We have a brilliant opportunity for an acquiring editor to join Century as Senior Commissioning Editor for commercial women’s fiction, to build on our publishing in this area and identify and create new opportunities for growth. This role reports to the Publishing Director for Century fiction.  

Century is part of the Cornerstone division of Penguin Random House and publishes bestselling authors including Katie Fforde, Paige Toon, Phillipa Ashley, Nancy Revell, Katie Flynn, Laura Jane Williams, Lisa Jewell, James Patterson and Harlan Coben. 

The Opportunity 

You will be responsible for commissioning, overseeing and championing titles internally and externally as they pass through the publishing process. You’ll build and develop a network of industry contacts, spot great new talent and contribute to the planning and execution of the strategy for our women’s fiction publishing. 

Candidate Profile 

The successful candidate will have a deep knowledge of the women’s fiction market – from romantic comedy to saga – a strong commercial and visual instinct, an ability to anticipate trends, to generate innovative ideas and seek out new publishing opportunities, and a passion for connecting writers with the widest possible audience. You will be able to generate buzz and build a community, both internally and externally, for your books and your list. 

Whether you’re a commissioning editor looking for a step up or someone outside of editorial brimming with ideas, we’d like to hear from you. This is a fantastic opening for the right person to join a creative, collaborative team and a publisher who offers excellent benefits and will support your development. Salary will be dependent on your experience. 

Application Instructions

Please apply with your CV and cover letter (addressed to Emily Griffin) outlining why you are the right candidate for the role by midnight on Sunday 24th March.  

Please also tell us what you would commission for the list if you were to take up the role. Please keep your answer under 500 words. 

What you can expect from us

Salary: £41,000 - £50,000 depending on how your skills and experience align to the role, plus bonus and benefits.    

Competitive benefits package:  

Our people are the heart of our business, and we work hard to support a culture of responsibility and recognition.  

Our benefits include: 

Financial – income protection, life assurance, childcare allowance 

Wellbeing – healthcare cash plan, critical illness cover, health checks 

Lifestyle – enhanced parental leave, tech scheme,  

For our full benefits list please visit: https://www.penguinrandomhousecareers.co.uk/what-we-offer/ 

Hybrid working: While our offices across the UK are places to connect, collaborate and celebrate with colleagues, we recognise that flexibility around where you work is just as important. For this role we expect that you will spend three days per week working at our offices on Vauxhall Bridge Road. 

The recruitment process: You can read about our recruitment process at https://www.penguinrandomhousecareers.co.uk/how-we-hire/ 

As a Disability Confident Committed organisation, we offer interviews to candidates with a disability who meet the essential criteria for the role, and opt-in on their application form. There may be times when the volume of applications means we cannot take all eligible candidates to interview. 

We encourage you to tell us about any reasonable adjustments you may need by emailing PRHCareersUK@penguinrandomhouse.co.uk. Remember, you only need to share what you are comfortable to for us to support your request. 

Please note, we are not able to accept agency CVs for this role. Any CVs sent speculatively will not be eligible for a fee. 

Company: Penguin Books Limited 

Country: United Kingdom 

State/Region: London 

City: London 

Postal Code: SW1V 2SA 

Job ID: 268872