Editorial Director/Publisher - Viking, Penguin General (9-month FTC)

We have a rare opportunity to join Viking as Editorial Director/Publisher working across literary fiction and select non-fiction. This opportunity is offered on a 9-month fixed term contract, covering a period of parental leave for a Publisher from late November/early December 2024.  

About Viking and Penguin General  

Penguin General is one of the eight publishing divisions that make up Penguin Random House UK. There are five imprints at Penguin General: Fig Tree, Hamish Hamilton, Penguin Life, Viking and Sandycove.  

At Viking, we publish books that combine brilliant writing with popular appeal, that hit the bestseller lists, win prizes and shed light on the world around us. Founded in the UK forty years ago, we are a longstanding home for high-quality, culture-defining writers. 

The list is vibrant, varied and inclusive -- we take pride in publishing great books that can be enjoyed by everyone, and we are relentless in pursuing the widest possible audience for our books, across formats and around the world. 

Penguin General is made up of extremely talented colleagues, who set a high bar in terms of quality of output, who take pride in their work and strive for both individual and collective success. We advocate a ‘learning mindset’: being curious and humble about what we don’t know in order to grow. We strive to create a working culture that is progressive, energizing and fun, where difference is valued. Colleagues are treated with respect, stretched to learn and develop their skills, and can turn up to work as their authentic professional selves. 

The Opportunity  

This is a fantastic opportunity for a creative, dynamic Editorial Director/Publisher to project manage a list of exceptional literary authors.  

Reporting into the Publishing Director of Viking Fiction, and responsible for line-managing one editorial assistant, this role’s primary responsibility will be to ensure the best-in-class publishing of the existing list. You can expect to be working with prize-winning and bestselling authors such as Caleb Azumah Nelson, Elif Shafak, Hisham Matar, Jonathan Coe, Miranda Cowley Heller, Catherine Airey, Nina Stibbe, Ann Napolitano, Yael van der Wouden and V V Ganeshananthan.   

You’ll also be responsible for overseeing new projects from existing authors and being the voice of these books across the division; there may be a possibility of select commissioning for the right candidate. You’ll liaise with internal departments including marketing, publicity, rights and sales and provide outstanding author care. 

Candidate Profile  

The following qualities are essential:  

• A proven track record in editing and publishing literary fiction at Editorial Director/Publisher level  

• Exceptional and proven author care 

• Line management experience (preferred) and confidence acting as a mentor and guide. 

Application instructions  

Please apply with your CV & cover letter outlining why you are the right candidate for the role by midnight on Sunday 4th August 2024.  

What you can expect from us 

Salary: circa £55,000 depending on how your skills and experience align with the role, plus benefits.   

Competitive benefits package: Our people are the heart of our business, and we work hard to support a culture of responsibility and recognition. 

Our benefits include: 

• Financial – income protection, life assurance, childcare allowance 

• Wellbeing - healthcare cash plan, critical illness cover, health checks 

• Lifestyle – enhanced parental leave, tech scheme, 

For our full benefits list please visit: https://www.penguinrandomhousecareers.co.uk/what-we-offer/ 

Hybrid working: We’re experimenting with a hybrid way of working that suits the needs of each team. While our offices across the UK are places to connect, collaborate and celebrate with colleagues, we recognise that flexibility around where you work is just as important. For this role, the successful candidate will typically need to spend three days a week in our Embassy Gardens office in Nine Elms. We’ll be happy to answer any questions on this as part of the interview process. 

About Penguin: We’re the UK’s largest publisher; made up of some 2,000 people and publishing over 1,500 books each year. Our doors are open to all kinds of talent. In a constantly evolving industry, we work hard to stretch the definition of the word publisher. Here, you’ll work with a breadth of talent who all play their part to make each of our books a success. Together, we make books for everyone because a book can change anyone. 

The recruitment process: You can read about our recruitment process at https://www.penguinrandomhousecareers.co.uk/how-we-hire/ 

As a Disability Confident Committed organisation, we offer interviews to candidates with a disability who meet the essential criteria for the role, and opt-in on their application form. There may be times when the volume of applications means we cannot take all eligible candidates to interview. 

We encourage you to tell us about any reasonable adjustments you may need by emailing PRHCareersUK@penguinrandomhouse.co.uk. Remember, you only need to share what you are comfortable to for us to support your request. 

Please note, we are not able to accept agency CVs for this role. Any CVs sent speculatively will not be eligible for a fee.