Senior Commissioning Editor

Who we are and what we do

Part of Headline at Hachette UK, Welbeck Illustrated has a mission to publish beautiful books that find a passionate audience all around the world. We create illustrated titles that are published in more than 30 languages and 60 countries, covering lifestyle, food, drink, fashion, music, film, sport and more. We work with brands from Chanel to Kew Gardens, the Guardian to the BBC, FIFA to Formula 1.

“Welbeck is a buzzing imprint where everyone has a voice – you can channel your creativity and at the same time become integral to the team. Not only do we get to make beautiful books that entertain, engage and inspire, but we get to work with the most talented people in the industry. What’s not to love?” 

-Heather Boisseau, Editorial Director

“I know it’s a cliché, but no two days at Welbeck are the same, with such a unique range of titles on all the subjects we love, like music, fashion, sport and cookery. It’s this variety of titles that make it such a fantastic place to work, with the challenge of shaping the books to appeal to our stylish readers.”

-James Empringham, Art Director

Headline is a division of Hachette UK, and home to the very best of commercial publishing, with authors including Maggie O’Farrell, Matthew Perry, Matthew McConaughey and Oasis.

What you'll be doing

Are you an experienced commissioner of illustrated books?

Would you thrive on the challenge of creating a new list of commercial lifestyle titles?

Welbeck is looking for an ideas-led commissioner to create beautiful illustrated books across a range of lifestyle subjects including fashion, cookery and gardening. Perfect for a confident, creative commissioner looking to take that next step, this exciting role comes with the freedom to build your own list of internationally successful books, backed by a tight-knit team of experienced publishers and in-house designers. If you’re someone with a track record of smart, successful illustrated publishing with a nose for the biggest lifestyle trends and new brand partnerships then we’d love to hear from you.

Who we are looking for

You will need the vision to spot publishing opportunities based on global trends and the skills to turn those ideas into visually stunning books with broad appeal. Responsible for the running of your list, our new Senior Commissioner will work with the Publishing Director to build and manage a profitable illustrated programme.

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!

This role can 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