Editorial Assistant (Audio)

TN United Kingdom; London; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a leading audiobook publisher as an Editorial Assistant, playing a vital role in supporting the Editorial teams and ensuring efficient delivery of publishing programs. Ideal for those with strong organizational skills and a passion for audio and publishing.

Qualifications

• Demonstrable interest in Publishing and/or Audio.
• Proven written ability showcased through your application.

Responsibilities

• Supporting the Editorial teams administratively.
• Liaising with our in-house Studio team and preparing manuscripts.
• Booking travel for talent.

Skills

Organization

Time Management

Attention to Detail

Communication

Interest in Publishing

Job description

We have an exciting opportunity to join our innovative and ground-breaking Audio team as an Editorial Assistant.

The team

At Penguin Random House Audio, the UK’s leading audiobook publisher, we are dedicated to making the very best audiobooks. Working with exceptional acting talent, producers, and studios, we publish award-winning and bestselling audiobooks such as Lisa Jewell’s None of This is True, Steven Bartlett’s The Diary of a CEO, Dr Julie Smith’s Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?, Jeff Kinney’s Wimpy Kid series, and Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson novels.

Our team also includes BBC Audio, where we publish curated collections of BBC Radio’s spoken word content. In addition to its extensive backlist catalogue, BBC Audio publishes a wide range of entertainment, including comedy series like Just a Minute and I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue; sci-fi and fantasy programmes such as Doctor Who and The Lord of the Rings; and radio dramas based on works by writers including Agatha Christie, Patricia Highsmith, Alan Bennett, and Arthur Conan Doyle.

The role

As an Editorial Assistant, you’ll work across our Penguin Random House Audio and BBC Audio publishing. You’ll play a key role in the running of our Editorial teams, as well as collaborating with the wider Audio department and external partners to ensure the efficient delivery of our publishing programmes.

Key responsibilities:

• Supporting the Editorial teams administratively: processing invoices, arranging meetings, taking and circulating minutes, and running reports on Biblio (our system for storing key data around books).
• Liaising with our in-house Studio team and preparing manuscripts for recordings.
• Booking travel for talent.
• Working with US Publishers and libraries to share information and schedules for global publications.
• Managing the flow of information to support our commissioning process, such as compiling and sharing details of newly scheduled releases with our Finance, Bibliographic, and Operations teams.
• Drafting sales copy and commissioning freelance copywriters.
• Working with our Operations department to respond to customer inquiries and ensure our audio releases provide a seamless listening experience.
• Checking that the metadata and copy for our audiobooks are correct and up to date across retailer sites.
• Building strong relationships with key internal colleagues across the Audio team, and within the publishing houses and Production teams.
• Plus much more!

What you’ll bring

• Exceptional organisation and time management skills.
• An ability to multi-task and handle competing priorities.
• Great attention to detail.
• The ability to effectively communicate with a wide range of people.
• Demonstrable interest in Publishing and/or Audio.
• Proven written ability showcased through your application.

Disability Confident

If you have opted into our disability confident scheme, the above is the essential criteria you must meet to be considered for our interview scheme. Please note, there may be occasions where the volume of applicants means we can’t take all eligible candidates to interview.

Application instructions

Please apply with your CV and cover letter outlining why you are the right candidate for the role by 11:59 pm on 20th May 2025.

Please ensure you include a cover letter, as it is a crucial part of our assessment process. The cover letter offers an opportunity to show how your experience and interests align with the role requirements. Typically, we expect the cover letter to be no more than one or two pages in length.

Please note we are looking for someone to join the team as soon as possible, but we are also happy to accommodate a reasonable notice period for the right candidate.

We anticipate a two-stage interview process, including a virtual first-stage interview and an in-person second-stage interview. We are happy to discuss this further with you throughout the recruitment process.

What you can expect from us

Our people are the heart of our business, and we work hard to support a culture of responsibility and recognition.

While our offices across the UK are places to connect, collaborate, and celebrate with colleagues, we recognize that flexibility around where you work is just as important. For this role, we expect a minimum of two days in our Embassy Gardens office.

About Penguin

We’re the UK’s largest publisher, made up of some 2,000 people, publishing over 1,500 books each year. Our doors are open to all kinds of talent. In a constantly evolving industry, we work hard to stretch the definition of the word publisher. Here, you’ll work with a breadth of talent who all play their part to make each of our books a success. Together, we make books for everyone because a book can change anyone.

The recruitment process

As a Disability Confident Committed organization, we offer interviews to candidates with a disability who meet the essential criteria for the role and opt-in on their application form. The essential criteria for this role are listed as part of the ‘What you’ll bring’ section. There may be times when the volume of applications means we cannot take all eligible candidates to interview.

We encourage you to tell us about any reasonable adjustments you may need by emailing us.