Editorial Operations Director

Informa Plc; Milton; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Balanced working model

3 days in-office per week

Job summary

Informa Plc is seeking an Editorial Operations Director (Books) to provide visionary leadership across our editorial operations, guiding a team of four Editorial Workflow Managers. The role shapes strategy, drives transformation, and builds a culture of excellence while partnering with Publishing Directors to deliver competitive advantages.

You will translate big-picture strategy into actionable roadmaps, lead digital transformation, and manage budgets, ensuring editorial operations deliver

Qualifications

• Significant experience leading leaders at an executive level.
• Proven track record in strategic planning and organizational transformation.
• Deep knowledge of academic publishing and its industry dynamics.
• Strong financial acumen, including P&L management.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of senior editorial leaders.
• Shape multi-year strategic plans aligned with business objectives.
• Oversee portfolio performance and drive process improvements.
• Engage with senior leaders to influence enterprise strategy.
• Drive digital transformation and adoption of enterprise systems.
• Own editorial operations budget and investment proposals.

Skills

Executive leadership

Strategic planning

Academic publishing

Financial acumen

Job description

Job Description

We're looking for an Editorial Operations Director (Books) to provide visionary leadership across our editorial operations, leading a team of four Editorial Workflow Managers. This is a senior leadership role for someone who thrives on shaping strategy, driving transformation, and ensuring editorial operations deliver real, sustainable advantage for the business.

You'll be a key voice at the leadership table, translating big-picture strategy into actionable plans, championing innovation, and building a culture where people and processes can genuinely excel.

What you'll be doing:

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of four Editorial Workflow Managers
• Build organizational capability and strengthen the leadership pipeline beneath you
• Champion succession planning and talent development at senior levels
• Foster a culture of innovation and excellence across editorial operations

Strategic Vision & Planning

• Shape multi-year strategic plans aligned with wider business objectives
• Partner closely with Publishing Directors to bring editorial strategy and vision to life
• Lead initiatives that drive genuine competitive advantage
• Turn organizational strategy into clear, actionable roadmaps

Operational Performance

• Establish enterprise-wide KPIs and performance frameworks
• Oversee portfolio performance and profitability across business units
• Drive process improvements that scale with the business
• Keep a close eye on the competitive landscape to inform decision-making
• Partner with teams across the matrix to ensure delivery and achievement of key operational metrics

Stakeholder Engagement

• Represent editorial operations in executive forums and strategic sessions
• Build strong relationships with senior leaders across the organization
• Influence strategy and advocate for editorial operations enterprise-wide

Digital Transformation & Innovation

• Drive the digital transformation strategy for editorial operations
• Champion emerging technologies and smarter ways of working
• Lead the evaluation and rollout of enterprise-level systems
• Keep editorial operations at the leading edge of industry innovation

Financial & Resource Strategy

• Own and manage the editorial operations budget across portfolios
• Make strategic calls on investment in technology, people, and infrastructure
• Optimize resources to maximize return on investment
• Present financial performance and investment proposals to senior leadership

Qualifications

What We're Looking For

Essential

• Significant experience leading leaders/managers at an executive level
• A proven track record in strategic planning and organizational transformation
• Deep knowledge of academic publishing and its industry dynamics
• Strong financial acumen, including P&L management experience
• A track record of influencing senior executives effectively
• The ability to develop talent, build vision, and navigate complex stakeholder landscapes
• Strong strategic and business acumen, including comfort making high-stakes decisions with incomplete information
• Confident, credible communication with board-level and C-suite audiences
• Leads with vision, authenticity, and a genuine commitment to our values
• Shows courage in tough decisions and resilience under pressure
• Takes full accountability for outcomes and leads cultural change by example

Desirable

• Extensive, progressive leadership experience within academic publishing
• International or multi-market experience
• Models continuous learning, intellectual humility, and openness to feedback
• Champions diversity, equity, and inclusion as a core priority

Additional Information

Closing Date: 10th November 2026

The successful candidate will be able to utilise our balanced working model. We ask that candidates live within a commutable distance of our offices to ensure that as a balanced worker they can make it to our office locations to collaborate as required. There is an expectation for a minimum of 3 days per week in-person time, with those 3 days a week spent in our office in Milton Park, Oxfordshire.

Please note that our Milton Park office will be relocating to Oxford city centre in late 2027 / early 2028, offering an exciting new workplace in the heart of the city.