Senior Editor, Penguin Michael Joseph

About Penguin Michael Joseph

Penguin Michael Joseph publishes some of the world’s most popular and commercially successful authors and brands, including Jamie Oliver, Marian Keyes, Dr Julie Smith, Claire Douglas, SenLin Yu and Dawn French. We specialise in women’s fiction, crime and thriller, fantasy, romance, cookery, memoir and lifestyle books. Many of our authors are now, or soon will be, household names here in the UK and around the world. We seek out the very best authors in their field and bring their books to the widest possible audience. We take an author’s vision and turn it into a beautiful book people can’t help but talk about. In a crowded market, our books shine.

The role

You will oversee illustrated titles through every stage of the publishing process, from acquisition to publication. Working closely with commissioning colleagues, you’ll manage schedules, budgets and creative teams to deliver complex colour books on time, on budget and to the highest editorial and design standards. You’ll build strong relationships with authors and agents, photographers, food stylists and designers, helping each project achieve its editorial and commercial potential. You’ll help champion our cookery list within the division and wider business and be encouraged to contribute ideas and spot emerging trends to support the commissioners in the acquisition of new titles. The role also offers the opportunity to develop commissioning responsibilities over time, making it a great next step for an ambitious editor looking to build towards a commissioning career. This role would suit someone with substantial illustrated publishing experience and a passion for food who enjoys combining creative editorial work with project management and who has a strong understanding of the cookery market.

Key responsibilities

• Managing cookery and illustrated titles through all stages of the publishing process
• Editing manuscripts and preparing editorial feedback
• Planning and overseeing multi‑day photography shoots
• Working with designers, photographers, stylists and production colleagues to create outstanding illustrated books
• Managing layouts, schedules and budgets
• Writing and refining jacket copy, metadata and sales materials
• Liaising with freelancers and external suppliers, including negotiating fees and rates to keep costs within budget
• Acting as a key point of contact for authors and agents throughout publication
• Collaborating with Marketing, Publicity, Sales and Rights colleagues to maximise success
• Contributing editorial expertise, market insight and publishing ideas to team discussions
• Supporting the development and delivery of the team's cookery publishing strategy
• Contributing to acquisition discussions and identifying future publishing opportunities

What you’ll bring

• Significant editorial experience within trade publishing
• Strong experience publishing illustrated non‑fiction, ideally cookery books
• Experience managing projects from acquisition through to publication
• Excellent author care and relationship‑management skills
• Experience planning and overseeing complex photography shoots
• Strong understanding of illustrated book production, including colour workflows, layouts and schedules
• Excellent organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Outstanding attention to detail and editorial judgement
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Strong commercial awareness and enthusiasm for the cookery market
• The ability to collaborate effectively across departments
• Confidence working autonomously and making decisions in a fast‑paced environment

Preferred criteria

• Experience commissioning or contributing to acquisitions
• Established relationships within the food and cookery publishing community
• Experience working with high‑profile authors, chefs or experts
• Knowledge of current trends and opportunities in cookery and lifestyle publishing
• An eye for design and photography
• Experience using Adobe InDesign and working closely with design teams
• Experience mentoring or supporting junior editorial colleagues

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 PRHCareersUK@penguinrandomhouse.co.uk. Remember, you only need to share what you are comfortable with, for us to support your request.

Compensation and Benefits

£38,000 – £42,000 dependent on how your skills and experience align to the role, plus bonus and benefits. 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’ll work from our London office a minimum of three days per week, including Mondays and Wednesdays. We will be happy to discuss this in more detail as part of the recruitment process.