Job Description

Editorial Director, Puffin
At Penguin Random House, we make books for everyone because a book can change anyone. At Penguin Random House Children's, by entertaining and educating, we aim to publish for every child everywhere and take young people on an incredible journey from their first independent reading experiences right through to their teen years and beyond.
From Jeff Kinney to Jacqueline Wilson, Malorie Blackman to Jennifer Lynn Barnes, our fiction team works with some of the biggest names and brightest new authors and illustrators to bring stories to life.
The role
Are you already an accomplished commissioning or senior editor of children's/YA fiction and ready to take the next step? Or perhaps you have experience in brand management within the wider publishing industry? Do you have a track record of successfully leading major publications and growing author brands, working across large publishing programs, year-round? Do you have a keen eye for detail, enjoy analysing data and understand what makes a successful creative business?
This is a rare and exciting opportunity to take up a key role in the Penguin Random House Children's Division, the biggest children's publisher in the UK, and join the 6+ Fiction team to work across some of the best-selling global children's and YA fiction book brands. These are the authors and books that are often some of the first that young readers encounter; they are the books that create readers and are gateways to reading for many children and young people around the world.
Key responsibilities:
This role will report into and work closely with the 6+ Publisher (Brands), to drive long term growth on some of our biggest 6+ fiction brands, taking responsibility for key strands of the strategy across our biggest book and author brands.
While this position will have a focus on primary fiction brands on the list, it will also involve working with the Publisher and other colleagues to identify emerging brands across the list (young fiction, teen, primary, YA and crossover), and fast-track their growth.
Core responsibilities include:

• Lead publisher of some 6+ fiction brands, managing large backlist programs and acquiring new frontlist titles, working closely with authors and other external partners to expand publishing programs. You will create and deliver year-round publishing strategies for each of these brands and lead each brand's core internal team.
• Deputise for the Publisher (Brands), where relevant, attending and contributing to key inter-departmental meetings, championing and contributing to the publication strategy of the brands beyond your own list.

• Work closely with the Publisher to deliver ongoing growth across the 6+ Fiction Brands including creating and developing publishing ideas and commissioning new titles, planning further ahead across the biggest brands on the list and identifying major publishing moments and opportunities, as well as any gaps.
• Take a lead role in the custom publishing strategy for the 6+ brands, working closely with the dedicated custom publishing team (across sales, design, managing editorial) to improve ways of working, establish best-practise and drive growth across the custom business.
• Work closely with finance and sales colleagues, to run regular performance reports on our 6+ brands and market data reports, to map growth, and determine profitability and viability of brand publishing, in line with commercial objectives.
• Work closely and collaboratively with the Marketing and PR teams, to improve ways of working on the 6+ brands, establish and implement shared learnings across the 6+ brand publishing.
• Work closely and collaboratively with all key internal stakeholders across departments, to establish best practise for brand publishing: from critical paths, brand sheet creation, meta-data management, audience insight, and backlist reissue management.

What you'll bring

• Passion for, and ideally experience in, kids publishing.
• An eagerness to work on books that are already loved by many thousands of readers, across age groups, with a drive to reach more.
• Brimming with ideas, insight and energy for best-in-class brand publishing.
• A proven track-record in editing, acquiring, proactively working with authors to create ancillary book ideas and profitably publishing titles.
• Creativity and excellent commercial judgement.
• Strong skills in Power BI will be an advantage and excellent market awareness is essential.
• Confident negotiator who can challenge when required.
• Ability to operate as a trusted internal and external ambassador for the Puffin 6+ fiction brands.
• Skilled at communicating publishing strategy and performance to authors, agents and key external stakeholders as you lead several of the 6+ biggest fiction brands.
• Flair for good copy, design, and brand messaging.
• Well-practised in prioritising, multi-tasking, time management and working to deadlines.
• Keen team player, who is collaborative, but also comfortable working autonomously and making decisions.
• Proven author or creator care and relationship management.
• Confident partner for Marketing, Publicity, Sales and other internal teams to develop each brand's publishing strategy and successfully bring books to market.
• Ability to balance long and short-term objectives and understanding of the legacy of best-loved series and authors

Application instructions
Please apply with your CV and cover letter outlining why you are the right candidate for the role by 11:59pm on 13th of November 2025.
As part of your cover letter, please write a paragraph about a successful publishing (author/illustrator/series) brand you've admired or worked on and your observations about what helped drive its growth.
Salary
Circa 50,000 dependent on how your skills and experience align to the role, plus bonus and benefits.
Hybrid working
While our offices across the UK are places to connect, collaborate and celebrate with colleagues, we recognise that flexibility around where you work is just as important. For this role we expect that you will be in the office a minimum of 3 days a week, including Tuesday as a mandatory in-office day.
Company: The Random House Group Limited | Job ID: 283593

Skills Required