Who we are and what we do
John Murray Specialist
You will be working across two imprints within the John Murray Specialist division
Jessica Kingsley Publishers is an award-winning, global publisher with a strong social justice agenda. We believe in empowering individuals through information and knowledge and aim to drive social change by celebrating diversity and equality for all. We have long been known for our pioneering publishing; we publish in mental health and social care and have a market leading portfolio of books on neurodiversity, gender diversity and sexuality.
Sheldon Press is a consumer-facing publisher whose mission is to provide the tools needed for everyone to make a practical difference to their family, their health and their wellbeing. We are known for our practical, authoritative, accessible and trustworthy books on parenting, women’s health, mental health and neurodiversity.
JKP and Sheldon Press are Specialist imprints within the John Murray division of Hachette. Hachette is one of the largest publishing groups in the UK, with 12 publishing divisions and over 60 imprints. Everyone here is proud to be in the business of opening doors and minds.
What you'll be doing
We are recruiting for two roles in the editorial assistant team. One is a permanent role, and the other is a 6-month fixed-term contract.
Please specify if you would like to apply for one or both in the cover letter.
You will provide administrative support across our diverse range of titles, from professional guides to non-fiction paperback bestsellers. The roles will primarily support the JKP Neurodiversity list, the Mental Health and Social Care list, and the Sheldon Press team, but there will also be opportunities to work on other lists.
You will ensure that metadata is kept up to date and work closely with authors and editors, overseeing all essential tasks from contract to publication. You will also have the opportunity to be involved in researching new publications.
You will have responsibility for managing your own workload, and will work collaboratively with colleagues across JKP and Sheldon Press in supporting the acquisitions department’s strategic goals.
This is a fantastic role for anyone in the early stages of their publishing career, providing you with an opportunity to gain knowledge and experience of publishing as an active member of our energetic, friendly acquisitions team.
Who we are looking for
We’d love to hear from you if you:
thrive in a team environment where you are encouraged to share ideas,
are comfortable managing your workload, balancing priorities and anticipating regular deadlines,
are a stickler for detail - ensuring our databases are kept up to date and accurate,
are a natural communicator - at ease building strong working relationships with colleagues and authors,
are a talented copywriter, able to write compelling marketing and sales copy to promote JKP’s books and resources,
love the challenge of finding solutions to problems,
have a curiosity for learning and an eagerness to try new things,
are passionate about driving social change.
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)
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 www.booktradeentrysupport.org
