Editor / senior editor (12 month FTC)

Closing date: 17th September 2024

Salary: Up to £37,000 dependent on experience and location (+bonus +benefits)

Location: This role can be based at our London, Sheffield, Edinburgh, or Bristol office, with a blend of in-office (3 days) and homeworking (2 days) per week.

We are currently seeking a talented, highly motivated editor / senior editor with experience working within trade non-fiction publishing to join Wren & Rook, focussing on middle-grade and teen non-fiction titles.

Hachette Children’s Group, a division of Hachette UK, publishes a huge range of books for children and young people. Our stable of talent includes Cressida Cowell, Leigh Bardugo, Matthew Syed, Patrice Lawrence, Dr Ranj Singh, Juno Dawson, Dermot O’Leary, Sinéad Burke, Onjali Q. Raúf, Bryony Gordon, Lauren Child, Matthew Burton, Alex T Smith, Alice Oseman, Kes Gray and Jim Field, to name just a few. We are also the owner of Enid Blyton Entertainment.

Wren & Rook is the award-winning trade non-fiction imprint of Hachette Children’s Group. We are at the forefront of a revolution in demand for children’s non-fiction and our team of non-fiction experts are dedicated to publishing commercial, bestselling and award-winning books that can entertain, educate, inspire and make a difference to the lives of our readers. We have won the top industry award for the Children’s Non-Fiction Book of the Year, twice in four years, and we are home to incredible authors including activists Malala Yousafzai and Onjali Raúf, disability educator Sinéad Burke, footballer Beth Mead, superstar Billie Eilish and astronaut Tim Peake. Our bestselling wellness books include the chart topping You Are Awesome by Matthew Syed and positive mental health handbook A Better Day by Dr Alex George

Reporting to our Commissioning Editor, the Editor/Senior Editor will be responsible for managing the publication of projects from acquisition to finished product, ensuring high quality, cost-controlled, timely publications. The Editor/Senior Editor role will support senior staff with some of our biggest brands, while becoming the lead editor for a number of authors.

This is a truly collaborative role, and the successful candidate will be involved in every aspect of the editorial process, working closely with staff in all other departments to help prepare and champion titles across the list.

Who we're looking for

• We are looking for a candidate with excellent editorial skills, who is confident writing strong copy, development editing and structural editing. Writing experience would be a bonus. 
• You should have a good understanding of the importance of author care, and the ability to forge positive working relationships with authors, illustrators and external partners.
• We are looking for a versatile editor who can spot trends, nurture our authors and deliver an exceptional editorial service, while closely collaborating with our editorial and design team. 
• This role is the perfect position for someone who thrives on working in a fast-paced energetic environment, is highly organised and can work to multiple deadlines, taking into account multiple stakeholders at various levels, and has a keen interest and experience in the non-fiction and children’s market.
• We value imagination, ambition and collaboration, and are looking for somebody who is eager to grow their skillset while delivering exceptional editorial service to some of our most important authors and brands.
• This is a varied role and the successful candidate will be involved in every aspect of the editorial process, responsible for project managing titles from development edit to finished title, working closely with staff in all other departments to ensure timely delivery of high-quality books and supporting more senior colleagues.
• As a minimum, experience of working as an editor is required, working knowledge of Biblio and InDesign is desirable, and a keen understanding of the children’s non-fiction market is essential.   

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)
• 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 Gender Balance, Thrive, Pride, All Together, Wellbeing and religious networks
• Season ticket loans
• And much more!

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 for interview, please let us know.

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

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