Senior Commissioning Editor / Editorial Director

Footnote, a disruptive new publisher launching in partnership with Bonnier Books UK, is looking for an ambitious and forward-thinking senior commissioning editor / editorial director to join our team. Working closely with the managing director, you will be responsible for driving acquisitions to help shape our list of politically-engaged and socially-aware fiction and non-fiction, spanning history, philosophy, memoir, culture, current affairs and more.

The ideal candidate will be enterprising, collaborative and confident, with strong commercial awareness and an authentic and demonstrable commitment to Footnote’s mission to drive narrative change and promote social justice by foregrounding marginalised knowledge and experience.

You will be a skilled editor who relishes the opportunity of commissioning and working with a diverse set of authors, including influencers, activists, intellectuals, scholars and journalists, and will have strong networking and entrepreneurial skills as well as an extensive list of relevant contacts. You will proactively acquire titles through established as well as more direct and inventive routes, and be experienced in writing copy and assessing cover designs. You will also be responsible for managing freelance editors and liaising with the production team; hence we are looking for a hands-on Editor who will commission and take titles through to delivery.

You will bring editorial excellence, dynamism and flair to your publishing, and be highly organised and motivated, working across different departments to help develop unified and impactful sales and marketing campaigns. You will have sound knowledge of publishing processes, alongside an openness to doing things differently.

We welcome applications from talented editors with varying degrees of experience, although you will need to have already commenced your book commissioning career, be plugged into the right networks, immersed in the types of content we are looking to publish, and be full of ideas about how to shape our emerging list.

The position is full time and can be primarily remote based, although you will have full access to our Bloomsbury Square offices which we share with Bonnier Books UK. You will need to meet at least 1-2 days a week with colleagues and contributors in London, so the role will suit someone based in or within commuting distance of London.

Salary dependent on skills and experience. To apply, please send a CV and covering letter to our recruitment partner, Danny Parnes at Think Selection –danny@thinkselection.com – or call Danny on 07958 208817 for an informal and confidential chat.

The closing date for applications is 30 Nov 2021. Early applications will be prioritised, with interviews commencing straight away.

We are committed to inclusivity across all aspects of our publishing and welcome applications from any individual regardless of ethnic origin, gender, disability, religious belief, sexual orientation or age. All applications will be considered on merit.