Editorial Director (12 month FTC)

Hodder & Stoughton; Sheffield; Hybrid; GBP 38,000 - 47,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

28 annual leave days

Generous pension

Rent deposit loans

Cycle to Work

Eye care vouchers

Training library

Development programmes

Up to 70% off book purchases

Season ticket loans

Job summary

Headline is a division of Hachette UK, publishing major fiction titles and exciting new voices. We are seeking an experienced general fiction editor to join the Headline Fiction team and lead commercially focused publishing initiatives.

You will publish reading group authors on Headline Review, seek new talent, and have the chance to acquire and publish your own titles while mentoring an Editorial Assistant. London or Sheffield base with blended work.

Qualifications

• Experience in acquiring and publishing commercial fiction.
• Independent decision-maker with strong commercial instincts and taste.
• Excellent relationship-building with authors, agents and influencers.

Responsibilities

• Publish an exciting list of successful reading group authors on Headline Review.
• Opportunity to acquire and publish own titles and line manage an Editorial Assistant.

Skills

Commercial fiction

Acquisitions

Editorial

Project management

Job description

Return

Division

Headline

Department

Editorial

Location

London, Sheffield

Salary

£42,500+ dependent on experience and location (+bonus +benefits)

Contact type

Full Time Fixed-term

Publishing division

Headline

Closing date

Monday, 2nd November 2026

Who We Are And What We Do

We were created over three decades ago to deliver the brightest and best entertainment. Story – real and imagined – lies at the heart of everything for us. We delight in seeking out storytellers and story lovers everywhere. We're serious about keeping people entertained and believe our books should be devoured, not left on the shelf.

Headline 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.

Headline publishes some of the biggest names in fiction, including Maggie O’Farrell, Martina Cole, Victoria Hislop, Deborah Harkness, Alison Weir, Steve Cavanagh, Dorothy Koomson and Simon Scarrow, and is proud to publish the books that immerse, entertain, and grip their readers. Over the last few years we have launched an array of exciting new voices that include Bobby Palmer, Bolu Babalola, Alex Hay and Ellie Levenson.

What you’ll be doing

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and energetic general fiction editor to join the Headline Fiction team.

If you are commercially minded, have a passion for reading group fiction, experience in publishing high profile authors and spotting new talent then we would love to hear from you.

Reporting to Jennifer Doyle, Fiction Publishing Director at Headline, you’ll be responsible for the publishing of an exciting list of successful reading group authors predominantly on the Headline Review imprint, both established brands and exciting new voices. You will also have the opportunity to acquire and publish your own titles, as well as line manage an Editorial Assistant.

Who we are looking for

We are looking for someone with solid experience in acquiring and publishing commercial fiction; an assured project manager who thrives on relationships with their team, authors, agents and industry influencers. If you are an independent decision-maker with exceptional taste and strong commercial instincts, who is passionate about leading your publications to success, then we want to hear from you. You will be a key member of the Headline Fiction team, a supportive environment where having an entrepreneurial mindset and a confident vision to deliver sales success is championed. The ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate a passion for commercial fiction, an understanding of title p&ls, and strive to put the consumer at the heart of everything they do.

What we offer

• 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)
• 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 https://btbs.org/grants