We have an exciting opportunity for a Senior Commissioning Editor to join the Penguin Life team at Penguin General, home of bestselling authors such as Cal Newport, Simon Sinek and Squiggly Careers authors Sarah Ellis & Helen Tupper. We're looking for an ambitious and engaged acquirer with an eye for the biggest books in smart thinking, high performance, focus and personal development. 

  

About Penguin Life 

  

Penguin Life has recently rebranded to incorporate an existing list which has long published the very best books on working smarter. As the market for actionable advice evolves and grows, we are looking for authors, and editors, who understand that the best advice isn't siloed to one part of our lived experience. At Penguin Life we aim for our books to equip readers with new ideas and skills which will improve every aspect of their lives, from work to relationships, health, psychology, communication, finance and behavioural change. Our authors range from business leaders to sporting legends, leading scientists, health professionals and exceptional journalists. What unites our authors is a focus on quality and integrity - they include James Nestor, Philippa Perry, Rangan Chatterjee, Eric Ries, Sharmadean Reid and Jefferson Fisher. 

  

The role 

  

In this role, you will work as part of a team that is collaborative and supportive, pro-active and entrepreneurial. We work hard to nurture individual talent as part of our collective success. At Penguin General, we strive for working life to be progressive, energising, motivating and rewarding for all our colleagues at every level. 

  

Reporting to the Publishing Director, and joining a team of seven, this role will be responsible for publishing around 10 new non-fiction titles a year with a particular focus on big ideas, career, performance and research-led behavioural change, ideally with international potential, that will sell for years to come. 

  

In the role, you can also expect to be: 

 

Generating books for publishing in part through being on top of trends and proactively seeking out new opportunities. 

Managing the complete publishing cycle of your books, liaising with key departments across the business, authors, agents and other external partners. 

Managing junior team members and motivating them to become confident, market-aware commissioners. 

Networking to create and maintain strong relationships with authors, agents and other partners in the UK and internationally. 

A strong team player and an advocate for your books and the Penguin Life list. 

  

What you’ll bring 

  

Essential criteria: 

 

We are looking for a creative, highly motivated individual with talent and high potential. You will be knowledgeable about the market, full of ideas and confident in collaborating in-house and out from start to finish of each book. 

 

The ability to work effectively under pressure while keeping to schedule is essential, as are strong organisational skills and attention to detail. You’ll be an excellent communicator, able to write persuasive cover copy and make convincing verbal pitches, as well as create and maintain matchless author relationships. You will also actively engage with Penguin Random House’s diversity and inclusion goals.

 

Engaged with the outside world and brings a commercial mind-set.  

Interested in acquiring in areas of smart thinking, career, performance, focus and productivity.  

Strong internal and external relationship management skills, with the ability to communicate effectively to a wide range of people and to influence others.   

Experience with authors, agents and international buy-ins. 

A good mix of strong creative and analytical skills. 

A confident negotiator. 

Scrupulous attention to detail and organisational skills. 

A strong team player with interpersonal sensitivity. 

 

Application instructions  

   

Please apply with your CV and cover letter outlining why you are the right candidate for the role by 11:59pm on Sunday 19th January  

 

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 no more than one or two pages in length.    

  

What you can expect from us 

  

Salary 

 

Senior Commissioning Editor salaries can range from £42,500 to £56,500. An offer will be made in line with how your skills and experience align to the role. 

 

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

 

 Financial – discounted shopping, season ticket loan, rental deposit loan 

Wellbeing – healthcare cash plan, employee assistance, gym loan 

Lifestyle – taste card, tech scheme, free and discounted books 

  

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

  

Hybrid working 

 

While our offices are places for you to connect, collaborate and celebrate with colleagues, having flexibility about where you work is just as important for doing your best work and for your wellbeing. So, we don’t have a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to how we work across Penguin Random House UK. 

  

For this role, there are regular meetings and activities that you will need to attend in person at our offices in London. Outside of these moments, you can choose to work remotely. We are happy to discuss this arranging further with you during the recruitment process. 

 

About Penguin 

  

We’re the UK’s largest publisher; made up of some 2,000 people and publishing over 1,500 books each year. Our doors are open to all kinds of talent. In a constantly evolving industry, we work hard to stretch the definition of the word publisher. Here, you’ll work with a breadth of talent who all play their part to make each of our books a success. Together, we make books for everyone because a book can change anyone.  

  

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. The essential criteria for this role are listed as part of the What you’ll bring section. 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: 270999