Foreign Rights Executive

Thames & Hudson, the leading international publisher of illustrated books on the visual arts, as well as a highly-regarded children’s list, is looking for a Mandarin Chinese speaker to fill a full-time role in our busy Foreign Rights department.

We are looking for the right candidate to drive forward our flourishing business in China. Experience of selling or fulfilling rights sales in a publishing company would be a distinct advantage; we will be able to shape the role according to that experience. The Foreign Rights Executive will focus primarily on co–edition and licensing deals in mainland China, identifying opportunities and negotiating contracts as well as managing a substantial backlist of titles.

We would expect you to travel to China once or twice a year. We are looking for strong communication skills with perfect written and spoken English as well as fluency in Mandarin so that you can communicate impeccably with our many Chinese customers. There is also scope to add other international territories to the role.

We are looking for an entrepreneurial candidate who will relish the opportunity to develop our business and strategy in mainland China, working in collaboration with a wide range of internal and external contacts.

Key skills and responsibilities include:

• Pitching books to foreign-language customers, primarily in mainland China
• Securing sales and negotiating contracts across our diverse catalogues
• Building and maintaining successful relationships with foreign publishers through regular contact and travel to markets and book fairs as required
• Growing sales by identifying market opportunities and providing clear feedback on content
• Liaising with our in-house departments, especially Editorial, Design and Production, to maintain the quality of service our customers enjoy
• Demonstratable knowledge of licensing methods and terms and an up to date knowledge of the Chinese market and developments
• UK and international travel for sales trips and key book fairs.

We are currently working remotely, but this role will transition into our Central London office when we reopen.

To apply please send a CV and cover letter to Kelly Lendon  recruitment@thameshudson.co.uk