Company Description

Penguin Random House is the leading adult and children's publishing house in North America, the United Kingdom and many other regions around the world. In publishing the best books in every genre and subject for all ages, we are committed to quality, excellence in execution, and innovation throughout the entire publishing process: editorial, design, marketing, publicity, sales, production, and distribution. Our vibrant and diverse international community of nearly 300 publishing brands and imprints include Ballantine Bantam Dell, Berkley, Clarkson Potter, Crown, DK, Doubleday, Dutton, Grosset & Dunlap, Little Golden Books, Knopf, Modern Library, Pantheon, Penguin Books, Penguin Press, Penguin Random House Audio, Penguin Young Readers, Portfolio, Puffin, Putnam, Random House, Random House Children's Books, Riverhead, Ten Speed Press, Viking, and Vintage, among others. More information can be found at http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/.

Job Description

The contracts department at Penguin Random House seeks a Contracts Assistant to join The Random House Publishing Group contracts team. The Contracts Assistant is an integral part of the drafting, negotiating, and complete execution of contracts while partnering with many different areas of the company. The Contracts Assistant will work closely with the Contracts Director and Senior Contracts Administrator while liaising with editorial, legal, royalties & accounting, and the various contracts teams and partnering closely with agents, authors, and publishing entities to finalize the acquisition of rights for The Random House Publishing Group.   

The Contracts Department represents an unrivaled roster of award-winning and celebrated titles across an editorial breadth that includes notable children’s board books, picture books, chapter books, and middle-grade books, break-out young adult fiction and non-fiction, adult fiction, narrative history, science, memoirs, study aids, self-help, personal development and topics of particular interest to women, as well as practical and prescriptive books and impactful titles on themes like teamwork, success, and leadership. We support the acquisition of rights process for all titles at Penguin Random House. 

The ideal candidate is a detail-oriented, meticulous self-starter who can manage a diverse set of responsibilities efficiently and effectively and is comfortable asking for help when needed. Once you’ve proven an independent ability to draft and negotiate, while also remembering to step back, consider the big picture, and adjust your strategy when needed, you'll assume greater responsibilities over time.   

This is a hybrid position with in-office responsibilities approximately two days a week, which will include, but not be limited to, file management and research and participating in and contributing to in-person meetings. We will consider candidates who can work from a commutable distance to our offices at 1745 Broadway, which includes the tri-state area. The salary for the job is $55,000 USD

The Role:  

• Drafts and negotiates author, illustrator and writer-for-hire contracts and contract amendments and handles rights reversions. 

• Manages contracts inquiries from other departments such as Editorial, Subsidiary Rights (a team that sells translation and other rights), and Royalties. 

• Routes contracts and amendments to appropriate parties for signature. 

• Conducts contract research.  

• Scans files and performs database maintenance.  

• Liaises with Royalties to ensure data for payments or changes to payment due dates is accurate.   

• Coordinates with team and internal resources to optimize the efficiency of processes and workflow. 

• Supports additional project work for the group as needed.  

Qualifications

Qualifications:

• A self-starter with impeccable attention to detail when drafting and reviewing contracts  

• It is essential that the candidate possesses a proactive and independent approach to work, including a strong ability to problem-solve autonomously   

• Able to apply organizational methods and strategies to meet deadlines and manage a busy inbox on Outlook  

• Timely follow-up skills with the contracts team, authors, agents, and other departments and the ability to prioritize and complete multiple projects in a rapidly changing, detail-focused environment  

• A curious mind that enjoys research projects  

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills  

• Highly proficient in Microsoft Word, Adobe (PDF), and Excel and an avid interest and ability to learn new applications  

• A history or interest in communications, literature, or a related publishing field is a plus, but not required to succeed in this role 

Additional Information

The Penguin Random House national headquarters is located in New York City. The position is hybrid with an in office requirement of 2 times a week with candidates based in the United States who can work primarily on Eastern Time. 

The salary for this position is $55,000. All positions are currently eligible for annual profit award or bonus, subject to Company results.      

Applications for this role will be accepted through September 18 or until the role is filled. We encourage you to apply early, as we review applications on a rolling basis. Please include your resume and cover letter for consideration. Before applying for any role at Penguin Random House, we recommend you review our applicant resources page and our FAQs page.

Penguin Random House job postings include a good faith compensation range for each open position. The salary range listed is specific to each particular open position and takes into account various factors including the specifics of the individual role, and candidate's relevant experience and qualifications.

Full-time employees are eligible for our comprehensive benefits program. Our range of benefits include, but are not limited to, Medical/Prescription drug insurance, Dental, Vision, Health Care/Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account, Health Savings Account, Pre-Tax and Roth 401(k), Short and Long-Term Disability Insurance, Life/AD&D Insurance, Commuter Benefits, Student Loan Repayment Program, Educational Assistance & generous paid time off.

Penguin Random House values the array of talents and perspectives that a diverse workforce brings. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Disclosure requirements pertaining to the collection of your personal data:

Responsible for processing the information provided in your application is the company specified in the job advertisement, with its registered office as indicated. The company processes your data for the purpose of establishing an employment relationship on the basis of Art. 6 (1) b GDPR / Section 26 (1) sentence 1 BDSG.

The retention period for your data is determined by the statutory time limits applicable in the respective country, beginning upon completion of the recruitment process. You can find these here.

You can contact the company’s Data Protection Officer at the above-mentioned postal address. 

Further information on data protection and your rights can be found here.

We value the array of talents and perspectives that a diverse workforce brings. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, genetic information, or pregnancy.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

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