Head of Marketing, Penguin Michael Joseph (12-month FTC)

Are you a creative and strategic marketing professional ready for a new opportunity at a leading commercial fiction and non-fiction book publisher? Penguin Michael Joseph is looking to appoint a Head of Marketing to join the team on a fixed term contract (FTC) basis.

About the team

Penguin Michael Joseph publishes some of the world’s most popular and commercially successful authors and brands, including Marian Keyes, Jojo Moyes, Stephen Fry, Raynor Winn, Liane Moriarty and more. We specialise in women’s fiction, crime, thriller, cookery, memoir and lifestyle books. Many of our authors are now, or soon will be, household names, here in the UK and around the world. We seek out the very best authors in their field and bring their books to the widest possible audience. We take an author’s vision and turn it into a beautiful book people can’t help but talk about. In a crowded market, our books shine.

The role

This role will own and develop the day-to-day marketing activity across commercial fiction publishing, with particular focus on brands and women’s fiction. Managing a team of three, and reporting to the Marketing Director, you’ll be responsible for contributing to and driving a clear and ambitious growth and sales strategy for our books and author brands, including Marian Keyes, Jojo Moyes, Holly Jackson and Jane Fallon. You will also have strategic overview of some of our high-growth publishing areas such as Romance and Fantasy, including Red Tower. You will work closely with marketing, publicity and sales colleagues to develop relationships with retailers and manage excellent author and agent relationships to ensure that the campaigns for our books lead the market and drive sales. You will be expert in identifying the right audience for every book and be able to share that experience across the team, alongside executing multi-platform media strategies.

Key responsibilities:

• Take responsibility for all aspects of the promotional strategy for your list from acquisition through to publication and beyond.
• Deliver outstanding, sales-driving campaigns for lead titles, as well as brand management for some of the PMJ biggest brand authors.
• Lead the marketing strategy alongside editorial and publicity for the ‘Romance and Fantasy taskforce’ team, including budget planning, categorisation and campaign planning.
• Build a close partnership with the commercial fiction publishing team to set the agenda and contribute to acquisition and growth strategy.
• Build and develop excellent relationships with authors, agents, brand partners, influencers and internal and external stakeholders.
• Champion innovation and creativity at the heart of every campaign.
• Lead campaigns for high-profile launches.
• Manage, develop and nurture a team of three marketers.

What you’ll bring

The successful candidate will be highly curious, creative, and an excellent communicator. We’re seeking a visionary leader and people manager who thrives on challenges and embraces change. You’ll be passionate and knowledgeable about commercial fiction publishing, bringing professional experience of audience-led marketing in this space. The ideal candidate will have significant brand or marketing experience at a senior level and will be able to support the Marketing Director in leading the team and deputising in meetings when needed.

Essential criteria:

• Proven track record in delivering high-profile, effective book marketing campaigns to the highest possible standard.
• Strong leader and experience of team management of a communications team.
• Audience-focused approach with a demonstrable interest in all things marketing, brands and consumers.
• Creative approach to finding new ways of targeting, engaging and broadening audiences.
• Talented multi-tasker who can prioritise, set direction, problem solve, brainstorm, and negotiate.
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills and experience working with a range of stakeholders – effective influencer with strong powers of persuasion.
• Enjoys line management, able to mentor, challenge and support as an inclusive leader.
• Strategic and adaptable, championing new initiatives and ideas to help the team continuously grow and improve.
• Dynamically trend-spot within the industry and outside of it, predicting the needs of the audience in an ever-changing market.
• Bring diversity of thought and innovation into the marketing team.
• Resilient and calm under pressure.

Application instructions

Please apply with your CV and cover letter outlining why you are the right candidate for the role by 11:59pm on 1st July. As part of your cover letter, please tell us about a recent marketing campaign (fiction) that you thought was effective and why.

Salary £50,000 - £55,000 dependent on how your skills and experience align to the role, plus bonus and benefits.

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. For this role we expect that you will spend three days per week working from our Embassy Gardens office.