Editor, Children's (Puffin)

Penguin Books

  • London
  • £33,000 per year
  • Permanent
  • Full-time
  • 27 days ago
The Puffin Non-Fiction team have an exciting opportunity for someone to join the team as an Editor on a permanent basis. This role might suit someone from a Managing Editorial or a Project Management background, or someone who is currently in editorial and keen to work with some of the biggest authors and most exciting new books in the market.We are in an exciting period of growth at Puffin Non-Fiction. We have had more bestsellers this year than ever before, and have exciting plans to build on this success. We publish some of country’s most-loved non-fiction voices for children including Adam Kay, Sathnam Sanghera, Bill Bryson, Katy Hessel, Danny Robins, Dr Alex George and Simon Squibb. We are also the home of some of the most exciting brands in children’s Non-Fiction, including Coco Wyo colouring books and BBC Earth. We are passionate about imaginative, voice-led Non-Fiction storytelling and showing children that sometimes facts can be even more exciting and life-changing than fiction.The roleThis exciting role encompasses both editorial and administrative tasks. You’ll primarily be supporting the growth of our Non-Fiction team, working with a broad range of brand authors, as well as contemporary classics of the future. You will be responsible for the editorial workflow and project-management of a wide range of titles through to publication. This is a great opportunity to join a creative and commercial team and there will be collaborative support to develop your editorial skills on the job in a non-commissioning role.Key responsibilities:
  • Proactively providing editorial support to senior members of the team throughout all stages of the book-making process, while taking responsibility for your own designated projects.
  • Collaboratively working on the in-house process for specific books, including scheduling, running costings, taking responsibility for managing the editorial workflow and project-managing a wide range of titles through to publication. There will also be the chance to develop and hone your editorial skills working across the breadth of the list.
  • Providing Biblio support across Puffin Non-Fiction titles. Compiling metadata, jacket and cover copy.
  • Proactively providing editorial support to senior members of the team throughout all stages of the book-making process, while taking responsibility for your own designated projects.
  • Working closely with authors and brand owners on existing projects at different stages of publication.
  • Providing excellent author care and acting as a point of contact for authors and agents, answering questions where possible and passing other queries on to managers.
  • Attending new project meetings, working with editors in reading proposals and actively engaging in conversations about new book ideas.
  • Editing manuscripts for a select number of titles.
  • Liaising with in-house teams, authors and agents.
  • Presenting titles at internal meetings.
  • Contributing to the publishing vision by inputting ideas for your books, including format, binding, design, price, and promotional campaigns.
What you’ll bringWe’re looking for someone with demonstrable editorial experience and solid market knowledge in publishing. You might currently be an Assistant Editor or Project Editor looking for your next challenge, or an Editor wanting hands-on experience on a different type of list and exposure to household brands and names. You’ll be creative, reliable and unflappable with excellent desk-editing, copy-editing and project management experience, combined with outstanding organisation and time management skills. Personal initiative and the ability to work autonomously are also important in this role.Essential criteria:
  • Proven skills in editing and working with authors and agents.
  • Excellent demonstrable communication skills and understanding of managing multiple stakeholders of varying seniorities.
  • Initiative, creative motivation, and a proactive nature.
  • Proven skills in managing the Biblio data system
  • Strong attention to detail.
  • To be able to prioritise, multitask and work under pressure.
  • Demonstrable understanding of project management and critical path requirements.
  • Proven editing and proofreading skills.
Preferred criteria:
  • To be engaged with popular culture, be well-informed of current trends, and have design awareness.
  • To be a team player with interpersonal sensitivity.
Application instructionsPlease apply with your CV and cover letter outlining why you are the right candidate for the role by 11:59pm on Sunday 7th September 2025. Please note we have an extended deadline on this advert because of the summer holiday break.As part of your cover letter, we’d like you to respond to the following questions (no more than 300 words in total):1) We’re looking for someone with a real interest in Non-Fiction. Tell us about a children’s Non-Fiction book of the last two years which has impressed you. What stood out?2) This position will involve helping to manage exciting projects across the list. Please share with us an example of a project you have worked on and the role you played within the team.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 between 1-2 pages.Please note we are looking for someone to join the team as soon as possible, but we are also happy to accommodate a reasonable notice period for the right candidate.SalaryCirca £33,000 dependent on how your skills and experience align to the role, plus bonus and benefits. There is scope to consider salary depending on experience.Hybrid workingWhile 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. For this role we expect that you will work from the office 3 days a week, and we are happy to discuss this through the recruitment process.Company: The Random House Group Limited | Job ID: 281762

Penguin Books