Careers Editorial Assistant

Cambridge University Press & Assessment; Hartford; Hybrid; GBP 25,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading academic publisher in the UK is seeking an Editorial Assistant for their Academic and Professional Books department. The candidate will work closely with publishers, managing projects by coordinating with authors and internal teams. Strong communication, organizational skills, and a proactive approach are essential. The role is hybrid, requiring face-to-face collaboration while also offering flexible working arrangements. Benefits include competitive salary, annual leave, and private medical insurance.

Benefits

28 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Private medical and Permanent Health Insurance

Discretionary annual bonus

Group personal pension scheme

Life assurance up to 4 x annual salary

Green travel schemes

Qualifications

• Strong organizational and time management skills with attention to detail.
• Some prior office or administrative experience preferred.
• Proficiency in word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and email.

Responsibilities

• Communicate with external contacts and internal colleagues to ensure project progress.
• Coordinate closely on administrative tasks to ensure timely arrangements.
• Manage multiple projects and adapt to changing priorities.
• Maintain accurate delivery dates and oversee editorial processes.
• Evaluate content to achieve the best outcomes for the organization.

Skills

Strong written and verbal communication skills

Excellent organizational abilities

Attention to detail

Proficient IT skills

Initiative in tackling challenges

Enthusiasm for publishing

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Job description

As an Editorial Assistant in our Academic and Professional Books editorial department (History team), you'll work closely with Executive Publishers and Commissioning Editors to provide essential editorial and administrative support—including list management, development, and organizing key content workflows. In this role, you facilitate smooth coordination and delivery of editorial projects within the Academic and Professional Books editorial department (History team), supporting Cambridge University Press & Assessment's mission to deliver high-quality academic content.

Responsibilities

• Communicating daily with external contacts (academic authors, contributors, volume/series editors) and internal colleagues across departments such as Finance, Legal Services, Content Operations, and Marketing & Sales to ensure efficient collaboration and project progress.
• Coordinating closely with Indian Operations Coordinators (IOC) on administrative tasks, including contracts, review copies, payments, fees, and third-party permissions, to guarantee timely and accurate arrangements.
• Managing multiple projects simultaneously, demonstrating flexibility and initiative to adapt to changing priorities and deliver results.
• Updating missing or incorrect data in internal databases and overseeing all aspects of the editorial process to maintain accurate delivery dates and metadata.
• Evaluating content before handover to achieve the best outcomes for Cambridge and the academic community.
• Carrying out any other duties as reasonably assigned by your manager or senior director.
• Ensuring accuracy and efficiency in all communications and project coordination.
• Maintaining high standards of data integrity and editorial quality.
• Supporting a collaborative and innovative environment that values continuous learning and professional development.
• Participating in ongoing training to support both product excellence and your own career growth.

This position has been classified as a hybrid role, requiring the selected candidate to typically spend 40-60% of their time collaborating and connecting face‑to‑face at their dedicated location. Aside from our hybrid principles, other flexible working requests will be considered from the first day of employment, including other work arrangements should you require adjustments due to a disability or long‑term health condition.

Skills and Experience

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent organizational and time management abilities, with keen attention to detail.
• Some office or administrative experience; a good bachelor's or first degree is an advantage but not essential.
• Proficient IT skills, including word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and email.
• Initiative in tackling editorial operational challenges and collaborating effectively with colleagues across departments.
• Demonstrated enthusiasm for publishing.

Interview Process

• First‑stage in‑person interview at our Cambridge offices.
• An additional second‑stage interview may take place if needed to further assess candidates.

We are Cambridge University Press & Assessment, a world‑leading academic publisher and assessment organisation and a proud part of the University of Cambridge.

We welcome applications from all candidates, regardless of demographic characteristics (age, disability, educational attainment, ethnicity, gender, marital status, neurodiversity, religion, sex, gender identity and sexual identity), cultural, or social class/background. We believe better outcomes come through diversity of thought, background and approach.

We will support you to be at your best in work and to live well outside of it. In addition to competitive salaries, we offer a world‑class, flexible rewards package, featuring family‑friendly and planet‑friendly benefits including:

Benefits

• 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Private medical and Permanent Health Insurance
• Discretionary annual bonus
• Group personal pension scheme
• Life assurance up to 4 x annual salary
• Green travel schemes