Editorial Director / Publisher

Simon & Schuster; City of Westminster; On-site; GBP 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent publishing company is seeking an Editorial Director or Publisher for Children's Fiction. This role requires a strong passion for children's literature and extensive experience in publishing. The candidate will lead acquisitions, edit bestselling titles, and mentor junior staff, ensuring high editorial standards and collaboration across teams. This is an opportunity to shape the creative vision within an award-winning division during a period of growth and success.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in children's publishing.
• Strong passion for children's books and literature.
• Proven track record of acquiring and publishing bestsellers.

Responsibilities

• Lead children's fiction acquisitions and strategy.
• Edit and publish leading children's fiction titles.
• Oversee team performance and mentor junior members.

Skills

Children's fiction editing

Commercial acumen

Team leadership

Market insight

Negotiation skills

Job description

We are seeking a passionate illustrated‑and middle‑grade fiction specialist to join our dynamic and growing fiction team as Editorial Director or Publisher, Children's Fiction, with a focus on young fiction, middle grade and graphic novels. This senior role is suited to a highly experienced, commercially focused editor with a strong enthusiasm for author‑ and concept‑led children’s fiction. Working in close partnership with the Publishing Director and in alignment with the Simon & Schuster Children’s Books strategy, you will lead the creative vision, energy and commercial performance of the lists within your remit, setting high editorial standards and fostering a supportive, inspiring environment for authors and illustrators. This is a standout opportunity to play a key role within an award‑winning Children’s Publishing division during an exciting period of growth and success.

Job Role

We are seeking an experienced and commercially minded children’s fiction editor and publisher to drive continued growth, innovation and profitability across our publishing programme. The role will, with the Children’s Publishing Director, lead the children’s fiction acquisitions and publishing strategy in line with agreed goals and targets, working closely with cross‑functional teams to ensure smart investment, strong prioritisation and effective collaboration. You will acquire, edit and publish market‑leading, bestselling and award‑winning children’s fiction, managing projects from pitch to publication with clear positioning, high‑quality packaging and robust publishing strategies, while also editing and developing an exciting list of established and newly acquired authors.

As a proactive member of the Children’s Leadership Team, you will champion open communication with authors and agents, ensure authors are published with care and commercial focus, and represent Simon & Schuster Children’s Books externally. The role also includes line management and mentorship of junior team members, responsibility for team performance and workloads, and close collaboration with design, sales, marketing, PR, production and rights teams to deliver titles on time, on budget and to the highest standards, while acting as an ambassador for reading for pleasure across the wider publishing ecosystem.

The ideal candidate will have a demonstrable passion for children’s books, uphold the highest creative and editorial standards, and bring a strong design eye and collaborative approach to producing standout publishing. They will be a strategic and compelling thinker, able to articulate a clear vision, negotiate confidently in complex deal and auction environments, and make sound, commercially driven publishing decisions. A dynamic communicator with strong commercial acumen, they will use market insight and data to drive sales, profit and market position, with a proven track record of acquisition, editing and publishing excellence and experience working closely with sales, marketing and publicity teams on high‑impact campaigns, alongside a commitment to inclusivity and sustainability.

Simon & Schuster, a global leader in general interest publishing, is dedicated to providing the best in fiction and non‑fiction for readers of all ages, and in all printed, digital and audio formats. Its distinguished roster of authors includes many of the world’s most popular and widely recognised writers, and winners of the most prestigious literary honours and awards. It is home to numerous well‑known imprints and divisions such as Simon & Schuster, Scribner, Atria Books, Gallery Books, Adams Media, Avid Reader Press, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing and Simon & Schuster Audio and international companies in Australia, Canada, India, and the United Kingdom, and proudly brings the works of its authors to readers in more than 200 countries and territories. For more information visit our website at www.simonandschuster.com.

Competitive. _Simon & Schuster UK is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, colour, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, creed, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship status, marital status, disability, gender identity and gender expression. At Simon & Schuster UK, the spirit of inclusion feeds into everything that we do, we believe that opportunity, access, resources and rewards should be available to and for the benefit of all._ _Candidates hired for this or any other posted Simon & Schuster UK role will be employees of Simon & Schuster UK Ltd subject to all policies, including the Workplace Privacy Notice, and eligible solely for the benefits plans thereof._