Editorial Assistant

Can you take initiative and keep a team running smoothly? Are you passionate about ideas, culture and world events?

Orion is looking for an enthusiastic and meticulous Editorial Assistant to support its award-winning non-fiction publishing at W&N.

Reporting to the Publishing Director, and supporting the Executive Publisher and Editorial Director, you will be responsible for a wide range of administrative tasks including general office administration, running our internal systems, organising meetings, keeping minutes, overseeing our publishing timelines, updating Biblio, processing invoices, submitting book for prizes, organising book proof mailouts and generally assisting the busy team of commissioners and editors.

Editorial tasks will include proofreading covers, writing copy, preparing paperback editions for production, dealing with author and agent queries and reprint corrections. While the role sits within W&N’s non-fiction team, you will work across the business with colleagues from the wider Orion Literary team and neighbouring imprints, as well as managing editorial, design, production, sales, marketing, publicity, and beyond.

Proven office experience is essential. Some publishing experience would be an advantage. Knowledge of a language other than English is encouraged but not essential.

The ideal candidate will be:

• Motivated, flexible and cheerful
• Passionate about serious non-fiction, and culture in general
• Excellent general knowledge
• Highly organised with a meticulous eye for detail
• Able to multitask and prioritise effectively
• Confident with excellent written and verbal communication skills
• A competent administrator with knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook

Our staff are our greatest asset and our benefits reflect this. In addition to 28 days annual leave days per year + bank holidays, we have an extensive list of benefits that include: a wide-ranging training library, development programmes including mentoring, Cycle to Work vouchers, Private Medical Insurance, eye care vouchers, up to 70% off book purchases, a charity book shelf, 2 community days per year, many employee networks to join, summer hours (finishing at 1pm on Fridays during the summer months!), season ticket loans, rent deposit loans, generous pension schemes and much more!

This role can be based at our London office, or at any of our new regional offices in Edinburgh, or Sheffield, with a blend of in-office (3 days) and homeworking (2 days) per week.

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

Orion Literary comprises three distinct imprints: W&N, our central home for high-quality literary fiction and non-fiction, and two boutique sister imprints, White Rabbit and Phoenix. We are a dynamic team of nine senior commissioners and four supporting editors and assistants who are passionate about maintaining our reputation as the most exciting home for serious literary talent.

W&N has been publishing since 1949 and is home to a wide range of literary fiction and non-fiction, modern classics, prizewinning debuts and worldwide bestsellers. Our authors include Antony Beevor, Clare Chambers, Elinor Cleghorn, Ian Dunt, Richard Coles, Naoise Dolan, Claire Lombardo, Tiffany McDaniel, Simon Sebag Montefiore, Adam Rutherford, Philippe Sands, Malala Yousafzai and Carlos Ruiz Zafón.

White Rabbit was set up in 2019 as an imprint dedicated to pop culture writing, specialising in non-fiction, history, memoir, illustrated and high-end limited editions relating to popular music across the spectrum. Our authors include Bobby Gillespie, Adelle Stripe, Lias Saoudi, Carl Cox, David Keenan, Jude Rogers, Mark Lanegan, Vashti Bunyan, Kim Gordon, Sinead Gleeson, Stuart Braithwaite, Chris Frantz, Lenny Kaye, Robin Turner and Vivien Goldman.

Phoenix launched in 2021 and is a bespoke new imprint for brilliant writing with a broad appeal, publishing accessible literary fiction, reading group fiction and memoir characterised by distinctive voices and compelling storytelling. Our authors include Jo Baker, Emily Itami, Danya Kukafka, Kate Mosse, Dolen Perkins-Valdez, Cathy Rentzenbrink and David Whitehouse.