Senior Commissioning Editor

Hodder & Stoughton; Sheffield; Hybrid; GBP 31,000 - 38,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private medical insurance

Dental insurance

Generous pension schemes

Cycle to Work scheme

28 days annual leave

Job summary

Hodder & Stoughton is seeking an experienced Senior Commissioning Editor to join the Welbeck imprint. The role involves creating a diverse list of lifestyle illustrated books, working with the OH Editorial Director and Welbeck Publishing Director, and shaping a commercially successful programme.

You will lead opportunities from global trends, manage writers and designers, and collaborate across teams to deliver market-leading titles. London/Sheffield office base with hybrid working.

Qualifications

• You will need the vision to spot publishing opportunities based on global trends and the skills to turn those ideas into visually stunning books with the broadest possible appeal.
• Responsible for the running of your list, our new Senior Commissioning Editor will work with the OH Editorial Director and the Welbeck Publishing Director to build and manage a profitable illustrated programme.

Responsibilities

• Commission illustrated books for the OH imprint across lifestyle subjects.
• Identify and develop ideas based on global trends to shape a profitable illustrated programme.
• Collaborate with editors, designers and brands to deliver visually appealing books.
• Lead a list with commercial instinct and manage relationships with authors and partners.

Job description

Return

Division

Headline

Department

Editorial

Location

London, Sheffield

Salary

From £34,500 dependent on experience and location (+bonus +benefits)

Contact type

Full Time Permanent

Publishing division

Headline

Closing date

Thursday, 22nd October 2026

Who We Are And What We Do

Part of Headline at Hachette UK, Welbeck Illustrated has a mission to publish beautiful books that are bought by book-lovers and gift-givers all around the world.

Across our Welbeck and OH imprints, we create illustrated titles covering lifestyle, food, drink, fashion, music, film, sport and more.

We work with brands from Chanel to Shakespeare’s Globe, the Rolling Stones to the BBC, FIFA to Formula 1.

“Welbeck is a buzzing imprint where everyone has a voice – you can channel your creativity and at the same time become integral to the team. Not only do we get to make beautiful books that entertain, engage and inspire, but we get to work with the most talented people in the industry. What’s not to love?”

Heather Boisseau, Editorial Director, OH

“I know it’s a cliché, but no two days at Welbeck are the same, with such a unique range of titles on all the subjects we love, like music, fashion, sport and cookery. It’s this variety of titles that make it such a fantastic place to work, with the challenge of shaping the books to appeal to our stylish readers.”

James Empringham, Art Director

Headline is a division of Hachette UK, and home to the very best of commercial publishing, with authors including Maggie O’Farrell, Matthew Perry, Matthew McConaughey and Oasis.

What you'll be doing

Are you an experienced commissioner of illustrated books?

Do you have sharp commercial instincts?

Will you thrive on the challenge of generating ideas for a list of lifestyle books?

Welbeck is looking for an ideas-led commissioner to create beautiful illustrated books across a broad range of lifestyle subjects such as food and drink, craft, reference and gift on its OH imprint.

Perfect for a confident, creative commissioner looking to take that next step, this exciting role comes with the freedom to shape your own list of internationally successful books, backed by a tight-knit team of experienced publishers and in-house designers. If you have a track record of smart, successful illustrated publishing and a nose for the biggest lifestyle trends and brand partnerships then we’d love to hear from you.

Who we are looking for

You will need the vision to spot publishing opportunities based on global trends and the skills to turn those ideas into visually stunning books with the broadest possible appeal. Responsible for the running of your list, our new Senior Commissioning Editor will work with the OH Editorial Director and the Welbeck Publishing Director to build and manage a profitable illustrated programme.

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)
• 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 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