Senior Commissioning Editor, Collins Reference

This is a dual role with responsibility for publishing titles across the Collins general reference list, but with the added and specific responsibility for developing the publishing partnership between Collins and The Times newspaper. The range of publishing topics is vast, touching on subjects as diverse as history, sport, conflict, news, current affairs, transport, fashion and royalty, and the publishing will be across print and digital formats.

As Senior Commissioning Editor for the Collins/Times partnership you will take ownership of this important part of our reference business. You will be required to devise and promote a rolling 3-year publishing programme which should grow revenues by building on the publishing successes of the previous years. You will be the strategic lead for this programme, promote it and obtain support for it from all levels of the business, up to and including the senior teams within Collins and the Times.

As Senior Commissioning Editor on the Collins general reference list you will work alongside other commissioning colleagues to keep Collins at the forefront of adult reference publishing. You will publish new and perennial titles into this range, being personally responsible for the acquisition, commissioning and positioning of each, while working with editorial and production colleagues to deliver these titles, and sales and marking colleagues to promote them. In most cases you will be the main point of contact for all stakeholders on each title throughout the publishing process.

Key Accountabilities

• Develop and maintain a rolling 3-year publishing plan for the Collins/Times partnership.

• Be the main advocate for the same publishing plan from all key stakeholders within Collins and Times.

• Act as main point of contact for all internal and external communication around this list – manage relationships and aim to understand and deal with complex or sensitive situations with minimal input from senior colleagues.

• Develop and Commission your own range of products for the Times and Collins general reference lists, being responsible for keeping the content original, diverse but as inclusive as possible.

• Research new ideas and areas that Collins could publish into.

• Investigate further partner organisations and authors that Collins could work with – develop ideas and own and nurture relationships that come out of this investigation.

• Digital – research and develop publishing proposals and novel formats for reference publishing.

• Fully brief and work with project leaders and designers on the publications.

• Contribute to publishing team meetings and publishing departmental meetings, always with an aim of developing the reference publishing lists to promote growth and diversity.

• Lead annual strategy sessions on reference publishing within Collins.

• Liaise with marketing and assist in the improvement and optimisation of metadata of published products to the priorities set by other business stakeholders.

• Monitor commercial and market response of titles and assess versus budget and expectations.

• Have a full understanding of current non-fiction market and flag up when trends are appearing in market.

• Monitor customer feedback and respond within agreed process.

Skills Required

• Knowledge of the non-fiction or reference publishing market across the UK

• Demonstrable experience within a publishing role

• Ability to work collaboratively, proactively and independently

• Commercially astute

• Good negotiation and relationship-building skills

• A team player with strong communication and people skills

Benefits

• Hybrid working model (3+ days in the office plus core hours) 

• 27 days holiday plus bank holidays (option to buy and sell holiday days) 

• Summer hours

• Enhanced pay for maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave 

• Private healthcare cover and life assurance 

• 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 

• Rent Relocation Loan

• Employee networks: HC All In (open forum), Elevate (for ethnic minority colleagues), HarperParents, Menopause at Work, Pride at HC, Socio Mobility Network and Neurodiversity network

• 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 

• Green Electric/Hybrid Car Benefit Scheme (salary sacrifice)

• With Trees for Life we plant a tree in the Highlands of Scotland for every permanent hire

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

• Subsidised canteen and retail discounts 

• Onsite prayer room 

If you wish to discuss anything regarding this position and/or your application to this role, please reach out directly to [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.

Please note, if you are interested in the role you would need to submit your application via Applied. We do not accept email applications.