Role overview

Join our award-winning Macmillan Children’s Books (MCB) and First Ink publishing team! As a Senior Editor, you’ll have the exciting opportunity to inspire a new generation by publishing outstanding fiction books for young readers from middle grade to YA and crossover.

Your team: You will be an essential part of a passionate and creative team dedicated to publishing a diverse, engaging, and dynamic list for young readers. We have an exceptional list of authors and high-profile brands, which includes YA voices such as Tomi Adeyemi, Elle McNicoll, and Hafsah Faizal; middle-grade authors like MG Leonard, Frank Cottrell-Boyce, and Pari Thomson; and non-fiction from influential figures like Hamza Yassin, Marcus Rashford, and Dara McAnulty. We have also been publishing poetry at Macmillan for thirty years on our award-winning list.

Your role: As a Senior Editor, your primary responsibilities will revolve around managing the lifecycle of your books from idea to launch. You will have a specific focus on developing fiction intellectual property (IP) and championing your books through to publication, including for our dedicated young adult imprint First Ink. You will work collaboratively with authors, agents, and internal teams to ensure each book reaches its full commercial potential and resonates with our readers.

Responsibilities

Publish existing titles: Manage and support our existing fiction lists to ensure ongoing commercial success across global markets.
Develop new IP: Create and develop innovative new IP that responds quickly to current trends across middle-grade and young adult (YA) publishing.
Build the list: Identify and acquire new books for publication, working closely with authors, agents, and external partners to grow our middle-grade and YA list.
Review submissions: Read, evaluate, and report on incoming manuscript submissions.
End-to-end title management: Oversee all of your assigned books from acquisition through to publication and beyond. This includes pitching, writing Title Information (TI) sheets, briefing covers, drafting copy, managing databases, and tracking sales reports.
Manage editorial stages: Edit your assigned titles at every single stage of production, from the initial structural layout down to the detailed line edit.
Monitor market trends: Research and track industry trends to help inform our future book acquisitions and overall publishing strategies.
Finalize contract terms: Draft, negotiate, and complete contract terms for new book acquisitions.
Cross-functional teamwork: Partner closely with design, production, sales, rights, and communications teams to successfully launch and promote our books.

Requirements

Children’s and YA expertise: Significant experience working within the publishing industry, and a genuine passion for children’s and YA literature, particularly for MCB and First Ink’s lists.
Commercial trend spotting: A commercially minded approach with a proven ability to identify, track, and react to market trends.
Advanced editing skills: Proven experience completing structural edits, developmental edits, and line edits to a high standard, alongside experience adapting or editing US-originated books.
Project management oversight: The ability to plan, track, and manage complex publishing projects effectively from start to finish, and a proven ability to organize, prioritize, and manage your workload to meet tight deadlines while maintaining attention to detail.
Clear communication style: Effective spoken and written communication skills, with the ability to share information reliably and professionally.
Publishing network connections: Established professional relationships with literary agents and a wide network within the broader publishing community.
Inclusion and representation: An active dedication to promoting diverse voices and inclusive practices, taking personal responsibility for ensuring our workplace and publishing reflect the communities we serve.
Community: A collaborative approach to building a supportive and vibrant environment.
Curiosity: A strong drive for learning and a readiness to embrace different perspectives.
Integrity: A foundation of openness and honesty, taking responsibility for actions and learning from mistakes.

Desirable

skills

Software/tools: Experience working with systems and tools such as MS Office, Google Workspace, and Biblio.

Compensation and Benefits

Salary: £38,000–£42,000 (dependent on experience and expertise)
Competitive salary and benefits package
28 days’ annual leave increasing with years of service + bank holidays
Generous pension scheme
Discounted private medical insurance or health cash plan
Group income protection scheme
Enhanced family pay and leave
Flexible working hours and summer hours (early finish on a Friday during summer months)
2 volunteer days per year
75% off all Pan Macmillan books and regular staff book sales (highly reduced rates)
Season ticket loan/advance
Cycle to work scheme
Discounts on shopping and gym memberships
Christmas club savings
Daily free breakfast and monthly company lunch

Application Information

All applications must be submitted via our careers site to be considered.
We are unable to accept CVs or applications sent via email.
Closing date: 12 July 2026
This is a full-time, permanent role, based in our offices in Farringdon, London, with some flexibility to work from home each week.
All applicants must be able to demonstrate the right to live and work in the UK in order to be considered for this role.

Our commitment to diversity & inclusion

At Pan Macmillan, we are committed to publishing a wide range of voices that reflect the full breadth of the communities we serve. Joining us means playing an active role in bringing our titles to life as part of a team that champions inclusion at every level. We are dedicated to building a workplace that is as diverse and welcoming as the stories we tell, ensuring all perspectives are celebrated across everything we do. We welcome applications from all individuals, including any age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and/or belief. Our efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are ongoing, and we continually strive to learn and improve. You can read our full Diversity, Equity and Inclusion pledge here.

Disability confident scheme

As a Disability Confident employer, we actively encourage applications from disabled candidates and people with long-term health conditions, aiming to offer an interview to everyone who meets the essential criteria for the role and chooses to apply under the scheme. The essential criteria can be found under our ‘Essential experience, abilities, knowledge and values you’ll need to succeed’ section. Please note, some of our vacancies attract an exceptionally high volume of applications. In these circumstances, to ensure a fair and focused process for everyone, we may need to limit the overall number of interviews. Where this happens, we will look closely at who most closely aligns with the requirements to select the candidates applying under this scheme who best meet the essential criteria, in line with official government guidance.

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Senior Editor, Fiction

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