Publisher, Mudlark & Smart Thinking

• Work with the Smart Thinking Publishing Director to ensure each of the two profit centres has a clear identity and strategy, and each team member has a clear career development plan.
• Plan, champion, and execute a profitable and market-orientated publishing strategy for the lists.
• Develop titles appropriate for the market in both UK trade and non-trade, international, and rights, focusing on all formats and titles with both frontlist and backlist potential.
• Acquire titles through both agent submission and self-driven ideas development.
• Ensure that titles are delivered in an appropriate and timely way, with all costs controlled and to budget.
• Identify market trends and publishing opportunities through close contact with agents and talent managers.
• Deliver viable, creative, and innovative publishing that is commercially successful and contributes strongly to the division's growth targets.
• Review, develop, maintain, and deliver profitable publishing plans in line with divisional targets, including creating and maintaining publishing schedules and responding to changing market needs.
• Work closely alongside the Entertainment and Thorsons Publishers to oversee the complete Editorial team.
• Deputise for the MD & Publisher in chairing divisional meetings when necessary.
• Jointly run the divisional monthly Launch meeting.
• Jointly run the narrative teams’ weekly Editorial meeting.
• Liaise between sister companies within HarperCollins and News UK.
• Develop long-term relationships with authors and agents, plus News Corp journalists, to secure future deals for HarperCollins in preference to competitors.
• Promote excellent author care.
• Manage and develop relationships with agents, talent managers, and partners.
• Manage and develop strong internal relationships with key stakeholders.
• Ensure strong and effective involvement of the Sales, Publicity, and Marketing teams in each publication.
• Effectively influence sales, publicity, and marketing plans through informed market knowledge.
• Work with the Sales, Publicity, and Marketing teams to ensure plans are acted upon.
• Contribute to the overall strategy of the HarperNonFiction business.
• Contribute to the forecasting and budgeting process for the NonFiction business.
• Work with Production and Pub Ops to ensure titles run to critical path and to maintain the schedule of publishing for all titles.
• Work closely with the senior team to maximise all opportunities afforded by world rights, including Rights, Audio, and Harper 360.
• Ensure titles have co-ordinated digital strategies, priority titles are pitched for promotions, and metadata is optimised.

, Knowledge & Expertise

• Robust experience of trade publishing at publisher level.
• First-class editorial expertise.
• Creative thinker willing to ‘think outside of the box’.
• Commercial risk taker, but willing to change view if presented with relevant evidence.
• Team player with strong team management skills.
• Excellent communicator.
• Strategic vision.
• Strong business acumen.
• Strong organisation skills.
• Strong analytical skills.
• Proven track record of entrepreneurial commissioning.
• Experience of establishing and developing effective business partnerships.

• Application Deadline: 22 July 2026
• For queries regarding this position, please reach out directly to [email protected] with subject heading ‘Vacancy Query’ plus the job title. We will aim to get back to you within 5 working days.