Contracts assistant

Closing date: 22nd October 2025

Salary: £28,500

Are you searching for your first role in the publishing industry?

We are looking for a contracts assistant who is keen to launch a career in publishing as part of a friendly, dynamic team. The candidate will have exposure to many aspects of the industry, as well as working closely with colleagues in the legal and contracts department. The role is entry-level with plenty of scope to progress.

Key responsibilities

Draft agreements

• Drafting contracts - (for example acquisition and licensing of rights for HarperCollins children’s books).
• Draft confidentiality agreements, standard competition terms & conditions.
• Review Contract Request Forms/Deal memos as they are submitted to the department.

Manage permission requests

• To manage all permissions-related correspondence with external applicants.
• To ensure any necessary approvals are acquired and to be a point of contact for any internal concerns around permissions.

Data entry

• To support the department by taking responsibility for the entering of contract information into the royalties’ database (PPM).

Other

• Undertake special projects and other duties as decided by the Contracts Manager

Knowledge, skills and experience

• A good team player who is capable of working on their own initiative
• Computer literate with a good eye for detail
• A confident and effective communicator in written and verbal media
• Proven organisational skills and able to effectively prioritise and manage workloads
• Accustomed to working towards deadlines

Benefits

• Hybrid working model (3 days in the office)
• 28 days holiday plus bank holidays (option to buy and sell holiday days)
• Enhanced pay for maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave
• Private healthcare cover and life assurance
• Summer Hours
• Free access to HeadSpace, employee assistance programme (24 hour helpline), mental health first aiders, and a wellbeing portal
• Season ticket loans (from day 1 for entry level) and cycle to work scheme
• Relocation Rent Support Loan
• Employee networks: HC All In (open forum), Elevate (for ethnic minority colleagues), HarperParents, Menopause at Work, Pride at HC, Social Mobility Network and Neurodiversity at Work
• Unlimited training on our Learning and Development portal, management courses (up to MA level) and mentoring programmes
• Virtual GP and eyecare vouchers
• Gym membership discount
• Onsite physiotherapy (London only)
• Charitable donation matching and 2 volunteering days
• We're a certified Carbon Neutral company
• Green Electric/Hybrid Car Benefit Scheme (salary sacrifice)
• With Trees for Life we plant a tree in the Highlands of Scotland for every permanent hire
• Free e-books and audiobooks, digital newspaper subscriptions and discounts on books
• Subsidised canteen and retail discounts
• Onsite prayer room

At HarperCollins, we value authenticity and integrity in our recruitment process. To ensure a fair and accurate evaluation of all applications, we ask that all responses to assessment questions reflect your own thoughts, experiences, and capabilities. This allows us to fairly assess your knowledge, skills, and experience to determine how they align with the role. We value diverse perspectives and genuine contributions, even if answers are not perfect. The use of AI tools or external assistance to generate responses is discouraged unless explicitly permitted for specific tasks.

If you wish to discuss anything regarding this position and/or your application to this role, please reach out directly to stephanie.jemmett@harpercollins.co.uk with subject heading ‘Vacancy Query’ plus the job title and we will aim to get back to you within 5 working days.

The Book Trade Charity offers financial support to people looking to enter the book trade but who may struggle to afford the costs of attending interviews and undertaking internships or entry level positions. For more information visit https://www.btbs.org/

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