Development Editor (FTC)

Springer Nature; London; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading educational publisher based in London is seeking a Development Editor for a fixed-term contract. The role involves overseeing content development and working closely with project teams. The ideal candidate will have a degree, a formal ELT/TEFL qualification, and experience in the ELT/EFL domain. The position requires excellent written English and strong interpersonal skills, making it crucial for successful task management in a dynamic environment.

Benefits

Inclusive culture

Diversity initiatives

Professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Ability to manage multiple tasks and meet tight deadlines.
• Positive attitude and commitment to company aims.
• Knowledge of ELT markets is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Develop content from initial writing brief to publication.
• Conduct market research and understand publishing vision.
• Oversee external content creators to ensure quality.

Skills

ELT/EFL teaching experience

Excellent written English

Interpersonal and communication skills

Team-working skills

Organisational skills

Education

Educated to degree level or equivalent

Formal ELT/TEFL qualification

Job description

Job Title: Development Editor

Fixed Term Contract (12 months)

Organisation: Macmillan Education

Location(s): London, UK

Application Deadline: 11th August 2025

About Springer Nature Group

Springer Nature opens the doors to discovery for researchers, educators, clinicians and other professionals. Every day, around the globe, our imprints, books, journals, platforms and technology solutions reach millions of people. For over 180 years our brands and imprints have been a trusted source of knowledge to these communities and today, more than ever, we see it as our responsibility to ensure that fundamental knowledge can be found, verified, understood and used by our communities – enabling them to improve outcomes, make progress, and benefit the generations that follow. Visit group.springernature.com and follow @SpringerNature / @SpringerNatureGroup

About the Brand

Macmillan Education provides world-class content in the most relevant, engaging and flexible formats to support students, teachers and institutions in lifelong learning.

Visit macmillaneducation.com and follow @MacmillanEducation / @MacmillanELT

About the Role

Working within the Publishing Content Development team, the Development Editor has day-to-day responsibility for content development from initial writing brief to publication, ensuring that all material is of an appropriate quality and fully aligned to the publishing vision of the Commissioning Editor and Publisher. The Development Editor may also commission ancillary items under the guidance of the Commissioning or Senior Development Editor. The role involves extensive cross-functional liaison with the concept development and content delivery teams to create material which meets the needs of the key audience and is published on schedule and within budget.

Role Responsibilities:

Market awareness/research

• Work with the project team to understand/establish specific market or segment needs.
• Carry out desk and market research when necessary, i.e. competition, segment, market analysis; attend classroom observations where possible.
• Understand the publishing vision in the context of the publishing plan and Macmillan Education’s business needs.

Content/manuscript development

• Understand and contribute to the Investment Approval (IA) process and support the Commissioning Editor where needed in concept development, sample materials, market / research feedback
• Work with the Commissioning Editor and / or Senior Development Editor to prepare author briefs for specific projects, in light of market research.
• Support in the identification of potential authors, contributors and external content creators.
• Understand contract terms and budget for external contributors, ensuring correct procedures are followed.
• Work with authors to develop material which follows the brief and is aligned to different output formats.
• Take responsibility for overseeing external content creators and ensuring the content meets the required standard.
• Provide feedback to authors/contributors, suggesting appropriate action to ensure content meets the brief, with the support of the Commissioning Editor / Senior Development Editor where necessary.
• Alert the project team to any content development issues to ensure delivery is on time and within budget.
• Understand the budgeting process and financial implications of making changes.
• Attend audio recordings, video/photo shoots and photo selection meetings to ensure outputs adhere to the brief / project specification.
• Create artwork, design and digital specification briefs, as well as style sheets, page plans and asset briefs.
• Deal with overmatter (print and digital), commenting on issues and feeding back appropriately.
• Understand the processes involved in rights clearance.

Personal development

• Keep up to date on ELT/EFL issues, undertake background reading and attending conferences as appropriate.
• Use and develop existing skills and participating in in-house/external training sessions.

Experience, Skills & Qualifications:

Essential

• Educated to degree level or equivalent
• Formal ELT/TEFL qualification
• Demonstrable ELT/EFL teaching experience, in a primary setting
• Excellent written English
• An ability to work to tight deadlines and to manage numerous tasks
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• A positive attitude and commitment to aims of the company
• Excellent team-working and organisational skills

Desirable

• Knowledge of ELT markets and segments
• Appreciation for a wide international range of teaching and learning situations
• Understanding of publishing technologies
• Knowledge of a second language
• A working understanding of content management systems

At Springer Nature, we value the diversity of our teams and work to build an inclusive culture, where people are treated fairly and can bring their differences to work and thrive. We empower our colleagues and value their diverse perspectives as we strive to attract, nurture and develop the very best talent.

Springer Nature was awarded Diversity Team of the Year at the 2022 British Diversity Awards. Find out more about our DEI work here https://group.springernature.com/gp/group/taking-responsibility/diversity-equity-inclusion

If you have any access needs related to disability, neurodivergence or a chronic condition, please contact us so we can make all necessary accommodation.

For more information about career opportunities in Springer Nature please visit https://careers.springernature.com/

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Job Posting End Date:

12-08-2025