Commissioning Editors

EUP are looking for two Commissioning Editors to join the team at their Edinburgh office on a full time, maternity cover contract, working on either the Literary Studies list or the Islamic & Middle Eastern Studies list. Reporting to the Deputy Head of Editorial Books, you will be responsible for commissioning an appropriate range of monographs, critical editions, reference books, academic trade books and textbooks; contributing to the strategic development of the list, and actively fostering teamwork.,

• List development
• Financial planning and management
• Reputation
• Management and development
• Collaboration and building relationships
• Service excellence and continuous improvement
Key Activities
• Develop the Literary Studies/Islamic & Middle Eastern Studies list, in line with the list strategy, to reflect an appropriate mix of book types in areas that will increase revenue and build EUP's reputation.
• Nurture every project from idea to publication to maximize its influence and impact.
• Supervise book and proposal reviews and assess comments.
• Achieve agreed commissioning signing target and sales revenue target.
• Monitor expenses and control costs for each book, keeping within budgets.
• Ensure high standards of quality control are maintained through the peer review of all projects.
• Travel to relevant conferences, meetings and events related to developing and promoting the list.
  
  Excellent understanding of higher education and academic sector and current issues for these sectors and University Presses
• Good organisational and time-management skills, and the ability to work under pressure and to meet deadlines
• Demonstrable understanding of what EUP authors need
• Outstanding communication skills, written and oral
• Commercial and financial acumen
• Networking
• Building trusting relationships for collaboration, and for working with stakeholders
• Able to juggle multiple commitments, Knowledge of industry developments, trends and policies in academic publishing, including Open Access
• Clear understanding of the contexts in which EUP operate: the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, and their global markets
• Highly motivated, enthusiastic and conscientious
• Strategic thinker
• Growth mindset
• Innovative approach (commercial business models, digital), Experience in HSS academic (ideally University Press) publishing
• Well-networked within the academic publishing industry
• Track record of delivering results and meeting/exceeding expectations
• Proven ability to work with others and an openness to change
• Developing publishing strategy around a customer focus
• Strong collaboration and stakeholder relationships
• P&L/budget management
Desirable
• Proven ability to commission excellent academic books
• Experience of refocusing publishing strategic direction in response to changes in market and in academy
• Proven ability to develop and lead an effective team
• Decision-making during uncertainty
• Current digital experience
  
  Edinburgh University Press is a thriving academic publisher, producing 330 new books and 60 new journals each year, with an emphasis on the Humanities and Social Sciences.