Editorial Director

Hachette UK Limited; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave 28 days + bank holidays

Private medical insurance

Dental insurance

Pension schemes

Rent deposit loans

Community days

Summer hours

Retail discounts

Cycle to Work

Eye care vouchers

Training library

Mentoring programs

Up to 70% off book purchases

Staff networks

Season ticket loans

Job summary

Hachette UK Limited is seeking an Editorial Director for non-fiction to lead the Wildfire non-fiction publishing program. Based in London or Sheffield, you will commission, edit and publish standout titles, guiding the strategic direction of the list and building strong industry connections.

You will oversee market trend analysis, author acquisition, and working closely with a small, collaborative team to deliver ambitious nonfiction that informs and inspires readers.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in leading non-fiction publishing projects.
• Strong editorial and acquisition skills with a track record of successful titles.
• Ability to shape long-term strategy for a non-fiction list.

Responsibilities

• Lead the non-fiction publishing strategy for Wildfire.
• Commission and publish high-impact non-fiction titles.
• Analyse market trends and develop ideas for new books.
• Maintain external connections and collaborate with the publishing team.

Skills

Editorial leadership

Acquiring track record

Editing

Strategic direction

IP development

Communication

Relationship building

Entrepreneurial mindset

Education

Bachelor's degree in Publishing or English

Job description

Who we are and what we do

Wildfire Books is a boutique imprint of Headline Publishing Group that launched in 2016. Our aim is to publish forward-thinking, agenda-setting fiction and non-fiction that sparks conversation and spreads like wildfire - books, as we like to say, that have a bit of soul. The results speak for themselves: over the last ten years, we're proud to have had many Sunday Times bestsellers and our books have been nominated for the Women's Prize, International Booker Prize, the Orwell Prize, Cundill History Prize, Hawthornden Prize, Baillie Gifford Prize, National Book Award, Carnegie Medal, Book of the Year at the Nibbies, McKitterick Prize, National Book Critics Circle, Pulitzer Prize, CWA Daggers, and more.

What you'll be doing

We have an exciting opportunity for someone looking for the next step in their publishing career to join the Wildfire editorial team as Editorial Director for non-fiction. If you are creatively minded, have a passion for reading non-fiction and an eye for spotting new talent then we would love to hear from you. We are looking for someone to lead our non-fiction publishing on the Wildfire list, commissioning and publishing unmissable titles, particularly focusing on the growing serious non-fiction sector of the UK market. You'll be looking at market trends, developing potential ideas for books, developing and maintaining external connections, thinking creatively about how to approach your own curated non-fiction list, and working with the publishing team on the strategic development of the Wildfire imprint. Reporting to the Publishing Director, you will be working within a small and supportive team to ensure that Wildfire continues to bring remarkable new non-fiction to the market, books which fire the imagination, books which inspire and inform.

Who we are looking for

We are looking for someone who has several years of publishing experience, with a real passion for high-quality non-fiction. You must be a self-starter with a meticulous eye for detail and excellent organisation and problem-solving skills. You will be able to communicate well and build positive working relationships with contacts at all levels, and work collaboratively as part of a team. You will have strong acquiring track record, meticulous editing skills, and the ability to lead the strategic direction of our non-fiction list. You will be a key member of the Wildfire editorial team, a place where having an entrepreneurial mindset and a confident vision to deliver sales success is championed. The ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate an awareness of emerging trends non-fiction, will have a flair for IP development, and strive to put the consumer at the heart of everything they do.

What we offer

Our staff are our greatest asset, and our benefits reflect this:

• 28 annual leave days per year, increases to 29 days after 2 years' service and goes up to 30 days after 5 years' (+ bank holidays)
• Private medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Generous pension schemes
• Rent deposit loans
• 2 community days per year
• Summer hours (finishing at 1pm on Fridays during the summer months)
• Retail discounts through Hachette rewards
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Eye care vouchers
• Wide-ranging training library
• Development programmes (including mentoring)
• Up to 70% off book purchases
• A charity bookshelf
• An active range of staff-led employee networks that are voluntary, including AgeWise, Gender Balance, Thrive, Pride, All Together, Wellbeing, Women in Tech and religious networks
• Season ticket loans
• And much more!

The role will be based at our London or Sheffield office, with a blend of in-office (3 days) and homeworking (2 days) per week.

Our commitment

Hachette employs people on the basis of their abilities. We aim to attract and develop talent from a base as broad as the world of readers we want to reach, with a wide and representative range of age, faith, disability, race, gender, sexuality and socio-economic, regional and cultural backgrounds.

We want everyone to have the opportunity to perform at their best during our recruitment process. If you need any adjustments, you can let us know at the 'Reasonable Adjustments' section of your application. We'll make sure you're supported throughout the process.

The Book Trade Charity offers financial support to people looking to enter the book trade but who may struggle to afford the costs of attending interviews and undertaking junior roles. For more information visit