Closing date for applications: 15 October 2025
Salary: £37,000
Take your publishing production career to the next level at the world's leading illustrated publisher, managing your own list of visually striking books from creation to delivery.
We are the world's leading illustrated publisher and a member of the Penguin Random House division of Bertelsmann, creating cutting-edge design and stunning visual books for the whole family. We are passionate about inspiring curiosity and bring people to books through their thirst for knowledge. With a global book loving community of over 800 colleagues in the UK, US, Germany, India, China, Spain and Australia, we produce books in over 100 countries and over 60 languages.
We are seeking a dedicated and skilled production controller to join our team. We produce a diverse range of well-recognised trade titles across children’s and adult and branded licensing products, co-printed in numerous languages. As a production controller, you will have the opportunity to develop and enhance your production skills, commercial awareness, and relationship management abilities. You will be involved in the creation and delivery of titles for both trade and special sales, working across various global markets. You will manage all aspects of your list at every stage, including product development, costing, scheduling, delivery, and quality control.
You will be an excellent communicator who can build and maintain relationships with sales, suppliers, and creative colleagues. You will understand the commercial significance of the production role and enjoy the challenge of creatively negotiating to tight margins, in line with DK’s department strategy. Your keen eye for detail will ensure you are comfortable working both independently and as part of a team on high-volume workloads.
Responsibilities
- Managing the creation and delivery of titles, both conventional and novelty formats
- Overseeing product development, costing, scheduling, delivery, and quality control
- Collaborating with global sales markets to ensure product success
- Negotiating tight margins to align with department strategy
Knowledge, skills & experience
- Previous experience in a similar role within book publishing production
- Knowledge and experience handling print scheduling, spend, and placement
- Expertise in 4 colour print processes and co-edition printing
- Understanding of product safety concerns and processes (safety testing and novelty product experience is beneficial for children’s titles, though training will be provided)
- Enthusiastic and proactive approach to work
- Excellent time management and communication skills
- Commercially aware and detail-oriented
- Thorough approach to administration
- Ability to manage high workloads in a demanding environment
Additional information
To apply, please submit your most recent CV and cover letter. DK supports flexible working and has introduced a new ‘smart-working’ policy with a hybrid approach of working weekly from home and in DK’s office. We have a range of benefits to reflect our commitment to our people, some of which are:
- 25 days paid holiday entitlement in year one, plus bank holidays
- Generous pension scheme
- Volunteering policy and charity matching
- Employee assistance programme
- 60% discount on company books
- Cycle to work scheme and discounted gym membership
- Flex Fridays (1pm Finish*)
- Shopping discounts
- Up to 30 days remote working from abroad (*subject to certain criteria being met)
- And we plant a tree for every new employee to our business
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 or undertaking internships. For more information, visit www.booktradeentrysupport.org
DK is committed to building a diverse workforce that reflects the varied communities that read our books across the world. We encourage applications from all individuals, regardless of age, religion, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexuality or social background. DK is proud to announce that we have adopted The Halo Code. DK is a member of the disability confident scheme. We guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy.
Please state in your application that you found this opportunity through Creative Access.
Level of experience
- Mid-Level