Project Editor (12 month FTC)

Little, Brown Book Group; England; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

28 annual leave days

Community days

Summer hours

Retail discounts

Cycle to Work scheme

Wide-ranging training library

Development programmes

Book purchase discounts

Season ticket loans

Job summary

A major UK publishing house is seeking a Project Editor for a 12-month fixed-term contract in their London office. The role involves managing both fiction and complex non-fiction titles through the editorial process. Candidates should have a strong background in project editing, excellent organisational skills, and proficiency in copy-editing. This company offers a supportive environment with generous annual leave, professional development opportunities, and various staff benefits including discounts on book purchases.

Qualifications

• Proven track record of project editing and managing trade non-fiction.
• Excellent organisational skills and ability to multi-task.
• Meticulous copy-editing and proofreading skills.

Responsibilities

• Manage authors through the editorial process.
• Commission freelance editors and proofreaders.
• Clear permissions and work on legal reads.
• Collate and check proofs at each stage.
• Check covers.

Skills

Project editing

Organisational skills

Copy-editing

Proofreading

Communication

Job description

Project Editor (12 month FTC) – Little, Brown Book Group

Join to apply for the Project Editor (12 month FTC) role at Little, Brown Book Group.

Pay Range

This range is provided by Little, Brown Book Group. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Who we are and what we do

Little, Brown's identity is personified by our innovative, dynamic and free‑thinking people. Across our thirteen imprints, you won't find a wider range of titles anywhere in UK publishing. We pride ourselves on quality and diversity. A repeat recipient of the Publisher of the Year award, we’re one of the most successful and dynamic publishers in the UK.

Little, Brown 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.

This is an exciting opportunity to join PCR, a division of the Little, Brown Book Group, and work on a huge variety of non‑fiction and fiction titles across the Constable fiction, Piatkus non‑fiction and Robinson lists. The position is due to start in March 2026.

The PCR division combines three successful imprints at the award‑winning Little, Brown Book Group. Across the Piatkus, Constable and Robinson non‑fiction lists, we publish everything from popular psychology, self‑help, business, personal development, health and wellbeing, parenting, history, cookery, humour, biographies, popular culture and how‑to books. Across the fiction lists, we publish compelling crime fiction alongside big‑name women’s fiction authors and romances.

What you’ll be doing

Reporting to the Managing Editor of PCR, you will deliver a wide range of fiction and often complex non‑fiction titles, from handover of manuscript to publication, with expertise and autonomy.

Tasks will include:

• Managing authors through the editorial process
• Commissioning freelance copy‑editors, proofreaders, indexers and illustrators
• Clearing permissions and working on legal reads
• Collating and checking proofs at each stage
• Checking covers

You will be working closely with many other in‑house departments, particularly production and the wider editorial team. The position holder will ensure that allocated projects keep to schedule, budget and quality standards, and other business areas are aware of each book’s progress.

Please note that this is a non‑commissioning role.

Who we are looking for

We are looking for candidates with a proven track record of project editing and project managing trade non‑fiction and preferably fiction, who have excellent organisational skills and are great multi‑taskers. Meticulous copy‑editing and proofreading skills are essential. You must be proactive, a good communicator and show confidence dealing with colleagues both internally and externally.

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)
• 2 community days per year
• Summer hours (finishing at 1 pm on Fridays during the summer months)
• Retail discounts through Hachette rewards
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Wide‑ranging training library
• Development programmes (including mentoring)
• Up to 70 % off book purchases
• A charity bookshelf
• 12 Staff‑led employee networks that are voluntary, including AgeWise, Gender Balance, Thrive, Pride, All Together, Wellbeing 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.

If you are shortlisted and need us to make any adjustments to help you attend for interview, please let us know.

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 www.booktradeentrysupport.org