Editorial Assistant - Children's (Licensing and Education)

Role overview

About

Responsibilities

• Provide efficient and organised administrative support to two editorial teams, Licensing and Education
• Book meeting rooms, prepare agendas, and take accurate minutes for editorial meetings
• Manage diaries, meeting arrangements, and room bookings
• Send contractual copies to authors, illustrators, agents, and licensors
• Assist with reprints and help maintain up-to-date publishing schedules
• Maintain accurate departmental systems and data, including updating schedules on online platforms and managing information within Biblio
• Manage content uploads to our Education websites (Ladybird Education and Penguin Readers)
• Act as a key point of contact for internal stakeholders across Design, Production, Rights, Sales, Marketing, and PR
• Communicate clearly and professionally with authors, illustrators, and licensors
• Contribute to team meetings and creative discussions
• Support pitches for new projects and assist with drafting copy for sales and marketing materials
• Develop editorial skills through hands-on involvement at all stages of the publishing process

Requirements

• Strong administrative skills
• Highly organised, with excellent time-management skills and the ability to manage multiple tasks and competing priorities
• Strong attention to detail and a methodical, accurate approach to work
• Proactive and enthusiastic, with the confidence to take initiative and a positive, can-do attitude
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to build effective working relationships
• Comfortable working collaboratively as part of a team, as well as independently
• Able to adapt quickly in a busy and varied role
• A genuine passion for licensed brands and/or educational publishing
• Eagerness to learn, contribute ideas, and develop editorial skills

Disability Confident

Application Information

• Apply with your CV and cover letter outlining why you are the right candidate for the role by 11:59pm on 11th June 2026.
• As part of your cover letter, please provide an answer, in no more than 200 words, to the following question: What is your favourite children’s media brand and why?
• Please ensure you include a cover letter, as it is a crucial part of our assessment process. The cover letter offers an opportunity to show how your experience and interests align with the role requirements. Typically, we expect the cover letter to be no more than one or two pages in length.
• We are looking for someone to join the team as soon as possible, but we are also happy to accommodate a reasonable notice period for the right candidate.
• We anticipate a three-stage interview process which will include a virtual first-stage interview and in-person second stage interview. We are happy to discuss this further with you throughout the recruitment process.
• Here at Penguin, we believe in the power of authenticity and human creativity. When you apply for a position, we want to encourage you to showcase your unique voice. Throughout our recruitment process, please share your own thoughts, experiences, and skills. This helps us get a true sense of who you are and what you might bring to our team. We celebrate creativity and diverse perspectives, so please be yourself! While we recognise AI tools can be helpful, we recommend using them thoughtfully to ensure your responses reflect you.

Compensation and Benefits

• Salary: £29,000 plus benefits.
• 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 the successful candidate to work from our London-based office a minimum of three days per week (including Wednesdays) and offer the remaining two days to be worked remotely.