Job Description
We're looking for an Editorial Operations Director (Books) to provide visionary leadership across our editorial operations, leading a team of four Editorial Workflow Managers. This is a senior leadership role for someone who thrives on shaping strategy, driving transformation, and ensuring editorial operations deliver real, sustainable advantage for the business.
You'll be a key voice at the leadership table, translating big-picture strategy into actionable plans, championing innovation, and building a culture where people and processes can genuinely excel.
What you'll be doing:
Leadership & Team Development
- Lead, coach, and develop a team of four Editorial Workflow Managers
- Build organizational capability and strengthen the leadership pipeline beneath you
- Champion succession planning and talent development at senior levels
- Foster a culture of innovation and excellence across editorial operations
Strategic Vision & Planning
- Shape multi-year strategic plans aligned with wider business objectives
- Partner closely with Publishing Directors to bring editorial strategy and vision to life
- Lead initiatives that drive genuine competitive advantage
- Turn organizational strategy into clear, actionable roadmaps
Operational Performance
- Establish enterprise-wide KPIs and performance frameworks
- Oversee portfolio performance and profitability across business units
- Drive process improvements that scale with the business
- Keep a close eye on the competitive landscape to inform decision-making
- Partner with teams across the matrix to ensure delivery and achievement of key operational metrics
Stakeholder Engagement
- Represent editorial operations in executive forums and strategic sessions
- Build strong relationships with senior leaders across the organization
- Influence strategy and advocate for editorial operations enterprise-wide
Digital Transformation & Innovation
- Drive the digital transformation strategy for editorial operations
- Champion emerging technologies and smarter ways of working
- Lead the evaluation and rollout of enterprise-level systems
- Keep editorial operations at the leading edge of industry innovation
Financial & Resource Strategy
- Own and manage the editorial operations budget across portfolios
- Make strategic calls on investment in technology, people, and infrastructure
- Optimize resources to maximize return on investment
- Present financial performance and investment proposals to senior leadership
Qualifications
What We're Looking For
Essential
- Significant experience leading leaders/managers at an executive level
- A proven track record in strategic planning and organizational transformation
- Deep knowledge of academic publishing and its industry dynamics
- Strong financial acumen, including P&L management experience
- A track record of influencing senior executives effectively
- The ability to develop talent, build vision, and navigate complex stakeholder landscapes
- Strong strategic and business acumen, including comfort making high-stakes decisions with incomplete information
- Confident, credible communication with board-level and C-suite audiences
- Leads with vision, authenticity, and a genuine commitment to our values
- Shows courage in tough decisions and resilience under pressure
- Takes full accountability for outcomes and leads cultural change by example
Desirable
- Extensive, progressive leadership experience within academic publishing
- International or multi-market experience
- Models continuous learning, intellectual humility, and openness to feedback
- Champions diversity, equity, and inclusion as a core priority
Additional Information
Closing Date: 10th November 2026
The successful candidate will be able to utilise our balanced working model. We ask that candidates live within a commutable distance of our offices to ensure that as a balanced worker they can make it to our office locations to collaborate as required. There is an expectation for a minimum of 3 days per week in-person time, with those 3 days a week spent in our office in Milton Park, Oxfordshire.
Please note that our Milton Park office will be relocating to Oxford city centre in late 2027 / early 2028, offering an exciting new workplace in the heart of the city.
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Editorial Operations Director in Milton employer: Informa PLC
Informa PLC is an exceptional employer that fosters a collaborative and innovative work culture, particularly for the Global Tax Process & Automation Lead role. With opportunities for professional growth and development, employees benefit from a dynamic environment that encourages automation and regulatory advancements. The flexibility of working in London or Colchester enhances work-life balance, making it an attractive place for those seeking meaningful and rewarding employment.
