Commercial Manager Publishing - 18 month FTC

Salary £40,000 to £60,000 depending on experience

18-month FTC

Hybrid / London

The Saga magazine is excited to appoint a new Commercial Manager. Here you will have the chance to fully own and manage the online and offline magazine advertising strategy that is managed by a longstanding external advertising agency. You will need to be commercially aware and have previously owned the advertising strategy in publishing or from an affiliate channel. You will work closely with the Magazine Editorial team, key external agency partner and the Head of Finance as required. You will fully oversee and manage the advertising budget and agency relationship for multiple revenue streams and monetisation of our award-winning magazine content. You will also have the chance to leverage this across the wider Saga Group to meet the needs of our fantastic customers; you will ensure that the partnerships and relationships are operating effectively and adequately mitigating financial risks for the business in the process.

We work in a hybrid way at Saga both at home and in the office. In this team we work mainly from London and tend to have a pattern of 2 office days. When we do come together as a team, it allows us to grow and learn plus it is a great opportunity to socialise and celebrate too!

Package Description

At Saga we recognise that our people make us special. We believe our colleagues deserve rewards for the excellence they demonstrate every single day, that’s why we have put together an amazing benefits package for all colleagues.

• 25 days holiday + bank holidays
• Option to purchase additional leave - 5 extra days
• Pension scheme matched up to 10%
• Company performance related annual bonus - Up to 5%
• Life assurance policy on joining us, 4 x salary
• Wellbeing programme
• Colleague discounts including family discounts on cruises, holidays and insurance
• Range of reductions and offers from leading retailers, travel groups and entertainment companies
• Enhanced maternity and paternity leave
• Grandparents leave
• Income protection
• Access to Saga Academy, our bespoke learning platform

Main Responsibilities

Working as the Commercial Manager in the Magazine and digital team you will be responsible for the following:

• Managing all daily commercial operations and partnering with the existing editorial team.
• Collaborating with our outsourced advertising agency to maximise revenue from existing and new advertising clients.
• Identifying profit-making brand extension opportunities and taking the lead in securing sponsorships, networking with key external stakeholders and getting new projects off the ground.
• Implementing strategies to increase revenue from all our channels including subscriptions, advertising, online newsletters, retail stores and online news outlets.
• Implementing content strategy with key partners.
• Helping oversee and negotiate contracts as required with new clients.
• Monetising and driving traffic and key KPIs to our content rich website.
• Reviewing and developing operational processes to improve the performance and maximise growth of the partnerships where appropriate.
• Working together with the other Saga Business units to promote the Saga brand.
• Establishing sales targets and ensuring that the company meets these.
• Managing risk assessments for any new initiatives.
• Staying aware of the latest trends and developments in the industry, ultimately being in tune with our customer and what other products and brands align to their needs and interests but do not step into our portfolio of products here at Saga.

The Ideal Candidate

You will already have worked in the world of publishing and understand the advertisement world both on and offline. You will also have the following skills and experience:

• Strong understanding and ability of forecasting sales volumes.
• Significant account management experience in the publishing and/or digital media sector.
• Able to apply KPIs to monitor, project, and drive performance with an element of budgeting and costing experience.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, strong teamworking and collaborative working skills and an ability to demonstrate empathy for team members and the wider stakeholder community.
• Strong IT skills with intermediate Word and Excel and PowerPoint as a minimum.
• Can deliver high quality, accurate output at pace and able to quickly adapt to changing environments, consistently setting high standards and driving performance.
• Clear experience managing advertising and affiliate budgets and P&Ls.
• Clear understanding of advertising and affiliate reporting and data tools.
• Demonstrates integrity and objectivity capable of selling ideas and implementing change.

Saga Values: Make it Happen, Do the Right Thing, Customer First, Excellence Every Day, Our People Make Us Special.

About The Company

Over the past 70 years we have become the UK’s specialist provider of products and services to people aged over 50 in the UK. We’re one of the most recognised and trusted brands amongst UK consumers in this demographic, recognised for its high-quality products and exceptional standards of service. Our product portfolio includes cruises, holidays, insurance, personal finance products and our Saga Magazine. We aim to be the most-trusted brand for older people in the UK. Our focus on delivering exceptional products and service empowers our colleagues to create moments that are personal and special for our customers and for each other. Our values underpin our approach and help guide us to deliver our purpose. We’re committed to making sure that colleagues can be their best, be themselves and make a difference more than anywhere else. We do this by creating a truly inclusive culture, where all colleagues can bring their full and authentic selves to work and be treated with dignity and respect in an environment that is free from discrimination and harassment.

Thanks to our people, Saga has been ranked 6th in the UK’s Best Employers 2025 by the Financial Times and Statista. This recognition, based on the voices of 20,000 employees across the UK, is a testament to the great culture we’ve built together. This award belongs to all our colleagues who collectively make Saga a fantastic place to work. We are champions of age inclusivity and signatories of the Age-Friendly Employer Pledge, we are proud of our multigenerational teams we have in place. We’re also a committed Disability Confident employer and ensure that our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible. Your application will have fair consideration, and you’ll receive personal communication throughout your applicant journey when you apply to join Saga.

For more information on our DEI policies, colleague stories and other opportunities across the business, please visit Jobs and careers with Saga.

Saga does not accept agency CVs unless specifically engaged on the role by the Talent Acquisition Team. Please do not forward CVs to our recruiters, employees or any other company location. Saga will not be responsible for any fees related to CVs received in this unsolicited manner.