DK Knowledge - Mid-weight Editor

Are you passionate about learning new subjects and explaining them to others? Do you have a successful track-record of managing illustrated non-fiction book projects for a global audience? Are you interested in finding innovative and imaginative ways to produce new titles that readers will treasure? Then look no further! 

DK is looking for someone with creative flair and top-notch project-management skills to join our Knowledge adult reference team as a mid-weight editor.

In this role, you will work with diverse – and often complex – subject matter, unlocking it for readers across the world, and making it simple, fun, and accessible. You will collaborate with consultants, authors, photographers, illustrators, and creative teams, both in- and out-of-house, to produce our next generation of brilliant, market-leading reference titles.

We are looking for a highly organised and resourceful editor, who has an excellent attention to detail and is able to work under pressure. Our ideal candidate will be confident running multiple book projects in parallel, and delivering them to schedule and budget. They will have outstanding editorial skills, and be able to convey information in a clear and visual way, and translate new concepts into working, integrated layouts. They will be able to immerse themselves in challenging or unfamiliar subject matter, while also being flexible and adaptable to change. They will be a strong communicator with great interpersonal skills, who is confident in their abilities, but eager to learn and develop.

Some of your day-to-day responsibilities will include:

• Project-managing books from initial concept through to finished copy
• Developing new ideas, and creating sales-pitch documents and sample presentations for them
• Commissioning and briefing authors and consultants, the creative teams in our Delhi office, freelance editors, packagers, authenticity readers, fact-checkers, proof-readers, and indexers, providing clear briefs and feedback to ensure the best possible results
• Copyediting, proofreading, and fact-checking commissioned text
• Ensuring that all of the content you deal with is age-appropriate, consistent with DK’s brand values, and suitable for a global audience

You should be comfortable:

• Overseeing multiple projects at the same time – often at different stages of development
• Shaping editorial content from an initial outline and adapting it to meet an agreed commercial brief
• Working in partnership with designers to create books of the very highest standards
• Managing external stakeholders – from consultants and contributors, to freelance editors, proofreaders, and indexers 
• Providing stellar author-care
• Keeping abreast of emerging trends (both locally and globally), and of the competition, showing a keen sense of market awareness
• Scouting for new freelance talent and/or drawing on your existing contact-base of authors, subject-matter experts, freelancers, agents, and packagers 

This position will provide a fantastic opportunity for an individual with strong editorial and project-management experience, who is looking to take the next step in their career.

To apply, please submit your most recent CV along with a cover letter detailing why you would be suitable for this role by 2 December 2024.

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 who joins our business.

DK is committed to building a diverse workforce that reflects the varied communities who 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 also 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 the hybrid approach of working weekly from home and in the DK office. All DK employees are expected to attend the office a minumum of 3 days per week.

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: 275445