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

Penguin Random House, the leading Publishing house globally, understands the critical role children’s books play in creating lifelong readers.  Random House Children’s Books is thrilled to be growing our creative team with the addition of an editor or a senior editor in the BFYR imprint, focusing on picture books. 

As the newest Editor, you’ll work on acquiring and developing picture books and young formats that will engage a variety of young children.  Your mission will be to establish new series and grow existing brands and talent, with formats specifically targeting mass-market and retail distribution. We are looking for someone with a retail-minded viewpoint, who will build a list of books that kids and families want to reach for over and over again.  You’ll acquire and edit books for ages 0-7, board, novelty, and picture book, and there will be opportunity for IP work and to franchise successful brands into Early Readers (Step Into Reading) as well. You will be supported by a collaborative team in an innovative group, to help bring your creative ideas to reality. 

We are looking for someone with a successful commercial picture book track and established relationships, who is excited to focus on illustrated formats, stay on market trends, and innovate and distinguish the Random House list with kid-friendly ideas and creative bookmaking.  We are home to such beloved creators and series as Emily Winfield Martin, Magic Tree House, Junie B. Jones, Richard Scarry, and even newcomers like Coco Wyo; we are passionate about creating books that kids adore and see themselves in! If you love children’s books and are an energetic self-starter who is eager to be part of a commercially minded and collaborative team, come join us in making books that turn kids into readers. 

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to: 

• Edit approximately 10-15 new books per year, some of which you’ll identify through new and creative avenues 
• Oversee all editorial aspects of book development, including manuscript generation and acquisition; liaising with art directors to provide illustration; copywriting including cover, metadata, and other marketing copy as required 
• Generate book ideas for preschool and early elementary ages through market analysis and identifying gaps in the market 
• Maintain publishing/production schedules and meet deadlines while collaborating with multiple teams 
• Participate in brainstorms and editorial meetings 
• Present titles at sales meetings and across the division 
• Keep abreast of retail trends, self-publishing trends, and children’s media / interests in order to keep us up-to-date on the marketplace’s demands (read trade publications and competitors' books; visit bookstores; watch children’s media; etc.) 

Qualifications

• 4+ years children's books editorial experience, with proven track for acquiring and editing successful picture books and young illustrated work. 
• Excellent writing and copywriting skills 
• Ability to think creatively and come up with ideas for expanding children’s book characters and worlds 
• Strong interpersonal skills, in order to collaborate with authors, illustrators, and agents, as well as colleagues within Editorial, Design, Sales and Marketing 
• Strong attention to detail while working to multiple deadlines as you’re going to be integral to keeping books on track! 
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office across the usual suspects, Word, Excel and PowerPoint as well as Teams. We use AI as an administrative tool with a lot of guardrails.  We’re comfortable in the virtual environment and would love you to be as well 
• Spanish language fluency a plus, though not a necessity, as there is opportunity to work on books in Spanish 

As the newest member of the editorial team, not only will you have an opportunity to join a globally recognized business, you’ll also be working within a successful and fun-loving team that’s going from strength to strength and where you’ll have a lot of autonomy to make great books! To be considered, apply now, submitting a cover letter, title list, and resume. 

Additional Information

The Penguin Random House national headquarters is located in New York City. We prefer candidates who are able to work in a hybrid capacity, approximately 1–3 days per week at our 1745 Broadway location; however, we are open to considering exceptional remote candidates.

The salary for the Editor level is $77,500, and the salary for the Senior Editor level is $85,500. Title, level, and compensation will be commensurate with experience. All positions are currently eligible for an annual profit award or bonus, subject to Company results.

Applications for this role will be accepted through August 25 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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