Desk editor

Closing date for applications: Monday 2nd March 2026

Salary: £29,000+ dependent on experience and location (+bonus +benefits)

Location: London or Sheffield

Ready to combine editorial precision with project management in children’s publishing? Join Hachette Children's Group and help create books young readers will treasure.

Hachette Children's Group is one of the UK's largest children's publishers, our mission is to make it easy for children and young people everywhere to access books and see themselves reflected. We aim to maximise our readers' life chances by inspiring a lifelong love of reading, publishing books for every stage of their journey to adulthood from Enid Blyton to Alice Oseman's Heartstopper. Hachette Children's Group is a division of Hachette, one of the largest publishing groups in the UK, with 10 publishing divisions and over 60 imprints. Everyone here is proud to be in the business of opening doors and minds.

What you'll be doing

The Desk Editor will have an important organisational role within the editorial team, with responsibility for managing production schedules and seeing titles through copy-editing, typesetting and proofreading processes, from final manuscript to finished book.

The role will be primarily focused on fiction, but may also encompass some non-fiction titles. Projects will come in a variety of formats ranging from picture books, novelty and activity books to older graphic novels and black and white chapter books.

The role will involve the management of freelance editors and sensitivity readers, alongside in-house copy-editing and proofreading, steering processes, and keeping systems updated. You will be responsible for clear communication and liaison with authors, editors and the wider HCG teams, plus management of freelance resources, to deliver books to schedule and budget.

Who we are looking for

• We are seeking a meticulous, highly motivated individual, with experience of working within an editorial team and a passion for children’s publishing.
• We value accuracy, pace and a proactive approach.
• We are looking for somebody who is eager to grow their skillset while delivering exceptional editorial service.
• Applicants should have excellent editorial and project management skills and an interest in the children’s market.
• Experience of the desk editing process, proofreading and copy-editing is required.
• Knowledge of Biblio would be an advantage.

What we offer

Our staff are our greatest asset, and our benefits reflect this:

• 28 annual leave days per year, increases to 29 days after 2 years' service and goes up to 30 days after 5 years' (+ bank holidays)
• Private medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Generous pension schemes
• Rent deposit loans
• 2 community days per year
• Summer hours (finishing at 1pm on Fridays during the summer months)
• Retail discounts through Hachette rewards
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Eye care vouchers
• Wide-ranging training library
• Development programmes (including mentoring)
• Up to 70% off book purchases
• A charity bookshelf
• 12 Staff-led employee networks that are voluntary, including AgeWise, Gender Balance, Thrive, Pride, All Together, Wellbeing and religious networks
• Season ticket loans
• And much more!

The role will be based at our London or Sheffield office, with a blend of in-office (3 days) and homeworking (2 days) per week.

Our commitment

Hachette employs people on the basis of their abilities. We aim to attract and develop talent from a base as broad as the world of readers we want to reach, with a wide and representative range of age, faith, disability, race, gender, sexuality and socio-economic, regional and cultural backgrounds.

If you are shortlisted and need us to make any adjustments to help you attend your interview, please let us know.

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 junior roles. For more information visit www.booktradeentrysupport.org

We welcome and encourage applications from candidates who are under-represented in the creative industries.

Please make sure that you state in your application that you found this role via Creative Access.