Managing editor

Closing date for applications: 9th January 2026

Salary: Up to £50,000 dependent on experience and location (+bonus +benefits)

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

Lead a talented editorial team, overseeing the productions of hundreds of diverse books within an award-winning publishing programme.

Octopus publish books for everyone. We love to enlighten, nourish, entertain and most of all inspire readers and listeners everywhere. Octopus 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

This is a crucial role in the creation of our award-winning publishing programme, working across fully illustrated books in all categories, as well as narrative fiction and non-fiction. You will head up the talented editorial management team in the UK and India, and oversee the production of over 100 books a year, upholding the highest standards of editorial rigour, accuracy and authority. You will work with the commercial and operations teams and the senior publishers to plan and deliver work, devise and implement new processes and strategies, and unblock issues. As well as this you will retain a number of complex or high priority frontlist books to project manage yourself.


Who we are looking for

• We are looking for someone with at extensive proven experience in editorial project management, across narrative and illustrated publishing in a range of genres and categories
• You will have a deep knowledge of managing complex book creation, and with working with a range of stakeholders, including external authors and agents
• You will have experience in developing people to improve performance, and will be comfortable being a key part of a diverse, creative and commercial team
• You will be an excellent communicator who gathers competing views together to work out the best way forward, and taking the business with you. You will be relaxed dealing with changing priorities and devising and implementing new processes and approaches.

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!

Our commitment

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

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