Publishing Director, Ebury Smart (12-month FTC) in London

Are you an ambitious non-fiction publisher with a passion for brilliant ideas and distinctive voices? Just imagine...

Working closely with some of the world’s most exciting writers, thinkers and experts. Leading a talented team to find the breakout non-fiction books and voices that shape our conversations. That’s the opportunity as Publishing Director and Head of Ebury’s Smart Hub at Penguin Random House UK. This is a 12-month fixed term contract opportunity to cover a period of parental leave, beginning March 2027.

About Ebury Smart: The Smart Hub prides itself on publishing bold voices and game-changing big ideas that speak to the moment, set the cultural agenda and stand the test of time. From voice-driven memoir, biography and culture to history, politics, current affairs and science, our recent bestsellers include likes of Tim Harford, Adam Grant, Michael Rosen, Zeinab Badawi, James O’Brien, Steven Bartlett, Caitlin Moran, Janina Ramirez, Ed Conway, Eric Idle, Belle Burden and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The role: You will lead the team to foster a continuing dynamic strategy and culture. The Hub publishes across the range of narrative non-fiction genres, so there is scope for breadth in the commissioning aspect of this role, but experience in voice-driven memoir is particularly welcome, as is expertise in shepherding high-profile publications in this space through the publishing process.

Key responsibilities:

• Set the vision and strategy for Ebury Smart, continuing to shape an ambitious, distinctive and commercially successful list.
• Inspire and lead a talented team, fostering a culture of creativity, pace and inclusion.
• Lead acquisitions, signing exceptional authors and ideas with both creative flair and commercial impact.
• Keep commissioning ambitious and exciting across memoir, biography, narrative non-fiction, current affairs, history, science and big ideas.
• Represent Ebury Smart at the highest level, building influential relationships across agents, authors, experts and partners.
• Build brilliant author relationships, championing talent at every stage of their careers and ensuring every book is published to the highest standard, balancing creative ambition with sharp commercial and operational delivery.
• Drive true collaboration across editorial, marketing and publicity to create distinctive, culture-shaping campaigns.
• Use insight and instinct to make smart, confident decisions that grow the reach and success of the list.

What you’ll bring:

This role offers the opportunity to lead a growing and ambitious non-fiction hub and make a real impact on its next chapter. To be successful, you will need...

Essential criteria:

• A strong track record of commissioning successful, ambitious non-fiction, with an established network of authors and agents.
• A sure eye and gut instinct for standout talent and ideas, and the persuasive power to bring them on board.
• Strong editorial judgement and a passion for voice-driven, character-led and ideas-led non-fiction.
• The ability to see ahead of the curve, spot emerging conversations and identify books that can capture the cultural moment.
• Strong commercial judgement, combining creative ambition with a clear understanding of audiences and the non-fiction market.
• The ability to build trusted relationships with authors and agents, from established names to emerging experts and exciting debutants.
• The ability to inspire and bring people with you, contributing to a creative, collaborative and inclusive team culture.
• Relentless creativity and an entrepreneurial approach to generating ideas and opportunities.
• A commitment to diversifying our talent and reach ever-wider audiences.

Application instructions:

Please apply with your CV and cover letter (both in pdf format) outlining why you are the right candidate for the role by 11:59pm on Sunday the 15th of November 2026. The cover letter should be uploaded as an additional document. Please ensure you include a cover letter (in pdf format), as it is a crucial part of our assessment process. The cover letter offers an opportunity to show how your experience and interests align with the role requirements. Typically, we expect the cover letter to be no more than one or two pages in length.

Please note we are looking for someone to join the team as soon as possible, but we are also happy to accommodate a reasonable notice period for the right candidate.

Salary: Competitive salary 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 typically be in the office on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.

AI: Here at Penguin, we believe in the power of authenticity and human creativity. When you apply for a position, we want to encourage you to showcase your unique voice. Throughout our recruitment process, please share your own thoughts, experiences, and skills. This helps us get a true sense of who you are and what you might bring to our team. We celebrate creativity and diverse perspectives, so please be yourself! While we recognise AI tools can be helpful, we recommend using them thoughtfully to ensure your responses reflect you.

Disability Confident: 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. The essential criteria for this role are listed as part of the ‘What you’ll bring’ section. There may be times when the volume of applications means we cannot take all eligible candidates to interview. We encourage you to tell us about any reasonable adjustments you may need by emailing [email protected]. Remember, you only need to share what you are comfortable with, for us to support your request.