Managing editor, Cornerstone

Closing date: 12th March 2025

Salary: £35,000 − £40,000 dependent on how your skills and experience align to the role, plus bonus and benefits.

Do you have a keen eye for detail? Are you organised, proactive and experienced in editorial project management?

We’ve got an exciting opportunity to join the Cornerstone division as our new Managing Editor, on a permanent basis.

Cornerstone is a division within the iconic publisher Penguin Random House, our home. In turn, Cornerstone is home to seven imprints: Century, Del Rey, Inklore, Hutchinson Heinemann, #Merky Books, Cornerstone Press and Evermore, each with its own specific focus and remit. Every Cornerstone book also goes on to become a Penguin paperback.

Within publishing, Cornerstone has an enviable track record of bestsellers, prize-winners and culture-shaping books, working with many of the world’s most interesting voices, often throughout their entire career. Our books span genres, categories and marketplaces globally.

We’re recruiting a Managing Editor to play a key part in bringing our books to life, from edited manuscript to final file, ensuring a high standard and maintaining the Cornerstone house style. You’ll be responsible for the smooth running of the publishing process for a designated list of books from across the Cornerstone list, including debut writers and paperback originals.

Key responsibilities

• Managing the internal book process for designated titles
• Working closely with Editorial, Production and Design to see titles through from manuscript to press
• Communicating deadlines to other members of staff and chasing progress
• Liaising with freelancers and ensuring the copy-editing and proofreading processes are carried out to the expected standard
• Checking proof corrections, marketing materials, and proofreading jackets and covers for designated titles
• Attending and participating in progress meetings
• Acting as a Biblio super-user when required

What you’ll bring

You might be a Managing Editor looking for an opportunity to work on Cornerstone’s exciting breadth of titles, or you might be an Assistant Managing Editor looking for a step up in responsibilities. If you’re a lover of books and the genres published by Cornerstone, we want to hear from you.

Essential criteria:

• A strong understanding of trade publishing in general and the editorial/production process in particular, and relevant experience of overseeing a list of titles
• Demonstrable copy-editing and proofreading skills
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively to a wide range of people and to influence others
• Impeccable grammar and spelling, and close attention to detail
• A delivery-focused mindset with strong personal organisation and time-management skills

Application instructions

Please apply with your CV and cover letter outlining why you are the right candidate for the role by 11:59pm on Wednesday 12th March.

Please ensure you include a cover letter, as it is a crucial part of our assessment process. The cover letter offers an opportunity to show how your experience and interests align with the role requirements. Typically, we expect the cover letter to be no more than one or two pages in length.

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

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