Senior Commissioning Editor – Location: London or Madrid (Hybrid)
Applications Deadline: 5th August
Job Posting End Date:
Role Responsibilities
- Segment strategy and publishing planning: Business Insights & Market Intelligence; analyse competition strategy and look for publishing opportunities within the (sub) segment.
- Help identify possible partnerships and support analysis and interpreting of data for birthday review.
- Concept development – Integral perspective, creating & innovating; based on market research, develop strong differentiated concepts for projects for teacher validation and samples for agreed components.
- Identify authors/contributors and evaluate proposals for quality.
- Help prepare business cases and oversee project scope with project manager.
- Feed into platform and product needs in line with customer requirements.
- Content development: Editorial skills, project management, balancing stakeholders; work with relevant stakeholders to schedule and plan projects effectively.
- Oversee the commissioning and briefing of authors and contributors in the development of material.
- Brief external content developers and packagers on project specification, tasks, schedules and ways of working.
- Collaborate across portfolios with publishers and CEs to identify and exploit opportunities for content reuse and co‑creation.
- Negotiate with authors in conjunction with the publisher where relevant and work with legal to administer contracts.
- Understand segment digital requirements and feed into the digital roadmap as appropriate.
- Budget / financial / resource responsibility: Analysis,
publishing workflows & systems; understand the investment approval process and demonstrate full awareness of cost and schedule implications.
- Ensure projects are planned and resourced adequately with internal and external resource for timely delivery; track budget phasing with the project manager.
- Staff management: leading and supervising, communicating effectively; manage performance, training and development of commissioning editors; support matrix management of content development team; delegate appropriately and maintain awareness of well‑being and DEI issues.
- Recruit and induct new commissioning editors.
- Personal development: keep up to date on ELT/EFL issues, undertake background reading and attend conferences; use and develop existing skills and participate in training sessions; maintain and expand network of industry contacts to support publications.
Experience, Skills & Qualifications
- Knowledge of ELT markets, especially the pre‑primary & primary segments in Spain.
- Demonstrable ELT publishing experience at project leadership level, with a proven track record of successful ELT/EFL product development.
- Solid experience in English language teaching and an appreciation for a wide international range of teaching and learning situations.
- Excellent written English.
- Ability to work to tight deadlines and manage numerous tasks.
- Understanding of publishing technologies and flexibility to learn new systems.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
- Working understanding of content management systems.
- Positive attitude and commitment to the aims of the company.
- Excellent team‑working and organisational skills.
- Experience of working with a range of new media.
- Knowledge of a second language is desirable.