Publicity Director, HQ, Mills & Boon, and Pavilion

Introduction to the role

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Publicity Director to join our multi-award-winning publicity team, working across our HQ, Pavilion and Mills & Boon imprints at an exciting time of development for the division.

The successful candidate will head up the Publicity team, bringing market knowledge and hands-on experience, along with outstanding leadership. You’ll develop and deliver integrated, strategic, impactful, and commercial media and events campaigns for our books, authors, and brands. You will contribute to the growth and strategic development of our lists and brands through entrepreneurial and creative thinking. You will be a senior voice in the division, leading and motivating the publicity team, and championing the team and our imprints both internally and to the wider industry.

Key tasks and accountabilities

• Create and deliver strategic media and events campaigns for books, authors and brands that meet sales targets and business objectives

• Lead and manage the publicity team

• Proactively contribute to acquisition and publishing programmes using knowledge of media trends and market information on what competitors are doing

• Work closely with editors to determine requirements of authors in line with company strategy and budget

• Work closely with international teams to collaborate on and communicate plans, and share knowledge and resources to meet shared objectives

• Lead the PR team in the presentation and development of pitches

• Manage the publicity budget

• Network and share best practice

• Regularly review and improve PR processes to ensure they support business objectives

• Gain greater leverage from corporate initiatives, within HarperCollins and News UK

• Be a team player, looking to share their learnings with the wider publicity team, to foster a culture of shared learning

• Demonstrate an active interest in campaigns from across the book industry as well as the wider entertainment and media sector

Your first six months

• Plan, execute and deliver bestselling campaigns

• Develop strong relationships within the team, specifically line reports as well as across the wider business including sales, marketing, editorial and design

• Be a senior voice in meetings both internally and externally

Experience required

• Experience of delivering high-profile and successful publicity campaigns for commercial fiction and / or non-fiction authors and brands

• Experience in managing and leading a successful publicity team

• Experience building and maintaining excellent relationships with a wide range of media contacts

• Experience of managing high-profile and / or celebrity authors and multiple stakeholders

• Excellent track record in generating creative, strategic and innovative campaigns

• Excellent market and commercial knowledge, able to keep up to date with the latest trends, news, media, and wider cultural landscape

Skills required

• Creative, commercial, and strategic thinking: comfortable using consumer insight and market knowledge to produce best-in-class campaigns with real impact

• ROI-focused, able to effectively measure results and evaluate campaigns, and share learnings with wider team and stakeholders

• Proven capability in creating innovative, impactful PR campaigns

• Good writer, ability to plan, news sense, storytelling ability, able to pitch a story

• Business and commercial understanding

• Able to evaluate meaningfully

• Calm under pressure, with experience of crisis management

• Understanding of competitors strength and weaknesses, retail, and media trends

 Benefits 

Hybrid working model (2+ 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 

Employee networks: HC All In (open forum), Elevate (for ethnic minority colleagues), HarperParents, Menopause at Work and Pride at HC 

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 

Charitable donation matching and  2 volunteering days 

We're a certified Carbon Neutral company 

Free e-books and audiobooks, newspaper subscriptions and discounts on books

Onsite prayer room 

If you wish to discuss anything regarding this position and/or your application to this role, please reach out directly to our Talent Acquisition Manager, [email removed - click apply for more details] with subject heading ‘Vacancy Query’ plus the job title and we will aim to get back to you within 5 working days.