Production assistant, Farshore

Closing date: 25th May 2025 at 11.55pm

Salary: £28,500 per annum

Contract: This is a permanent position.

Our production team is looking for a production assistant to work on the production of books for our Farshore division. This is a great opportunity for someone wanting to enter the world of book production in a forward-thinking and innovative company.

HarperCollins is one of the UK’s foremost, diverse and innovative multi-platform publishers. We publish a wide range of books, ePubs and audio products from cutting-edge contemporary fiction to block-busting thrillers and from fantasy to children’s literature and enduring classics. We also publish a great selection of non-fiction titles, including history, celebrity memoirs, biographies, popular science, dictionaries, maps, reference titles and education books, and our digital business is thriving. With nearly 200 years of history, we publish some of the world’s foremost authors, from Nobel prize-winners to worldwide bestsellers. In addition, we also publish Winnie-the-Pooh, Mr Men and the works of Michael Morpurgo.

Responsibilities

• Ensure reprints are produced within budget through estimating and maintaining costs (print, paper and bind costs as well as plant costs); negotiating with suppliers where applicable; presenting accurate final costs and processing invoices.
• Run reprint costings, ensuring commercial decisions are made using the most accurate information.
• Manage schedules for co-editions and reprints, from pre-press through to delivery, ensuring effective communication to all stakeholders.
• Manage co-editions reprints, from pricing, scheduling, file supply/approvals through print to shipping and delivery notes.
• Work with repro, print and freight suppliers in Asia, Europe and elsewhere to ensure effective production.
• Liaise with warehouse and client services staff on stock issues and the release of your titles.
• Manage the archiving process to ensure that all product is available via Cumulus, the Digital Asset Management System.
• In conjunction with the Production Manager, ensure all books and other products comply with relevant safety legislation.
• Ensure print work is placed according to HC social compliance and other standards, particularly in relation to specific licensors.
• Where relevant manage eBook production/corrections.
• Maintain accurate records and data within the production system.
• Develop relationships with key suppliers.
• Check plotter proofs or InSite proofs, check colour proofs where necessary and make sure printing matches proofs or previous printed copies.
• Maintain communication with the appropriate creative and commercial teams, attending fortnightly co-edition and reprints meetings.
• Assist other Production Controllers and the Production Manager when required to manage workload and departmental needs.
• Ensure completed technical files are up to date for reprints/co-editions as required.

Knowledge, skills and experience

• Strong communication skills, oral and written
• Good computer skills, Word, Excel, Data bases
• Good numeric and organisational skills
• Being both diligent and accurate
• Excellent attention to detail
• Coping well under pressure and meeting deadlines
• Team worker
• Interest in print and eBook production

Benefits

• Hybrid working model (3 days in the office)
• 28 days holiday plus bank holidays (option to buy and sell holiday days)
• Enhanced pay for maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave
• Private healthcare cover and life assurance
• Summer Hours
• Free access to HeadSpace, employee assistance programme (24 hour helpline), mental health first aiders, and a wellbeing portal
• Season ticket loans (from day 1 for entry level) and cycle to work scheme
• Relocation Rent Support Loan
• Employee networks: HC All In (open forum), Elevate (for ethnic minority colleagues), HarperParents, Menopause at Work, Pride at HC, Social Mobility Network and Neurodiversity at Work
• Unlimited training on our Learning and Development portal, management courses (up to MA level) and mentoring programmes
• Virtual GP and eyecare vouchers
• Gym membership discount
• Onsite physiotherapy (London only)
• Charitable donation matching and 2 volunteering days
• We're a certified Carbon Neutral company
• Green Electric/Hybrid Car Benefit Scheme (salary sacrifice)
• With Trees for Life we plant a tree in the Highlands of Scotland for every permanent hire
• Free e-books and audiobooks, digital newspaper subscriptions and discounts on books
• Subsidised canteen and retail discounts
• Onsite prayer room

Please note, if you are interested in the role you would need to submit your application via the 'Apply' button. We do not accept email applications.

At HarperCollins, we value authenticity and integrity in our recruitment process. To ensure a fair and accurate evaluation of all applications, we ask that all responses to assessment questions reflect your own thoughts, experiences, and capabilities. This allows us to fairly assess your knowledge, skills, and experience to determine how they align with the role. We value diverse perspectives and genuine contributions, even if answers are not perfect. The use of AI tools or external assistance to generate responses is discouraged unless explicitly permitted for specific tasks.

If you wish to discuss anything regarding this position and/or your application to this role, please reach out directly to stephanie.jemmett@harpercollins.co.uk with subject heading ‘Vacancy Query’ plus the job title and we will aim to get back to you within 5 working days.

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