Make Believe Ideas
Publishing Buyer & Production Controller
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Job Overview
We have an exciting opportunity for a Publishing Buying & Production Controller with excellent organisational, commercial, communication, and project management skills who has a passion for children's books and a desire to build a successful career within the publishing industry.
Working at Make Believe Ideas is an opportunity to be part of an exciting story. Our company prides itself on its family culture and we believe we are unique in the world of publishing through our creative, innovative formats and speed-to-market approach.
As the Publishing Buying & Production Controller, you will play a central role in bringing our products from concept to completion. Acting as the key link between our internal teams and global manufacturing partners, you will oversee sourcing, purchasing, production, quality, shipping, and delivery to ensure products reach customers on time, to budget, and to the highest standards.
This role works closely with our Design, Editorial, Sales, and Finance teams, balancing commercial objectives with production requirements to deliver exceptional products for customers around the world. The role is office-based and has plenty of variety where multi-tasking and prioritising a workload is essential.
This is a full-time role (37.5 hours per week) based at our Berkhamsted office.
Duties
Your duties and responsibilities as the Publishing Buying & Production Controller will include:
- Manage a portfolio of publishing products from concept through to delivery.
- Source and negotiate with printers and manufacturers to achieve the best quality, service, and commercial value.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with suppliers and production partners.
- Assess manufacturing feasibility, production methods, and costs during product development.
- Negotiate pricing and prepare accurate purchase orders.
- Coordinate production schedules with internal departments and external suppliers to meet customer deadlines.
- Monitor production progress, proactively managing risks, delays, and quality issues.
- Work closely with Sales, Design, Editorial, and Finance to ensure projects remain on schedule and within budget.
- Ensure products comply with all testing, safety, and legal requirements for relevant markets.
- Coordinate shipping and logistics, ensuring products are delivered in the most cost-effective manner.
- Prepare and check shipping documentation for customs clearance and customer requirements.
- Maintain production schedules, purchase order logs, and other tracking systems.
- Identify opportunities to improve processes, efficiencies, and supplier performance.
- Provide general support across the Production team and cover for colleagues when required.
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Ideal Candidate
We're looking for someone who has:
- A passion for books and an interest in publishing and product development.
- Excellent organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
- Strong negotiation and commercial awareness.
- Outstanding communication and relationship-building skills.
- Excellent administrative skills and a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.
- Strong time management skills and the ability to prioritise effectively.
- Confidence working with Microsoft Office, particularly Excel and Word.
- The ability to work collaboratively across departments and with international suppliers.
- Previous experience within publishing, print buying, production, procurement, or supply chain would be advantageous, although we welcome applications from candidates with transferable skills.
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What We Offer
We offer an excellent range of benefits including 25 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays, contributory pension scheme, life assurance, substantial discounts on our books, 20% off hot food served in our on-site café, discounts to many high street and online stores, employee assistance programme, social events throughout the year, complimentary massages at our on-site wellness centre, and many more.
Job Type: Full-time, Permanent
Location: Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire (office-based)
Applicants must have the right to work in the UK and be able to reliably commute to, or relocate to, Berkhamsted prior to starting employment.
We welcome and encourage applications from candidates who are under-represented in the creative industries.
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