Editorial Assistant

Job Title: Editorial Assistant
Department: Macmillan Children’s Books (Julia Donaldson)
Contract: Full-time, permanent

This is an exciting opportunity for an efficient and enthusiastic individual to join our friendly publishing team, working on the full range of publishing by bestselling author Julia Donaldson, including picture books, novelty, activity, gift and poetry.

Your team:
As a dedicated division within Macmillan Children’s Books (MCB), we are the home of Julia Donaldson, the UK’s bestselling author. Our wide-ranging portfolio spans everything from the picture books Julia is best known for to novelty titles for toddlers and poetry anthologies for older readers.

Our list features iconic, bestselling collaborations with many renowned illustrators, including Julia’s partnership with the UK’s number one illustrator, Axel Scheffler, creating modern classics from The Gruffalo to the Tales from Acorn Wood lift-the-flap series. We also publish chart-topping books with Lydia Monks (the What the Ladybird Heard series) and Sara Ogilvie (including the recent bestseller, Gozzle).

We are a small, highly focused team and work closely with our colleagues across Design, Production, Sales, Marketing and Rights to bring these world-class titles to life.

Your role:
As Editorial Assistant, you will play a crucial role in supporting the editorial process from start to finish. You will be responsible for the smooth running of our administrative operations and supporting the Senior Editorial team with important editorial and administrative tasks to help us ensure our books stay on track and are of the highest quality. You will have the opportunity to assist in the development and production of a wide range of children’s books, including novelty titles, picture books, activity books, gift books and audiobooks. Reporting to the Publishing Director, you will be a key support across the development of new titles and have responsibility for our reprints and management of backlist titles. We are looking for someone who is passionate about children’s books, is highly efficient and can multitask and meet deadlines.

Your key responsibilities:

• Team support: Provide day-to-day administrative and editorial support to the Publishing Director and Publisher of the Julia Donaldson list for MCB.

• Meeting coordination: Prepare agendas, schedule internal and external meetings, take clear meeting notes and follow up on action points.

• Database management: Use our internal publishing systems (such as Biblio, Vista and Tableau) to set up new book profiles and keep information accurate.

• Metadata & market research: Check and update book data (metadata) to ensure our titles are easy to find online and look up sales figures as required.

• Financial administration: Process invoices, raise payment paperwork and track down late payments, ensuring our authors, illustrators and suppliers are paid on time.

• Production coordination: Help coordinate book reprints and special sales editions by supplying updated text, files and schedules to our production teams.

• Editorial assistance: Help draft clear back-cover copy, read through layouts and provide proofreading support to ensure text accuracy.

Essential experience, abilities, knowledge and values you’ll need to succeed:

• Attention to detail and accuracy: Exceptional precision and care across all tasks, with the ability to proofread text and spot even the most minor of errors.

• Data and numeracy skills: A high comfort level working with numbers and data, including the ability to compile sales reports and analyze market metrics to support key business decisions.

• Administrative excellence: Effective organizational skills with a proven ability to prioritize tasks and manage a varied workflow effectively.

• Industry knowledge: A demonstrable passion for children’s books and the publishing industry, particularly for Macmillan Children’s Books lists, across a variety of formats including picture books, novelty, activity and gift books.

• Clear and effective communication: Effective written and spoken communication skills, with the ability to share information reliably and professionally.

• Solution-oriented: A proactive approach to problem-solving and the ability to adapt to changing business needs while maintaining high standards of accuracy and attention to detail.

• Software/tools: Experience working with systems and tools such as MS Office, Adobe Creative Cloud, Google Workspace, Canva and Biblio.

• Inclusion and representation: An active dedication to promoting diverse voices and inclusive practices, taking personal responsibility for ensuring our workplace and publishing reflect the communities we serve.

• Community: A collaborative approach to building a supportive and vibrant environment.

• Curiosity: A strong drive for learning and a readiness to embrace different perspectives.

• Integrity: A foundation of openness and honesty, taking responsibility for actions and learning from mistakes.

Desirable skills we’d love you to have:

• Relevant experience: Some practical experience working in the publishing industry, either as a bookseller or in a related administrative or creative field.

What you’ll get in return:
In return we can offer you a range of great projects, a supportive and collaborative working environment as well as a competitive salary and benefits package.

Salary: £28,000

Closing date: 5 July 2026

This is a full-time, permanent role and will be based in our offices in Farringdon, London, with some flexibility to work from home each week.

Some of the benefits we offer:

• 28 days’ annual leave increasing with years of service + bank holidays

• Generous pension scheme

• Discounted private medical insurance or health cash plan

• Group income protection scheme

• Enhanced family pay and leave

• Flexible working hours and summer hours (early finish on a Friday during summer months)

• 2 Volunteer Days per year

• 75% off all Pan Macmillan books and regular staff book sales (highly reduced rates)

• Season ticket loan/advance

• Cycle to work scheme

• Discounts on shopping and gym memberships; Christmas club savings

• Daily free breakfast and monthly company lunch

How to apply & eligibility:

• Our process: All applications must be submitted via our careers site to be considered. We are unable to accept CVs or applications sent via email.

• Our timelines: Because we review every application thoroughly and with care, our shortlisting process can take some time. We appreciate your patience and will be in touch as soon as we have an update on your application.

• Right to work: All applicants must be able to demonstrate the right to live and work in the UK in order to be considered for this role.

Our commitment to diversity & inclusion:
At Pan Macmillan, we are committed to publishing a wide range of voices that reflect the full breadth of the communities we serve. Joining us means playing an active role in bringing our titles to life as part of a team that champions inclusion at every level. We are dedicated to building a workplace that is as diverse and welcoming as the stories we tell, ensuring all perspectives are celebrated across everything we do.

We welcome applications from all individuals, including any age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and/or belief. Our efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are ongoing, and we continually strive to learn and improve. You can read our full Diversity, Equity and Inclusion pledge here.

Disability Confident scheme:
As a Disability Confident employer, we actively encourage applications from disabled candidates and people with long-term health conditions, aiming to offer an interview to everyone who meets the essential criteria for the role and chooses to apply under the scheme. The essential criteria can be found under our ‘Essential experience, abilities, knowledge and values you’ll need to succeed’ section.

Please note, some of our vacancies attract an exceptionally high volume of applications. In these circumstances, to ensure a fair and focused process for everyone, we may need to limit the overall number of interviews. Where this happens, we will look closely at who most closely aligns with the requirements to select the candidates applying under this scheme who best meet the essential criteria, in line with official government guidance.

Please remember that you are never required to disclose a disability to us, and you only need to share what you feel comfortable with.

Adjustments & support:
We want to ensure that all candidates are supported throughout the recruitment process. If you have any reasonable adjustments or accessibility requirements, please contact Kayelle Danyluk (Head of Talent Acquisition) at kayelle.danyluk@macmillan.com.

Privacy notice:
All personal information which we process in connection with your application will be treated in accordance with our Recruitment Privacy Notice here. Please read this notice before submitting your application.