Schools Engagement Lead, Children’s Booker Prize

Contract and location: Fixed term for 1 year; 3 days a week; UK-based hybrid working with minimum number of days per week in the London office to be agreed on contract

Salary: £30,000 (FTE of £50,000)

Reporting to: Children’s Prize Manager

Application details: Email covering letter (two pages maximum) and CV.

Deadline for applications: Midnight, Wednesday, 11 February 2026

The role: We are inviting applications for a new position – Schools Engagement Lead – for the Children’s Booker Prize supported by AKO Foundation. The successful candidate will be on a fixed term contract for one year at the Booker Prize Foundation with responsibility for developing and delivering a schools and education strategy which enables the prize to reach children aged eight to 12. We are looking for an organised, driven and collegiate individual, who has demonstrable experience of working with brands or charities on engaging schools and educational organisations in their work, as well as a passion for children’s literature and promoting reading for pleasure among young audiences.

Schools Engagement Lead’s key responsibilities:

• Work closely with the Director of Prizes and the newly appointed Children’s Prize Manager to develop and deliver a strategy to engage primary and secondary schools and educational organisations with the Children’s Booker Prize to reach children aged eight to 12.
• Oversee the recruitment plan for three child judges, aged eight to 12, working closely with schools, and other partners, to encourage sign-up.
• Help develop and manage child protection and safeguarding policies.
• Build and manage partnerships with schools, libraries, and educational organisations to integrate the prize into learning environments.
• Manage ongoing liaison with Beano Brain to consult directly with children on the development of the prize.
• Work closely with the Booker Prize Foundation's content team to create resources, programming and digital content that fosters a love of reading among children.
• Drive school sign-up for resources and for physical and virtual attendance of the prize ceremony, and coordinate any additional schools events/author visits.
• Encourage buy-in of the Children’s Booker Prize shortlist and winner in school and public libraries.
• Manage schools and family data in the CRM database.
• Work closely with the Children’s Prize Manager on the evaluation of the impact of the prize in partnership with the National Literacy Trust.
• Report on engagement results and develop future plans based on learnings.

The ideal candidate will have:

• Proven experience of developing and evaluating school and education and engagement strategies for brands or charities.
• Excellent verbal and written communication, with the ability to engage and motivate diverse audiences, including children.
• The capability to build relationships with school senior leadership, teachers, librarians, young people and delivery partners in the sector.
• A thorough understanding of the UK school system, curriculum and current educational challenges.
• Strong attention to detail, the ability to multi-task and work with multiple teams.
• A strategic and creative approach to audience development with children, their families and educators through marketing, communications and events.
• Up-to-date knowledge of safeguarding procedures, child protection, relevant legislation and GDPR.
• Proficiency in using CRM software and collating and presenting information using Microsoft Office.
• Passion for children’s literature and for promoting reading for pleasure among young audiences.

It would be desirable for the candidate to have:

• Knowledge of the children’s publishing sector, as well as current trends in children’s literature.

How to apply: Please send a covering letter of no more than two pages outlining your suitability for the role and a CV by midnight on Wednesday, 11 February. In your covering letter, please explain why you are interested in the position and how your experience and skills match what we are looking for.

We welcome and encourage applications from candidates who are under-represented in the creative industries.

Candidates will be invited to interview on 25 February, although this is subject to change.