Desk Editor

Job Title: Desk Editor Department: Managing Editorial Contract: 12-month fixed-term, full-time

This is an exciting opportunity to join an industry-recognised team within an award-winning publishing house on a twelve-month fixed-term contract. We’re looking for an organised and detail-oriented individual who’s passionate about working across a variety of genres. This is an important and wide-ranging role for someone who enjoys seeing projects through to completion as accurately and effectively as possible.

Your team

You will be working in the Managing Editorial team, reporting to the Managing Editor for Pan. Managing Editorial is a collaborative and multifaceted department that forms the backbone of Pan Macmillan’s publishing programme, overseeing frontlist, backlist and reissued titles through all stages of the editorial and production process. We work alongside authors, commissioning editors, the production team and other in-house departments to ensure high editorial quality is maintained, technical processes are refined and commercial needs are met, all while bringing a wonderful and varied array of books to life.

Your role

You will play a crucial role in supporting our Adult commercial publishing, project-managing backlist titles and your own frontlist allocations to iron out any pesky typos and misplaced commas.

A typical day could see you liaising with commissioning editors and authors before moving on to check a jacket or proofread some cover copy. Maybe you’re also reviewing a copy-edited manuscript or preparing a file for typesetting. You might then step away from a proof collation to attend a progress meeting, which you’ll follow up with some Biblio schedule maintenance to keep on top of the important critical path dates, enabling you to line up one of our brilliant freelancers for an upcoming project. Perhaps you’ll also find yourself busy checking an ebook file, proofreading picture captions or copy-editing bonus content for one of our beautiful exclusive editions.

Your key responsibilities

• Project-managing a number of assigned frontlist titles, working across all elements of the editorial and production process, including copy-edits, proofreads, indexes, picture sections, endmatter and circulating jacket artwork
• Overseeing multiple formats of assigned titles, including exclusive editions, export editions, backlist or reissued editions, and ebook files
• Working closely with commissioning editors, authors, production controllers, artworkers and other key stakeholders to problem-solve effectively and to keep assigned titles to schedule and on budget
• Booking and managing freelancers for assigned titles and quality-checking their work
• Inputting at progress meetings, providing updates on projects and monitoring outstanding material to ensure critical path dates are met
• Supporting the Managing Editorial team at peak times, working collaboratively to review key processes and carrying out general administrative tasks to assist with the smooth running of the department
• Copy-editing and proofreading text, as required, and checking catalogues, sales copy and ad-hoc material for other departments.

Essential experience, abilities, knowledge and values you’ll need to succeed

• Editorial experience: Previous desk-editing or editorial assistant experience with first-rate copy-editing and proofreading skills
• Accuracy: An impeccable eye for detail and an excellent understanding of the English language, i.e. grammar, punctuation and semantics
• Schedule management: An understanding of the editorial and production process and the ability to draw up, manage and renegotiate schedules in line with the critical path
• Adaptability: A self-motivated, highly flexible approach to work and the ability to pivot between tasks as priorities dictate, managing multiple projects effectively
• Technical proficiency: A strong understanding of Microsoft Word (track changes) and Adobe (for digital mark-up)
• Integrity: An honest approach to project management and stakeholder liaison with a focus on providing reliable updates and high-quality deliverables
• Community: The ability to work collaboratively in a team and communicate effectively
• Curiosity: A proactive interest in finding innovative ways to improve workflow efficiencies across the lifecycle of a book
• Inclusion and representation: An active dedication to promoting diverse voices and inclusive practices, taking personal responsibility for ensuring our workplace and publishing reflect the communities we serve.

Desirable skills we’d love you to have

• Familiarity with Google for Work (Gmail/Gemini/Google applications)
• Experience with Biblio (an advantage).

What you’ll get in return

In return, we can offer you a range of great projects, a supportive and collaborative working environment as well as a competitive salary and benefits package.

Salary starting from

£33,000

Closing date

28 January 2026

Some of the benefits we offer

• 28 days’ annual leave increasing with years of service + bank holidays
• Generous pension scheme
• Discounted private medical insurance
• Group income protection scheme
• Enhanced family pay and leave
• Flexible working hours and summer hours (early finish on a Friday during summer months)
• 2 Volunteer Days per year
• 75% off all Pan Macmillan books and regular staff book sales (highly reduced rates)
• Season ticket loan/advance
• Cycle to work scheme
• Discounts on shopping and gym memberships; Christmas club savings
• Daily free breakfast and monthly company lunch

This is a full-time, 12-month fixed-term role, and will be based in our offices in Farringdon, London, with some flexibility to work from home each week.

All applicants must be able to demonstrate the right to live and work in the UK in order to be considered for this role.

At Pan Macmillan, we are highly committed to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) at every level of our organisation. We welcome applications from all individuals, including any age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and/or belief. Our efforts to promote DEI are ongoing, and we continually strive to learn and improve our policies and practices. You can read our full Diversity & Inclusion Pledge here: https://www.panmacmillan.com/about/diversity-and-inclusion

We want to ensure that all candidates are supported throughout the recruitment process, if you have any reasonable adjustments or accessibility requirements please contact Kayelle Danyluk (Head of Talent Acquisition) at kayelle.danyluk@macmillan.com

Please note that all personal information which we process in connection with your application will be treated in accordance with our Recruitment Privacy Notice available here: https://panmacmillan.com/recruitment-privacy-notice. Please read our Recruitment Privacy Notice before submitting your application.