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Assistant Editor - New Children's Imprint
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Job Description
We’re looking for an Assistant Editor to join our new imprint at Penguin Random House Children’s. This is a rare opportunity to join a new publishing team at the beginning of its journey, helping us to build an ambitious, creative and successful imprint.
About the team
Under the leadership of Publishing & Creative Director Rachel Denwood, Penguin Random House Children's is launching a new imprint: a vibrant publishing home for authors and illustrators with big ambitions for young readers. We believe children need more choice, more variety and more opportunities to discover books they love. This new imprint has been created to publish standout books across children's and YA publishing, connecting exceptional creative talent with the widest possible readership.
This will be a small, highly ambitious team with a start-up mindset. You can expect a collaborative, hands-on environment where ideas move quickly, creativity is valued and everyone plays a meaningful role in shaping the future of the list.
The role
You’ll have a broad and varied role supporting the day-to-day running of the imprint and contributing to its development.
Alongside managing editorial workflows and helping books move smoothly from acquisition to publication, you’ll contribute ideas, read and discuss submissions and become involved in shaping new books, series and projects.
Key responsibilities:
- Managing editorial schedules and critical paths, keeping projects organised, information accurate and books moving towards publication
- Providing editorial support across projects, including proofreading and second-eye checks, with the opportunity to take on increasing editorial responsibility as you develop
- Working directly with authors, illustrators and agents, providing thoughtful and responsive stakeholder care
- Writing and editing copy, metadata, presentations and other publishing materials
- Attending key meetings as required, and communicating clearly with colleagues and external partners about project status and next steps
- Working closely with colleagues across design, production, sales, marketing, publicity and rights
- Reading submissions and contributing your perspective to editorial discussions
- Contributing ideas for individual books, new series, original IP, positioning, packaging or ways to connect our publishing with readers
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What you’ll bring
You will be able to demonstrate a passion for children’s publishing and have a good understanding of audience and market. Ideally you will have at least two years publishing experience in an editorial department.
Essential criteria:
- Have a good understanding of audience and market
- Publishing experience in an editorial department
- Creative and curious – full of ideas and tuned into our audience’s interests
- Highly organised – able to juggle multiple projects and deadlines with excellent attention to detail
- Editorially minded – with a love of stories and language, and an instinct for what makes them work
- Reader focussed – interested not only in whether a book is good, but who it is for and what could make readers choose it
- Collaborative and flexible – a team player who adapts easily as priorities and projects evolve
- Confident and proactive – comfortable asking questions, following things up and taking responsibility
- Open-minded – a good problem solver who is excited by the idea that there may be more than one way to do something
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.
Application instructions
Please apply with your CV and cover letter outlining why you are the right candidate for the role by 11:59pm on 13th September 2026.
As part of your cover letter, in around 300 words, please tell us about a children’s or YA book you’ve read in the last 12 months that you loved and think works brilliantly for its intended audience. What do you think makes it so successful for those readers?
Please ensure you include a cover letter, 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.
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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.
We anticipate a two-stage interview process which will include a virtual first-stage interview and in-person second stage interview. We are happy to discuss this further with you throughout the recruitment process.
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.
Salary
Circa £31,000 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 the successful candidate to work from our London-based office three days per week, including Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and offer the remaining two days to be worked remotely.
Additional Information
Disclosure requirements pertaining to the collection of your personal data:
Responsible for processing the information provided in your application is the company specified in the job advertisement, with its registered office as indicated. The company processes your data for the purpose of establishing an employment relationship on the basis of Art. 6 (1) b GDPR / Section 26 (1) sentence 1 BDSG.
The retention period for your data is determined by the statutory time limits applicable in the respective country, beginning upon completion of the recruitment process. You can find these here.
You can contact the company’s Data Protection Officer at the above-mentioned postal address.
Further information on data protection and your rights can be found here.
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