Production Controller, Children's (Ladybird)

Do you have a can-do attitude and relish the thought of managing your own lists and being part of a busy team, helping to bring amazing children’s books to life?  If so, an exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Penguin Random House Children’s Production department. 

We’re looking for a Production Controller to join the Ladybird, Education, Licensing and Warne team.  Our team produces series such as Ten Minutes to Bed and Read it Yourself and well-known characters such as Bluey, Peppa Pig, Hot Wheels, Miss Rachel and Peter Rabbit.

This team works collaboratively with other internal departments to help deliver our beautiful children’s books into the hands of children across the globe and the role offers a chance to develop a wide range of production skills. It would equally suit a seasoned assistant who is looking to step up to controller, or a controller looking for a fresh challenge and to broaden their skillset.

The role

Your frontlist work, and accompanying co-editions, will consist of a combination of colour picture books, activity books, and standard board books. You will also be responsible for producing eBooks alongside the physical editions. Your remaining list will be made up of co-editions, backlist and non-trade work.  Common across all is a responsibility to deliver orders to budget and schedule while maintaining our high standard of quality.  This role offers you the chance to work on a wide variety of products, facing fresh challenges every day in a team which is friendly and supportive.

What you will bring:

• We’re looking for a Production Controller with good experience of colour book production, as well as a range of formats and pre-press and digital workflows.

• You’ll work closely and collaboratively with internal teams across Editorial, Design, Sales, Inventory, Finance as well as global suppliers, to identify and implement solutions for manufacturing, costing, and scheduling challenges.

• You’re used to managing a busy workload with a track record of successfully delivering to deadlines while meeting the expectations of multiple stakeholders. 

• You’ll have excellent attention to detail and will be able to demonstrate a calm, positive and flexible approach to your work – even when you’re under pressure.

• You’ll be a team player but equally happy to work independently on your own initiative.

• You’re a great communicator and keen negotiator - adept at building and maintaining relationships.

About Penguin

We’re the UK’s largest publisher; made up of some 2,000 people and publishing over 1,500 books each year. Our doors are open to all kinds of talent. In a constantly evolving industry, we work hard to stretch the definition of the word publisher. Here, you’ll work with a breadth of talent who all play their part to make each of our books a success. Together, we make books for everyone because a book can change anyone. 

Our approach to hybrid working

We as a Production-focused team appreciate and thrive best with an open, collaborative and supportive way of working in-person at our office in London a minimum of 2-days p/week, and remotely outside of these moments. We are happy to discuss our hybrid working approach with you if invited to an interview.

Application instructions 

Please apply with your CV and cover letter outlining why you are the right candidate for the role by 11:59pm on Sunday 5th January.

• 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. 

• 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 between 500 and 1000 words. 

• Please note we are looking for someone to join the team as soon as possible in the New Year, but we are also happy to accommodate a reasonable notice period for the right candidate. 

What you can expect from us:

Salary: £28,500 - £32,000 depending on how your skills and experience align to the role, plus bonus and benefits.  

Our people are the heart of our business, and we work hard to support a culture of responsibility and recognition. Our benefits include:

• Financial – discounted shopping, season ticket loan, rental deposit loan

• Wellbeing – healthcare cash plan, employee assistance, gym loan

• Lifestyle – taste card, tech scheme, free and discounted books

For our full benefits list please visit: https://www.penguinrandomhousecareers.co.uk/what-we-offer/

The recruitment process: You can read about our recruitment process at https://www.penguinrandomhousecareers.co.uk/how-we-hire/

As a Disability Confident Committed organisation, we're part of the offer an interview scheme. This is where disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role can opt in to get to the next recruitment stage. There may be some situations where volume of applicants means we can't 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 to for us to support your request.

Please note, we are not able to accept agency CVs for this role. Any CVs sent speculatively will not be eligible for a fee.

Company: Penguin Books Limited 

Country: United Kingdom 

State/Region: London 

City: London 

Postal Code: SW11 7BW 

Job ID: 275494