HarperCollins Children's Books has a rare opportunity to join its Colour team in the key role of Senior Editor. The Senior Editor will have editorial management responsibilities for a range of projects across print and digital and will support the Colour Publishers on major brands and picture book titles. They will not commission but will be actively involved in the process of creating new formats and titles for the relevant brands e.g  Judith Kerr, Brambly Hedge, Percy the Park Keeper etc. They will work on creative pitches for new brands and custom publishing, which will give the successful applicant valuable experience and opportunities for creativity, and an opportunity to work on some of the bestselling and most beloved children’s literary brands.

Key tasks and accountabilities:

• Full editorial responsibilities for a range of major colour titles and brands, including digital formats – briefing writers, collating assets, writing new content where appropriate, structurally editing, managing approvals and licensor / estate relationship in conjunction with the Editor at Large / Publisher, overseeing schedules, copywriting and writing design briefs 
• Creating activity and novelty formats based on existing content and assets
• Seeing titles through from manuscript to finished copies, ensuring given titles are delivered on time, with accuracy, to budget and to specification
• Managing out of house writers, freelancers or packagers
• Liaising with licensors and estates on titles in progress, managing approvals and material for update meetings or licensor requests
• Supporting on pitches
• Managing relevant editorial listings to ensure accurate and up-to-date title/list information is available internally and externally.
• Editorially managing and completing copy for key selling documents such as Bologna and Frankfurt guides
• Pro-actively looking at backlist, anniversary and reissue opportunities across the list of titles and brands.
• Preparing documentation for key meetings

Experience required:

• Strong and proven track record in editorial and project management in children’s books 
• Experience of seeing a book through from manuscript to final copy
• Has worked on brands and picture books across multiple formats
• Relevant children’s book market knowledge
• An understanding of multi-platform brands

Skills required:

• Exceptional editing skills and attention to detail
• Extremely organised, efficient, self motivated, able to effectively manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Strong licensor care and interpersonal skills
• Good design eye
• Genuine and demonstrable interest in children’s publishing
• Excellent communication skills across all levels
• Awareness/understanding of budgets and costings
• Team player
• Solutions-focused
• Consumer-facing approach

The Company:

Our mission at HarperCollins is to harness the power of great publishing and to amplify it through world class marketing, global strength, and relentless innovation. We are all working towards the same goal, and we do it guided by what matters most to us. The culture at HarperCollins is defined by our values, which inform our everyday actions and the way we behave. From Finance to Editorial, our values shape the way we work.

Our values tell a STORY… 

Stories - We believe in the power of great publishing.  Our authors and brands and great stories are at the heart of everything we do

Team - We help each other, work collaboratively, behave with integrity and always strive to communicate in a timely, open, honest and fair manner.

Out as well as in - We aim to lead the industry by looking out as well as in. Through observation of the marketplace, the consumer and the competitive environment we gain a better understanding of our business.

Resourcefulness - We support smart risk-takers and innovators, learning from experience without blame and being both curious and willing to change

You - We embrace difference, champion diversity of thought and being. We treat each other with respect and enjoy what we do.