Editorial director (12 month FTC)

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

Help expand a successful non-fiction list into new areas, developing ideas for books and non-book products.

At The John Murray Group, we’ve been shaping and shaking the world since 1768, making us proud to be Britain’s oldest publisher. Our most iconic authors across fiction and non-fiction have been groundbreaking and pioneering at the time we commissioned them, and have gone on to have a lasting impact in generations of readers’ minds. Over the centuries, we’ve published Charles Darwin and Jane Austen, the first self-help book and the first TV tie-in (both still in print now!) and today are proud to publish global bestsellers from David Attenborough to Navessa Allen.

Greenfinch is The John Murray Group’s most joyful and playful trade non-fiction imprint, existing to offer the gifts of leisure and pleasure to as many people as possible. In an always-on world, our creative and expertly crafted books, games and gifts offer analogue diversions for anyone seeking to carve out time away from screens and daily pressures. Covering hobbies and craft, gardening and puzzles, travel, cookery, humour and more, we work with some of the world’s foremost authors, illustrators, designers and photographers to anticipate trends and delight our readers. On our shelves you’ll find a colourful mix of Meowdle puzzle books and Kew Garden jigsaws, Dopamine Knitting, Gardener’s World presenter Frances Tophill’s Rewild Your Garden and, just in, The Hot Cowboy Colouring Book.

What you'll be doing

This great opportunity to join the Greenfinch team on a 1 year fixed-term contract (parental leave cover) comes at a moment when we are seeking to grow our non-book offering alongside our successful book publishing. While you’ll be shepherding a fantastic list of titles through the publication process with confidence, skill and care, you’ll also play a vital part in our close-knit editorial team, generating consumer-led ideas for new books and leading on the development of our non-book offering. Many of our books and products start out as in-house ideas because we love to get ahead of the market and to develop ideas with our authors and creative partners. Bringing new projects to the list will be an important part of the role.

Who we are looking for

• You will be an experienced editor who’s eager to hit the ground running. Proactive, entrepreneurial and collaborative, you’ll be alert to evolving trends, changing consumer behaviours and the challenges of the rapidly changing non-fiction market, and skilled at pulling these observations into your strategic publishing and commissioning.
• You’ll bring fresh ideas and energy, and a creative, can-do mindset to your projects and teams.
• The successful candidate will have a clear editorial eye and the expertise to deliver high-impact books and products with energy and purpose.
• You will have excellent industry relationships and will relish the opportunity to contribute to the Greenfinch strategy and make your mark on a growing imprint and its offering.
• This role is perfect for someone with a strong track record in illustrated gift publishing, ideally with experience non-book projects, too – we’d love you to inspire us to see and act on new possibilities in the space.

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
• An active range of staff-led employee networks that are voluntary, including AgeWise, Gender Balance, Thrive, Pride, All Together, Wellbeing, Women in Techand 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.

We want everyone to have the opportunity to perform at their best during our recruitment process. If you need any adjustments, you can let us know at the ‘Reasonable Adjustments’ section of your application. We’ll make sure you’re supported throughout the process.

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 https://btbs.org/grants

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.