Publishing Operations Manager

MW Partner; New York (NY); On-site; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

MW Partner is seeking an operations professional to manage day-to-day admin for author and talent engagements, including contracts, onboarding, invoices, and payments. You’ll coordinate cross‑functional workflows with Legal, Editorial, Finance, Production, Marketing, and external partners to ensure timely execution and accurate records.

You will own data integrity, reporting on contracts and payments, and identify efficiencies as the imprint grows.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of experience in publishing or related operational roles.
• Strong organizational and project-management skills with attention to detail.
• Experience handling invoices, payments, contracts, and financial workflows.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; professional with authors and vendors.
• Ability to work independently and collaborate with cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Manage day-to-day administrative operations for author and talent engagements.
• Coordinate contracts and agreements from initiation to execution with cross-functional teams.
• Develop efficient processes for setup, payment, invoicing, and financial workflows.
• Serve as central contact for operational questions related to author engagements.
• Maintain accurate records of contracts, contacts, payments, invoices, and data.
• Manage intake, processing, tracking, and reconciliation of invoices with Finance.
• Own operational trackers and provide regular reporting on contracts, payments, milestones.
• Monitor milestones and flag upcoming deadlines and issues.
• Collaborate with Editorial, Finance, Legal, Production, Marketing to keep workflows on track.
• Identify opportunities to streamline processes and increase efficiency as the imprint grows.

Skills

Organizational skills

Project management

Communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Attention to detail

Confidentiality

Independent work

Publishing industry knowledge

Tools

Microsoft Office

Google Sheets

Contract management systems

Job description

Responsibilities and duties:

• Manage the day-to-day administrative operations for author and talent engagements, including contracts, onboarding, invoices, payments, and related documentation.
• Coordinate contracts and agreements from initiation through execution, partnering with Legal, Editorial, Finance, and external representatives to ensure timely completion and follow-up.
• Develop and maintain efficient processes for author and talent setup, payment, invoicing, and other recurring financial workflows.
• Serve as the central point of contact for operational questions related to author and talent engagements, coordinating information and documentation across internal teams and external partners.
• Maintain accurate, organized records of contracts, contact information, payment details, invoices, and other key author and talent data.
• Manage the intake, processing, tracking, and reconciliation of invoices and payments, working with Finance to resolve discrepancies, delays, and outstanding items.
• Own operational trackers and reporting systems, ensuring data integrity and providing regular reporting and updates on contracts, payments, expenses, milestones, deadlines, and other key activities.
• Monitor contractual and operational milestones, proactively flagging upcoming deadlines, outstanding obligations, and issues requiring attention.
• Partner cross-functionally with Editorial, Finance, Legal, Production, Marketing, and other teams to keep operational workflows on track and resolve issues efficiently.
• Identify opportunities to streamline processes, improve systems, and increase operational efficiency as the imprint grows.

Requirements:

• 4+ years of experience in publishing, entertainment, media, talent management, or a related operational/business environment.
• Strong organizational and project-management skills, with exceptional attention to detail.
• Experience managing multiple workflows, deadlines, and stakeholders simultaneously.
• Experience with invoices, payments, contracts, or other administrative financial processes.
• Strong proficiency with spreadsheets and databases; experience with tools such as Microsoft Office, Google Sheets or similar platforms.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to communicate professionally and effectively with authors, agents, managers, vendors, and internal stakeholders.
• Strong follow-through and a proactive approach to identifying and resolving outstanding issues.
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion.
• Comfortable working independently while collaborating closely with a cross-functional team.
• Interest in and familiarity with the publishing industry and the business of books is strongly preferred.