Editorial Director, Non-fiction, Hutchinson Heinemann

Job title:

Editorial Director, Non-fiction, Hutchinson Heinemann

Company

Penguin Books

Job description

This is a rare opportunity to join Hutchinson Heinemann. A imprint of culturally resonant, boldly told fiction and non-fiction, this is a non-fiction role reporting to the Publisher.

About Hutchinson Heinemann

Hutchinson Heinemann is part of the Cornerstone division of Penguin Random House and is known for bestsellers, prize winners, ground-breaking voices, and original stories. Some of our forthcoming and published non-fiction includes Invisible Child by Andrea Elliott, A Death in Malta by Paul Caruana Galizia, The Story of Art without Men by Katy Hessel, Another England by Caroline Lucas, But What Can I Do? by Alistair Campbell, The Finest Hotel in Kabul by Lyse Doucet and Every Monument Must Fall by Dan Hicks. We are the proud publishers of Ghaith Abdul-Ahad, Barnabas Calder, Helen Carr, Sebasitan Faulks, Jennie Godfrey, Robert Harris, Marc Morris, Chigozie Obioma, Michael Palin, Richard Powers, Harry Sidebottom, Vanessa Walters, Adam Weymouth, Harvey Whitehouse and C Pam Zhang.

The Role

We are looking for a brilliant commissioner – whether an Editorial Director already or a commissioning editor looking to take the next step – with a deep knowledge of and passion for non-fiction and a proven track record of publishing, perhaps especially in the areas of history, ideas, and culture. As well as shaping your own commissioning you will be working with around six key non-fiction authors already on the list.

The Editorial Director will support the Publisher and Publishing Directors in managing and developing the direction of our list and will have a view of, and contribute to the strategy for, our whole publishing programme. You will have a passion for discovering and developing new voices, a vision for building energetic campaigns, the hunger to seek out new publishing opportunities and a desire to connect writers with the widest possible audience. You will be able to build a community, both internally and externally, for your books and for the list.

About Cornerstone

Cornerstone is a division within the iconic publisher Penguin Random House, our home. In turn, Cornerstone is home to five imprints: Century, Del Rey, Hutchinson Heinemann, #Merky Books, and Cornerstone Press, 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.

Candidate Profile

• A proven track record in editing, acquiring, proactively commissioning new ideas and profitably publishing non-fiction. A track in history, culture, ideas and memoir publishing an advantage.
• Creativity, energy, sound commercial judgement and editorial flair combined with the ability to follow through and keep on schedule and budget.
• Ability to build strong relationships with authors, agents and across the wider industry.
• A keen sense of Chatto & Windus’s and Vintage’s priorities and values, and what makes for an outstanding work of non-fiction, narrative non-fiction and fiction.
• Comfortable acting as an internal and external ambassador for Hutchinson Heinemann, and as a leader within the imprint and as part of the wider editorial team.
• A strong team player with interpersonal sensitivity and emotional intelligence.
• Professional curiosity, and an appetite for innovation and problem-solving.
• A good understanding of the marketplace: retailers, media, audiences and competitors.
• Confident partner for Marketing, Publicity, and other internal teams to develop each book’s strategy, positioning, copy and design.
• Proven author care and negotiation experience.

Application Instructions

Please apply with your CV and cover letter (addressed to Helen) outlining why you are the right person for the role by midnight on Wednesday 20th March.

What you can expect from us

Salary: £42,500 – £53,000 depending on how your skills and experience align to the role, plus bonus and benefits.

Competitive benefits package: Our people are the heart of our business, and we work hard to support a culture of responsibility and recognition.

Our benefits include:

Financial – income protection, life assurance, childcare allowance
Wellbeing – healthcare cash plan, critical illness cover, health checks
Lifestyle – enhanced parental leave, tech scheme

For our full benefits list please visit: https://www.penguinrandomhousecareers.co.uk/what-we-offer/

Hybrid working: While our offices across the UK are places to connect, collaborate and celebrate with colleagues, we recognise that flexibility around where you work is just as important. Cornerstone colleagues work in the office on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. We’re happy to discuss this in more detail as part of the interview process. In 2024, the Cornerstone division will be based at our Embassy Gardens office in Nine Elms, London.

The recruitment process: You can read about our recruitment process at https://www.penguinrandomhousecareers.co.uk/how-we-hire/

As a Disability Confident Committed organisation, we’re part of the offer an interview scheme. This is where disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role can opt in to get to the next recruitment stage. There may be some situations where volume of applicants means we can’t take all eligible candidates to interview.

We encourage you to tell us about any reasonable adjustments you may need by emailing PRHCareersUK@penguinrandomhouse.co.uk. Remember, you only need to share what you are comfortable to for us to support your request.

Please note, we are not able to accept agency CVs for this role. Any CVs sent speculatively will not be eligible for a fee.

Company: Penguin Books Limited

Country: United Kingdom

State/Region: London

City: London

Postal Code: SW1V 2SA

Job ID: 268536

Expected salary

£42500 – 53000 per year

Location

London

Job date

Tue, 05 Mar 2024 23:44:19 GMT

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