Senior Editor (12 months FTC) in London

Simon & Schuster, a global leader in general interest publishing, is dedicated to providing the best in fiction and non-fiction for readers of all ages, and in all printed, digital and audio formats. Its distinguished roster of authors includes many of the world’s most popular and widely recognized writers, and winners of the most prestigious literary honors and awards.

Simon & Schuster Children’s Books is a high performing, dynamic division of a fast‑growing and ambitious publisher, and the British Book Awards Children’s Publisher of the Year 2023. As we seek further sustainable and profitable growth, and build on our culture of excitement and ambition, we are growing our team across several departments.

Reporting to the Publisher, Children’s Fiction, this role offers a fantastic opportunity for a talented senior editor to develop their editorial and publishing skills working with some of the biggest names in children’s fiction, graphic novels and YA as part of a dynamic and growing team.

You will work on multiple projects both independently and supporting the senior editorial team, taking books from manuscript delivery to printer‑ready files, including structural and line editing, proofreading, and liaising with authors, agents and freelancers. You will also coordinate with the production and design departments to ensure that assigned projects are delivered within deadlines, and liaise with marketing, PR and sales teams on campaign plans, positioning and championing authors and titles in and out of house.

You will write and review copy on jackets as well as work with the Managing Editor to ensure quality, clarity and consistency following the company style guide. You will be responsible for the accuracy and quality of metadata and coding on our title management systems, and help to create AI and catalogue copy. From time to time, you will prepare acquisition documentation, including P&Ls, and deal memos. Outside your project editor tasks, you will read and report on submissions and contribute to brainstorms and the discussion of new acquisitions. There is some potential to commission, although it is not a core part of the role.

You will have a proven passion for children’s books and ideally have experience working in an editorial role, in children’s fiction, although we are open to candidates with other book editorial experience. You will be a motivated, committed, creative, flexible individual with excellent editorial skills, a forensic eye for detail, and demonstrable experience of taking multiple titles through the full editorial process.

We are a small team, so you will be happy to pitch in and you will have strong communication, project management, organisational and time management skills. You will thrive in a fast‑paced environment and be able to adapt to the demands of managing multiple schedules. Knowledge of the children’s fiction market would be beneficial.

This is an exciting opportunity to become part of a successful and growing publishing house with an impressive list of authors and illustrators across its Adult and Children’s imprints, in a key role within the publishing process.

Starting from £37,000.

Unfortunately, Simon & Schuster UK cannot accept applications from candidates without a legal right to work in the UK or who require visa sponsorship. Right to work checks are carried out on candidates who make it to offer stage.

Simon & Schuster UK is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, colour, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, creed, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship status, marital status, disability, gender identity and gender expression. At Simon & Schuster UK, the spirit of inclusion feeds into everything that we do, we believe that opportunity, access, resources and rewards should be available to and for the benefit of all.

Candidates hired for this or any other posted Simon & Schuster UK role will be employees of Simon & Schuster UK Ltd subject to all policies, including the Workplace Privacy Notice, and eligible solely for the benefits plans thereof.