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Commissioning editor / senior commissioning editor, Politics and International Relations  – 12-month FTC

Commissioning editor / senior commissioning editor, Politics and International Relations – 12-month FTC

locationBedford Square, London WC1B 3DP, UK
remoteHybrid
ExpiresExpires: 25/07/2025
Editorial / Writing / Storytelling
Fixed term contract
Mid-Level

Closing date: Friday 25th July

Salary: £31,000-£41,000 pa, depending on skills and experience

Contract: The role is a full-time, 12-month fixed term contract starting in October 2025.


This key role will be pivotal in producing compelling, market-focused textbooks and digital resources for Politics and IR students and lecturers.

Part of Bloomsbury Academic, the Bloomsbury Politics team publishes high quality and innovative textbooks and learning resources for university-level students across the world. Our mission is to develop relevant and impactful course content that meets the needs of educators and supports the success of today's students.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Commissioning Editor to join the friendly Editorial team for a 12-month fixed-term contract (maternity cover), commissioning for and managing a prestigious, market-leading Politics and International Relations list.

The role

  • Commissioning new projects (print and digital) and new editions under the supervision of the Publisher to agreed revenue targets
  • Conducting and briefing competitor and market research
  • Working closely with authors, series editors, academic advisors and reviewers
  • Networking with lecturers and potential authors through desk research, conferences and campus visits
  • Collaborating with colleagues in Editorial, Digital, Development, Production, Marketing and Sales
  • Overseeing the entire publishing process from initial concept through to final publication
  • Negotiating contracts
  • Ensuring key publishing deadlines are achieved
  • Presenting projects at internal meetings and company-wide sales conferences
  • Ensuring systems are kept up-to-date and accurate
  • Supervising and delegating to the Editorial Assistant in the team


Knowledge, skills and experience

  • Demonstrable commercial acumen
  • Knowledge of the Higher Education market and textbook publishing
  • Some direct experience of commissioning and managing book projects
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
  • Able to build strong working relationships with internal colleagues and external parties
  • An open and collaborative approach to working
  • An inquisitive and analytical mind-set
  • Self-motivated and proactive with strong problem-solving capabilities
  • Able to work unsupervised and use own initiative
  • Excellent teamwork and organisational skills
  • Ability to delegate effectively

The role is based at our London office 50 Bedford Square, London, WC1B 3DP on a hybrid-working pattern of 2 days office based / 3 days home based (or fully office based if preferred). Allocated office days for this role are: Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Please apply with a CV and covering letter addressed to Human Resources (Word or PDF format only) via the ‘APPLY NOW’ button detailing how you meet the requirements outlined above for this role by Friday 25th July 2025.

For best results, please use a desktop to apply as some mobile browsers may not fully support the application portal.

Bloomsbury reserve the right to close the role early if we exceed the required number of applications

Bloomsbury Benefits

As well as a fantastic opportunity to join a global award-winning organisation, Bloomsbury offers the following competitive benefits package:

Working Pattern

  • Hybrid working pattern of: 2 days office based / 3 days home based (or fully office based if preferred)

Holidays

  • 25 days holiday
  • 3.5 days Christmas company holiday

Other Benefits

  • Two paid Personal Wellness Days
  • Flexible Fridays – take Friday afternoon off by working an additional 3 hours and 30 minutes earlier in the week
  • Work Anywhere Fortnight - For two weeks of any calendar year. The minimum period for Working Anywhere is one week, the maximum period is two weeks.
  • Season Ticket Loan
  • Share Save Scheme
  • AXA Healthcare Plan (Private Medical Insurance)
  • Peppy Health App
  • In-house Doctor
  • Eye Care Voucher Scheme

Company culture – Employee Voice Meetings, Staff Networks (Bloom, Accessibility, Mental Health, Pride, and Parents, Guardians and Carers, Multi-Faith) and Mental Health First Aiders trained across the UK offices, Publishing Events and access to free Publishing Resources

Bloomsbury is a place where anyone of any background, race, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, gender identity, age, ability, or socio-economic status can thrive, feel comfortable, and be heard and accepted. We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all sections of the community.

Please include in your application that you found this role through Creative Access.

We are willing to make any reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process, please flag to the recruitment team if required.

Applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK.

Level of experience

  • Mid-Level

Required languages

  • English

Required skills

  • Commissioning
  • Publishing
  • Editorial

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