(12 month Parental leave cover) Project Editor - DK Plus

Do you enjoy thinking of new and creative ways to explain non-fiction to children?  Are you on top of the latest trends in children’s books? Are you an experienced project manager with a background in illustrated books?     

If so, DK is recruiting for a project editor to help shape our list with exciting partners. During this 12-month contract, you will get to work on lists with award-winning books, which publish for today’s kids, in a talented and motivated team. 

As Project Editor in the Culture team, you will work with partners such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the European Space Agency and Rebel Girls and with top tier illustrators including Owen Davey and Rose Blake to create beautifully illustrated books for children.

We’re looking for a resourceful, versatile editor who is highly organised, with a strong visual eye and with proven experience managing multiple illustrated books from concept to completion. You will be working with authors, licensors and internal and external creative teams to produce brilliant books that are delivered both on time and on budget.      

Some of the day-to-day responsibilities include:

• Managing books from concept stage to print
• Liaising with authors, illustrators, and licensors
• Collaborating with other departments, including design and production
• Scouting for new authors, illustrators, and partnerships

You should be comfortable:

• Managing simultaneous projects at different stages of development
• Shaping editorial content from outline stage and working with designers in a collaborative way to produce books of the highest standard
• Commissioning and managing external freelancers, authors, illustrators and consultants
• Giving stellar author care
• Keeping up with trends in the children’s culture and book space
• Scouting new freelance talent, or drawing on your existing database of authors, freelancers, agents, and illustrators.

Ideally you will have strong project management skills, great interpersonal abilities, and excellent editorial expertise. You will be a strong communicator with a background in children's publishing. We are looking for someone who is full of ideas, willing to try new things, and open-minded. You should have some commercial awareness and a growth mindset. You are the type of person who is flexible and adaptable to changes.

This temporary position offers a great opportunity for an enterprising self-starter who is confident in their abilities to work independently. In addition to managing your titles, if you are interested in IP commissioning and idea generation, there’s also the opportunity to help build the 2027 publishing programme, though this is optional and no commissioning experience is required. This is a career opportunity for an ambitious and experienced project editor interested in working in a commercial team.

To apply, please submit your most recent CV and cover letter by 1st June 2025. As part of your cover letter, please can you include the following:

• Books that you have worked on 
• Books that you wish you have worked on and why.

Closing date for applications: 1st June 2025

Salary: starting from £35,000, plus bonus and benefits 

We have a range of benefits to reflect our commitment to our people, some of which are:

• 25 days paid holiday entitlement in year one, plus bank holidays

• Generous pension scheme

• Volunteering policy and charity matching

• Employee assistance programme

• 60% discount on company books

• Cycle to work scheme and discounted gym membership

• Flex Fridays (1pm Finish*)

• Shopping discounts 

• Up to 30 days remote working from abroad*

And we plant a tree for every new employee to our business

DK is committed to building a diverse workforce that reflects the varied communities that read our books across the world. We encourage applications from all individuals, regardless of age, religion, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexuality or social background. DK is proud to announce that we have adopted The Halo Code.

DK is a member of the disability confident scheme. We guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy/ies.

DK supports flexible working and has introduced a new ‘smart-working’ policy with a hybrid approach of working weekly from home and in DK’s office.

The Book Trade Charity offers financial support to people looking to enter the book trade, but who may struggle to afford the costs of attending interviews or undertaking internships. For more information, visit www.booktradeentrysupport.org

*Subject to certain criteria being met.

About our Company: 

We believe in the power of discovery. That's why we create books for everyone that explore ideas and nurture curiosity about the world we live in. From first words to the Big Bang, from the wonders of nature to city adventures, you will find expert knowledge, hours of fun and endless inspiration in the pages of our books. 

We are the world's leading illustrated publisher and a member of the Penguin Random House division of Bertelsmann, creating cutting-edge design and stunning visual books for the whole family. We are passionate about inspiring curiosity and bring people to books through their thirst for knowledge. With a global book loving community of over 800 colleagues in the UK, US, Germany, India, China, Spain and Australia, we produce books in over 100 countries and over 60 languages. Find out more on dk.com.

Company: Dorling Kindersley Limited 

Country: United Kingdom 

State/Region: London 

City: London 

Postal Code: SW1V 2SA 

Job ID: 280008