Editorial Director

Hodder & Stoughton; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

28 annual leave days

Private medical insurance

Dental insurance

Pension scheme

Rent deposit loan

Community days

Summer hours

Book discounts

Cycle to work

Eye care vouchers

Training library

Mentoring programmes

Up to 70% off book purchases

Staff networks

Season ticket loans

Job summary

John Murray Group, a division of Hachette, is seeking an experienced commissioning editor to acquire and publish commercially successful fiction for Quercus Fiction in London. The role blends in-office and homeworking, with a focus on bestselling authors and book club titles.

You will work with established brands and new voices, leading the imprint through a growth phase while coordinating with the wider John Murray Publishing Group.

Qualifications

• An experienced commissioning editor with a proven track record in acquiring and publishing commercial and book club fiction.

Responsibilities

• Acquire and publish commercially successful fiction for Quercus Fiction, an imprint of the John Murray Publishing Group.
• Lead the Quercus Fiction imprint during a exciting period of growth with the team to deliver bestsellers.

Job description

Return

Division

John Murray Group

Department

Editorial

Location

Carmelite House, 50 Victoria Embankment, London, United Kingdom, EC4Y 0DZ

Salary

£50,000+ dependent on experience (+bonus +benefits)

Contact type

Full Time Permanent

Publishing division

John Murray Group

Closing date

Friday, 23rd October 2026

Who We Are And What We Do

We publish books of excellence and lasting value written by authors with passion and expertise. We're home to popular fiction and non-fiction writers alongside some of the most progressive new voices in publishing. Established in 1768 and with a rich and illustrious history, we are the oldest imprint in the business and oldest surviving trade list in British publishing.

John Murray Press is a division of Hachette, one of the largest publishing groups in the UK, with 10 publishing divisions and over 60 imprints. Everyone here is proud to be in the business of opening doors and minds.

What you'll be doing

Acquiring and publishing commercially successful fiction for Quercus Fiction, an imprint of the John Murray Publishing Group. Alongside acquiring new authors, with a focus on commercial book club fiction, you'll also be publishing many of our biggest brands, including Ken Follett and Beth O'Leary and working with the team to lead Quercus Fiction - home to Navessa Allen and Lyla Sage - in an exciting period of growth.

Who we are looking for

An experienced commissioning editor with a proven track record in acquiring and publishing commercial and book club fiction.

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 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 https://btbs.org/grants