Marketing Director, Children's

Bloomsbury’s Children’s Books is a high-performing, dynamic division of a fast-growing and ambitious publisher, and The British Book Awards Children’s Publisher of the Year 2024.  We have an exciting opportunity for a strategic, creative, consumer-focussed and commercially aware Marketing Director to join Bloomsbury Children’s books award-winning marketing team.

The Marketing Director is responsible for leading campaign strategy as well as contributing to the overall strategy of the division as part of the Bloomsbury Children’s Leadership Team. This is an exciting opportunity for an imaginative and experienced marketer to lead and create campaigns that break out debut talent, build bestselling names to new heights, and connect readers everywhere with their next great read.

You will 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 will have an excellent eye for design and the ability to work across a range of budgets.  You will be confident at contributing to publishing strategy, including acquisition and positioning, as you will be about delivering campaigns.

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 will join a dynamic, collaborative and friendly marketing team reporting into the Group Director, consumer marketing and publicity.  Together, and working in close partnership with our Publicity Director and our children’s leadership team, you will work to grow the children’s business.

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 and illustrators such as Katherine Rundell, Kalynn Bayron, Catherine Doyle, J.K. Rowling, Jessie Burton, Neil Gaiman, Tom Percival, Katya Balen and Lex Croucher. We are also home to the most famous children’s book brand in the world: Harry Potter.

The role

• Responsible for developing and leading marketing strategy across the Consumer and Education teams
• Lead and empower your team to put innovation and creativity at the heart of their campaigns
• Lead and contribute to the publishing and campaigns of our lead titles and authors 
• 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.
• Allocate, manage and review budget allocations for frontlist, brands and backlist
• Allocate and oversee the successful delivery of marketing campaigns 
• Set clear goals for reports and throughout the team, communicate team and divisional information and updates in a timely and open way 
• Contribute to new title acquisitions and author/agent pitch meetings 
• Contribute to agent/author communications around creative direction and marketing 
• Provide audience and market-led feedback as part of the jacket design process 
• Collaborate across functions to determine strategic prioritisation and resource focus 
• Deploy and encourage a commercial, creative and pragmatic growth mind-set to help foster innovation, diversity and individual empowerment 
• Manage the marketing team from hiring, performance and development to wellbeing  
• 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.
• 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 

• Experience of developing and implementing smart and creative consumer campaigns and brand strategies across both on and offline
• Excellent consumer focus and ability to use insight to drive engagement and sales.
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills 
• Experience working with a range of stakeholders – effective influencer with excellent powers of persuasion  
• Enjoys team leadership, able to mentor, challenge and support as an inclusive leader 
• Growth-focused and not afraid to ask challenging questions 
• Ability to multi-task, prioritise, problem solve, and self-motivate 
• At least four years’ experience in marketing and 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, children’s trade and book community contacts
• Experience of working successfully with third parties on innovative marketing partnerships and initiatives
• Excellent knowledge of current marketing best practice across on/offline platforms
• Up-to-date knowledge of best practises of advertising and industry developments
• Strong interpersonal and organisational skills

Additional information

The role is a full-time, permanent position

Salary: Starting salary from £64,750, depending on skills and experience

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 Monday and Tuesday.

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 Monday 17th June 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) and 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.