Communications Director
Who we are and what we do
With over 150 years of ground-breaking publishing from book lovers, original thinkers and market leaders, our unwavering mission has been to publish the most compelling voices in every genre. We continue to find new ground, new audiences and new voices with every title we publish. We are passionate readers and believe in the power of words to change lives.
Hodder & Stoughton is a division of Hachette, one of the largest publishing groups in the UK, with 12 publishing divisions and over 60 imprints. Everyone here is proud to be in the business of opening doors and minds.
Publishing fiction and nonfiction from some of the biggest names in the world, Hodder & Stoughton has been through a process of strategic modernisation and delivered its best year of sales since 2013 last year.
What you'll be doing
Reporting to the MD, this role will sit on the H&S board and be the driving force for publicity for the entire portfolio, developing and implementing a 3-year publicity plan that drives commercial objectives; the successful candidate will work closely with the H&S Management Team to devise and deliver the publicity strategy that will achieve the planned financial aims, maximise profitable sales and build and retain a loyal customer base, and deliver on our divisional mission.
Working closely with the editorial, sales and marketing teams, ensuring brands, authors and contributors are developed on all levels, and producing measurable results, you will champion the highest quality of author/contributor care at all times. People (and books) are at the heart of what we do, and with a team of over ten, the successful candidate will be a great people manager who will look to grow and develop their team.
Who we are looking for
The ideal candidate will have successful senior-level publicity experience within the industry, managing a large list across both fiction and nonfiction titles, being commercially astute and comfortable managing large budgets and having overall budget responsibility for publicity is key to the role. You will have a flair for publicity, a knack for spotting opportunity, an energy that inspires and the ability to easily switch hats when across numerous and differing projects. Team leadership and management are essential to the role, and you will have proven experience in being able to manage and bring out the best in your teams, leading by example and the ability to inspire and motivate.
What we offer
Our staff are our greatest asset, and our benefits reflect this:
- 28 annual leave days per year, increases to 29 days after 2 years' service and goes up to 30 days after 5 years' (+ bank holidays)
- Private medical insurance
- Generous pension schemes
- Rent deposit loans
- 2 community days per year
- Summer hours (finishing at 1pm on Fridays during the summer months)
- Retail discounts through Hachette rewards
- Cycle to Work scheme
- Eye care vouchers
- Wide-ranging training library
- Development programmes (including mentoring)
- Up to 70% off book purchases
- A charity bookshelf
- 12 Staff-led employee networks that are voluntary, including Gender Balance, Thrive, Pride, All Together, Wellbeing and religious networks
- Season ticket loans
- And much more!
The role will be based at our London or Sheffield office, with a blend of in-office (3 days) and homeworking (2 days) per week.
Our commitment
Hachette employs people on the basis of their abilities. We aim to attract and develop talent from a base as broad as the world of readers we want to reach, with a wide and representative range of age, faith, disability, race, gender, sexuality and socio-economic, regional and cultural backgrounds.
If you are shortlisted and need us to make any adjustments to help you attend for interview, please let us know.
The Book Trade Charity offers financial support to people looking to enter the book trade but who may struggle to afford the costs of attending interviews and undertaking junior roles. For more information visit www.booktradeentrysupport.org