Deputy Publishing Director, The Bodley Head (8-month FTC)
The Bodley Head is dedicated to agenda-setting non-fiction by the world’s most original thinkers and gifted communicators.
Would you love to be part of our ‘omnivorous and interested in everything’ imprint? We have an 8-month FTC opportunity for a Deputy Publishing Director, to start in February 2022, to cover a period of parental leave. We’re looking for someone who will seize the chance to make an impact quickly, commissioning new books as well as working on all aspects of the current list.
Our imprint thrives at the cutting edge and we walk towards untested subjects and new perspectives; it’s an energising place to be.
The Opportunity
Our small and highly dedicated imprint publishes only 25 books each year on a wide range subjects, from the natural world to global current affairs, business, mental health and technology – but always with a focus on the general reader. Our books speak directly to readers’ needs and interests today but anticipate those of tomorrow; we ask, ‘will this continue to matter?’.
We publish path-breakers from all backgrounds who are unafraid to challenge prevailing views; our readers love the combination of bold ideas and excellent writing. We publish according to our values – integrity, moral authority, accuracy, honesty – ensuring that the books we launch and the authors we promote have a constructive and positive influence. Our readers believe in the power of expertise, in the many forms it can take; our books cut through the noise, but also transport, illuminate and inspire.
The Deputy Publishing Director is responsible for supporting the Publishing Director in managing and developing The Bodley Head’s publishing, strategy and workflow to ensure growth, profitability and quality of publishing. They commission, edit and publish a portion of the list directly, while having insight into the entire publishing programme and helping to manage budgets, organisational systems and workflow and contributing to strategy for titles outside their own commissioning.
Read on for a taste of our work – if it resonates with you, we encourage you to apply!
Our Work
- In history, we publish leading specialists who are superb communicators while also launching a new generation of historians
- We publish Nobel-prize winning scientists, launch the freshest science-writing talent and publish exceptional writers about medicine and technology
- We publish some of the best known narrative non-fiction reporters of our time while launching the voices of the future
- We’re outward-looking, publishing books on world affairs, and we are inward-looking, addressing the primal concerns of health, our bodies, family and relationships
- We publish memoirs that illuminate universal concerns through their authors’ exceptional experiences
- We publish some of the world’s most prominent leaders alongside its most vocal dissidents
Candidate Profile
- Track record of high-quality and commercially successful acquiring.
- Extensive network of relationships with authors, agents and across the wider industry.
- Comfortable acting as an internal and external ambassador for The Bodley Head, and as a leader within the imprint and as part of the wider Vintage Editorial team.
- A strong team player with interpersonal sensitivity and emotional intelligence.
- Significant editorial, author care and negotiation experience.
- Creativity, sound commercial judgement and editorial flair combined with the ability to follow through and keep on schedule and budget.
- Professional curiosity, a willingness to explore new ways of working and an appetite for innovation and problem-solving.
- A deep understanding of the marketplace: retailers, media, audiences and competitors.
- Experienced partner for Marketing, Publicity, and other internal teams to develop each book’s strategy, positioning, copy and design.
Please apply with your CV and cover letter (addressed to Stuart) by midnight on Monday 8th November.
What you can expect from us:
Salary: range £53,438 - £81,356 dependent 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:
• 25 days paid holiday entitlement in year one, plus bank holidays
• Medical cover
• Life assurance
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Discounted gym membership
• Personal Learning Allowance
• Generous pension scheme
• Summer working hours (role dependent)
• Volunteering policy and charity matching
• Employee Assistance programme
• Mentoring programme
• Extended Parental Leave policy
• 60% Discount on Company books
• 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.