Commissioning Editor - Puffin
Are you passionate about helping the next generation of readers to discover the books that can change their lives?
Are you listening out for new voices, and stories or subjects you’ve not yet seen in books?
Penguin Random House Children’s are looking for a Commissioning Editor to join its 6 plus team. You would work across both the Puffin and Penguin imprints on fiction and non-fiction books for children, teenage and young adult readers.
We’re looking for someone with enthusiasm, a self-starter with a passion for books of all shapes and sizes, an interest in what’s happening in the world around them; someone full of ideas.
From Malorie Blackman to Adam Kay, Jeff Kinney and Manjeet Mann to Jacqueline Wilson and Humza Arshad, Philip Pullman to Karen McManus, the Puffin team work with some of the biggest, brightest and bestselling authors and brands to bring to life stories that change and shape lives.
We’d like to make it even more varied, ensuring our list reflects the diverse and exciting world we live in and so that we can truly publish a book for every child everywhere. You will be key to this change and growth, seeking out new writers and being at the centre of the editorial process, from acquisition to publication and beyond. That means overseeing all stages of the book’s life and presenting and pitching new titles to a number of internal departments as well as being an excellent communicator with external stakeholders.
About you
You will have experience in taking projects from a creative vision through to completion, balancing creativity with a commercial mind and an eye for detail and costs. This is a role for someone who is passionate about seeking out brilliant new talent and creating conversation-starting books for all tastes and ages.
What you’ll get in return is a collaborative team that will champion your ideas, support your creativity and give you the opportunity to work with some of the best-known authors in the world.
There’s room for progression, and at Penguin Random House Children’s Books you’ll be backed up by the biggest team in children’s publishing. We make books for everyone, because a book can change anyone. Our creativity is inspired by different perspectives, so we want our culture to be one of belonging, where everyone feels welcome and where differences are celebrated.
If you are creative, insightful and have a passion for publishing incredible books then we would love to hear from you.
Please apply with a CV and Cover Letter, along with an answer to the following question (in no more than 250 words) by midnight on Sunday 5th June.
A big part of what the Puffin team do is to pay attention to what’s happening in the world and spotting new trends and voices who would speak well to young people. Please share with us your thoughts on a person with some sort of platform or profile in any area who you think could write an interesting book for children or teens, outlining your book vision and why your suggested person is the perfect fit.
Interviews will take place on Thursday 16th June.
What you can expect from us:
A salary range of £32,000 - £35,000 is available depending on how your skills and experience align to the role, plus bonus and benefits.
Our employees are the heart of our business. We have a range of benefits to reflect our commitment to our employees, some of which are:
• 27 days paid holiday entitlement in year one (plus bank holidays), increasing a day each year up to 30 days
• Medical cover
• Life assurance
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Discounted gym membership
• Generous pension scheme
• Summer working hours (role dependent)
• Volunteering policy and charity matching
• Employee Assistance programme
• Mentoring programme
• Extended gender neutral parental leave
• Access to books and eBooks across Penguin Random House UK
• Each site has trained mental health first aiders
• We plant a tree for every new employee to our business
Our creativity is inspired by different perspectives, so we want our culture to be one of belonging, where everyone feels welcome and where differences are celebrated.
As a Disability Confident Committed organisation, we’re part of the offer an interview scheme. This is where disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role can opt in to get to the next recruitment stage. There may be some situations where volume of applicants means we can’t take all eligible candidates to interview.
We want to make sure disabled applicants can be their best at each step of the recruitment journey. If you need adjustments during the application process, we encourage you to get in touch with us at http://PRHCareersUK@penguinrandomhouse.co.uk.
Remember, you only need to share what you are comfortable to for us to support your adjustment request. Find out more about our approach here: www.penguinrandomhousecareers.co.uk/applying-for-roles-with-a-disability
We partner with The Book Trade Charity, who provide financial assistance for people looking to get into the publishing industry; you can find more information and talk directly here: http://booktradeentrysupport.org/
Please note, we are not able to accept agency CVs for this role. Any CVs sent speculatively will not be eligible for a fee.