Contracts executive

Closing date: 11th May 2025

Salary: £29,000 - £32,000 per annum dependent on experience

Department: Business Affairs

Reporting to: Senior Business Affairs Manager

Contract type: Permanent

Working hours: Full-time

Location: Vauxhall, London (Hybrid Post Probation)

Take your next step in children's publishing with this exciting junior role in contracts/business affairs.

Walker Books UK is part of the vibrant international Group that includes Candlewick Press, Holiday House, Peachtree and Pixel + Ink in the USA and Walker Books Australia. Renowned for its truly original publishing and outstanding quality, the Walker Books Group is home to a wide range of children's and young adult books.

Award-winning authors and illustrators for the group include Angie Thomas, Sydney Smith, M.T Anderson, Patrick Ness, and Jon Klassen. We are also enormously proud to publish beloved family brands including Lucy Cousin’s Maisy, Michael Rosen’s We're Going on a Bear Hunt, Sam McBratney and Anita Jeram’s Guess How Much I Love You and Martin Handford’s Where’s Wally?

This is an exciting opportunity for a self-motivated contracts / business affairs assistant seeking to further progress their career in Contracts and Business Affairs in children’s publishing. You will issue and administer picture books, flat fee, and sub-rights agreements in a timely manner (working with senior Business Affairs team); maintain up-to-date, accurate records and filing systems relating to such agreements; liaising with external agents and stakeholders, providing key administrative support to Business Affairs team in respect to other ad hoc tasks across department as and when necessary.

Key responsibilities

• Drafting picture book and flat fee agreements; negotiation of terms as needed (working with senior Business Affairs team and Editorial / Design departments)
• Drafting & producing ad hoc addenda/letters to cover any changes to agreements
• Supporting Business Affairs Executive with checking agreements/producing reversion request forms for Publishing/Acquisition Meeting on a timely basis.
• Setting up picture books and flat fee contracts, development fees and other sub-rights contracts on Biblio (working with senior BA team) as needed and liaising with Compliance for relevant invoicing or payment
• Attending regular meetings/liaison with relevant departments
• Negotiating, drafting and issuing educational sales agreements (working with the BA Director)
• Reviewing marketing agreements (working with the BA Director)
• Contracts administration: maintaining contracts files and day-to-day files and records
• Liaison and administration of anti-piracy services; issuing takedown notices where applicable
• Dealing with both internal and external contract and rights queries

​Please note the above is not an exhaustive list and does not necessarily include all the duties the job holder may have to perform. This job description may be amended to meet changing needs of the business.

Knowledge, skills and experience

To be successful in this role, you will be able to demonstrate evidence of the following skills and/or experience:

• Around 18 months – 2 years’ experience of drafting contracts
• A strong working knowledge of standard contractual terms
• Highly self-motivated
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and interpersonal skills, have the confidence in communicating with internal and external stakeholders
• An ability to use initiative and work calmly under pressure with a ‘can-do’ / proactive approach to problem-solving.
• An ability to prioritise work given specific deadlines, juggling multiple tasks and requests without close supervision.
• Excellent working knowledge of Microsoft office applications.
• Knowledge and enthusiasm of the children’s book publishing or media industry is not essential but would be advantageous
• Knowledge of Biblio would be advantageous

Why join Walker Books?

We offer:

• Competitive Salaries
• Hybrid work (at least two days in the office per week) once you have successfully passed probation
• 22 days annual leave per year plus bank holidays (with annual leave increasing with length of service up to 27 days)
• Enhanced Pension Scheme
• Health Insurance and Health Cash Plan
• Life Assurance
• Enhanced Maternity and Paternity Pay
• Access to an Employee Assistance Programme
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Plus, other great benefits!

If you have any queries about this role or require any reasonable adjustments for your application or throughout the recruitment process, please let our team know by contacting us at recruitment@walker.co.uk.

All children deserve to see themselves, their families, and their communities represented in the books they read. As children’s book publishers, it is our goal to ensure that the books and content we publish authentically and joyfully reflect the world around us. As an employer, we are committed to creating and maintaining a supportive working environment where everyone is included, valued, and empowered to do their best and most creative work. As an equal opportunities employer, we welcome candidates from all backgrounds without regard to race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, sex, or any other characteristic protected by law and those not yet protected by law.

Please note we reserve the right to close vacancies before the closing date where we have received sufficient applications. We recommend submitting your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

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