Operations associate

Salary: £30,000 - £35,000, dependent on experience and location (+bonus +benefits)

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

We are looking for a motivated and experienced operations associate to join our dynamic and fast-growing team.

At Hachette Learning (formerly Hodder Education), there’s one thing we’re certain about. No two students learn the same way. That’s why our approach to teaching begins by recognising the needs of individuals first. Our mission is to enable every learner to fulfil their unique potential by empowering those who teach them. From our expert teaching and learning resources to our digital educational tools that make learning easier and more accessible for all, we provide solutions designed to maximise the impact of learning for every teacher, parent and student.

Aligned with our parent company, Hachette Livre, founded in 1826, we’re proud to deliver high-quality learning solutions on a global scale. We make it easier for everyone to unlock a new world of learning. Hachette Learning is a division of Hachette, one of the largest publishing groups in the UK, with 12 publishing divisions and over 60 imprints. Everyone here is proud to be in the business of opening doors and minds.

In this role, you will be responsible for providing support to our product, sales and inventory teams, by performing a variety of tasks such as facilitating forecasting requirements, assisting with customer service, order processing, data processing and sales reporting. This is a key-role within our Product Operations’ strategy in developing and maintaining process improvements, cost saving initiatives and customer data analysis. The ideal candidate will be familiar with the principles of Lean management and have strong communication and problem-solving skills, as well as some experience in sales with a clear focus on international markets as well as a solid background in operations and customer service.

What you'll be doing

• Manage the full sales order cycle, ensuring accurate processing of retailer and distributor orders
• Work closely with Inventory, Distribution, and Production teams to track customer/distributor stock levels and ensure timely fulfilment.
• Own the reprints drop shipments process and international trade deliveries, ensuring compliance with customs and retailer requirements, EUDR and GPSR.
• Process and track trade direct delivery invoicing, ensuring accuracy in financial reporting.
• Act as a point of contact for order escalations, liaising with key stakeholders to resolve issues efficiently.
• Work with Production, Sales and Distribution teams to implement more efficient workflows and best practices.
• Drive and support initiatives to reduce unnecessary costs.
• Collaborate with internal teams to automate manual processes, such as iPage inbound shipment notifications.
• Identify and resolve recurring fulfilment and invoicing challenges, improving operational efficiency across the division.
• Provide clear, data-driven reports to Sales Managers and Key Account Managers.
• Support the sales team by tracking order trends.
• Support finance teams by providing accurate invoicing and promotional discount tracking.

The above list is not exclusive or exhaustive, and the job holder may be required to undertake such other duties as may reasonably be required.

Who we are looking for

Skills and knowledge

• Solid experience in an operations role with a strong focus on sales ops
• Strong interpersonal skills to deal with customers and collaborate closely with a variety of departments such as sales, distribution and inventory.
• Exemplary customer service skills to deal politely and effectively with customers’ inquiries or complaints
• Excellent written and verbal communication
• Publishing industry experience preferred but not required
• Highly computer and systems literate (with strong working knowledge of Excel and PowerPoint)
• Strong understanding of order fulfilment, invoicing, and inventory management workflows
• Familiarity with CRM and order management systems (e.g. SAP, Extent).
• Ability to analyse sales trends, order bottlenecks, and operational efficiency metrics

KPIs

• Produce accurate, relevant, and timely information as and when required
• Build effective relationships with key departments and teams
• Execute consistent order processing
• Arrange printer direct deliveries in a timely and efficient manner

Need to be

• Strong communicator (essential)
• A collaborative team player (essential)
• Solid commercial foundations (essential)
• Proactive and delivery orientated (essential)
• Ability to work under pressure and prioritise effectively (essential)
• Ability to manage a varied workload (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)
• Private medical 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 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.

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

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