titles.
  • Drive key brands, including Harry Potter, forwards, helping to spot consumer, sales and publishing opportunities for these authors and titles.
  • Day-to-day management of specified key authors/titles and major brands
  • Understand the importance of social media and digital activity as part of campaigns, working with the internal digital teams to drive children’s priorities and to create holistic campaign strategies across online/social and print. 
  • Support a culture of collaboration, working closely with the publicity, sales and editorial teams, feeding ideas into the wider company and being a great spokesperson for the children’s marketing team.
  • Work with the Group Director to set budgets and review spends
  • Key point of contact for the Children’s sales team (UK/Export/Group offices) for key title planning across all retail channels, organising meetings as appropriate and regularly reviewing plans.

Knowledge, skills and experience 

  • At least four years’ experience in marketing and some line management experience
  • Knowledge of working on major Children’s brands, with a proven track record in leading creative and effective Children’s marketing campaigns
  • An in-depth understanding of the Children’s retail marketplace
  • Experience of working with internal and external stakeholders including authors, editors, freelancer designers/animators, digital agencies
  • Experience of working successfully with third parties on innovative marketing partnerships and initiatives
  • Excellent trade and children’s book community contacts
  • Excellent knowledge of current marketing best practice across on/offline platforms
  • Broad market awareness within publishing and within marketing
  • Up-to-date knowledge of best practises of advertising and industry developments
  • Strong interpersonal and organisational skills
  • A proven track record in running campaigns and building brands

Additional information

The role is a full-time permanent position offering a competitive salary and based at our beautiful offices in Bedford Square, London.  There is flexibility to work partly at the office and partly at home however, as all Bloomsbury employees are currently working from home, this role will be based from home until our offices reopen.

As well as a fantastic opportunity to join a global award-winning organisation, Bloomsbury offers competitive benefits, generous staff discounts and flexible working arrangements.

Please apply with a CV and covering letter detailing how you meet the requirements outlined above for this role by 14 May 2021.

Applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK.

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.

Head of Marketing, Children's Books

Full-time, Permanent
Publisher
Administration, Publishing, Management, Marketing, Communications, Business Development
Reference: 
Head of Marketing, Children's Books

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At least four years’ experience in marketing and some line management experience