Senior Publicity Manager, Penguin Random House Children\'s

Are you an experienced and senior publicist looking for your next step in, or to step into, the world of children’s, Young Adult (YA) and New Adult Publishing? Do you know how to craft campaigns which grab people’s attention and get them talking? Are your campaigns known for their creativity, community connection and digital-first thinking? We have an exciting opportunity for a confident, passionate, digital-first thinking Senior Publicist to join our award-winning children’s publishing team to work across its outstanding portfolio of books, with a particular focus on our YA list.

About our team

We are the UK’s no.1 children’s and YA publisher, home to Ladybird, Puffin and a trend-setting YA list, and to some of the most recognised entertainment brands and authors. Our marketing and PR teams are organised into 3 audience-focussed hubs (across Pre-School, Primary and YA). You will be joining an award-winning team of 13 and working closely with the Head of PR, predominantly on books on our YA list.

The role

This role will drive campaigns across a list that includes some of the biggest authors and names in Young Adult (YA) fiction including Karen M. McManus, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Bea Fitzgerald, Laura Steven, Lauryn-Hamilton Murray, Malorie Blackman, John Green and Philip Pullman; as well as launching debut YA talent into the brands of tomorrow. You will work closely with the Head of PR to identify areas in which to drive growth in our market share of YA titles and to develop strategies to drive this growth. In this role you will plan and execute effective end-to-end publicity campaigns which get into the hearts and minds of our consumers across all channels.

Key responsibilities:

• Independently plan, manage and evaluate consumer facing publicity book campaigns within budget to reach targeted audiences and connect with consumers – often involving high profile authors and year-round brands.
• Promote books and authors through social media, digital channels, print and broadcast to ensure coverage and generate sales.
• Manage all aspects of author events and tours including event creation, schedules and stakeholder management whether this be a book festival appearance, schools tour, public bookshop panel and signing, retailer dinner or a media showcase.
• Global campaign management, where relevant, including coordinating international press and event requests for group companies.
• Establish and maintain strong external relationships, with consumer media, trade media, key influencers and networks within the industry.
• Develop relationships with and provide a high level of author and agent care at all times.
• Liaise regularly with and build relationships with internal departments across the division, in order to plan, implement and evaluate effective campaigns.
• Actively research the marketplace and readership across the YA Hub to maintain excellent awareness of trends and to identify and engage with target audiences.
• Deputise for the Head of Publicity, attending key meetings when necessary.
• Create and write a variety of press materials.
• Support with Acquisition meetings and pitches as required.
• Undertake special projects (e.g. delegated by the Publicity Director or MD such as charity liaison and new initiatives).

Please note, this role will require regular out of hours work, covering evening and weekend events where necessary.

What you’ll bring

Essential criteria:

• Proven PR experience within book publishing or adjacent industry.
• You will have strong experience in connecting to audiences online and in working to support an owned-channel digital strategy through your PR activity, putting dynamic and engaging content at the centre of your campaigns.
• You will represent a strong voice in the division and will need to establish yourself as a trusted expert for colleagues and contacts both within and outside the organisation.
• You will have exceptional stakeholder management skills.
• Crisis communications experience.
• Excellent organisational, communication, presentation and interpersonal skills.
• You will be resilient and confident in managing multiple projects, prioritising your time effectively in a busy environment.

Preferred criteria:

• A strong interest in bringing your skillset and experience to publicity campaigns for Young Adult titles.

Application instructions

Please apply with your CV and cover letter outlining why you are the right candidate for the role by 11:59pm on Thursday 29th May. As part of your cover letter, please tell us about a recent Young Adult (YA) publicity campaign that you thought was particularly effective and why.

Salary

£40,000 - £45,000 dependent on how your skills and experience align to the role, plus bonus and benefits.

What you can expect from us

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 attend the office a minimum of three days per week.

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

As a Disability Confident Committed organisation, we offer interviews to candidates with a disability who meet the essential criteria for the role, and opt-in on their application form. We encourage you to tell us about any reasonable adjustments you may need by emailing. 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.