About Hachette UK
Hachette UK is a creative powerhouse and the UK's second largest book publishing group. Our mission is to make it easy for everyone to discover new worlds of ideas, learning, entertainment and opportunity.
We're made up of 12 autonomous publishing divisions and over 60 imprints with a rich and diverse history and an incredible range of authors. We're also the market leader in e-books and publish a range of bestsellers in audio format, the fastest growing part of our business.
Hachette UK is part of Hachette Livre, the world's third largest trade and educational publisher. As well as our headquarters in Carmelite House, London, and our state-of-the-art book distribution centre in Didcot, Oxfordshire, we have recently opened five new offices in Manchester, Bristol, Sheffield, Newcastle, and Edinburgh. The UK region also includes offices in Australia, New Zealand, India, Singapore, the Caribbean, and Ireland.
It's an exciting time to join our business because the publishing market continues to grow and thrive. The UK remains the largest exporter of physical books in the world and book adaptations for film and TV are the foundation of the UK's creative industries.
About John Murray
We publish books of excellence and lasting value written by authors with passion and expertise. We're home to popular fiction and non-fiction writers alongside some of the most progressive new voices in publishing. Established in 1768 and with a rich and illustrious history, we are the oldest imprint in the business and oldest surviving trade list in British publishing.
What you'll be doing
Reporting to the Senior Manager, Contracts & Business Affairs, the successful candidate will work across John Murray's specialist, trade and Quercus lists, working closely with their colleagues in the John Murray Press contracts team providing support including:
- ensure contracts are drafted and negotiated to high standards working within company policy and KPIs
- advise editorial and publishing teams on contractual elements of acquisitions
- draft and review contracts, and negotiate amendments as needed
- draft, check and amend other contractual paperwork, including addenda, novations, reversions and cancellations
- handle internal and external contract queries
- take part in IP creation projects in an advisory role
- assist in training and developing junior colleagues in the team, including potential line management of the team's Contracts Assistant
- build and maintain successful working relationships with colleagues at all levels of the Contracts & Business Affairs Department, John Murray Press, Quercus, and other relevant HUK teams
The above list is not exclusive or exhaustive and the job holder may be required to undertake such other duties as may reasonably be required.
Who we are looking for
- Proven experience in contracts (or business affairs/legal) in the publishing, media or entertainment sectors
- Advanced drafting skills
- Ability to conduct effective negotiations
- Thorough understanding of copyright and contract law; relevant knowledge of other intellectual property law e.g. trademarks.
- Advanced skills in Microsoft Office 365
- Knowledge of, or aptitude for, relevant applications/systems
- Commercial awareness and financial literacy
- Ability to communicate and build positive working relationship with contacts at all levels
Our staff are our greatest asset, and our benefits reflect this:
- 28 annual leave days per year, increases to 29 days after 2 years' service and goes up to 30 days after 5 years' (+ bank holidays)
- Private medical insurance
- Generous pension schemes
- Rent deposit loans
- 2 community days per year
- Summer hours (finishing at 1pm on Fridays during the summer months)
- Retail discounts through Hachette rewards
- Cycle to Work scheme
- Eye care vouchers
- Wide-ranging training library
- Development programmes (including mentoring)
- Up to 70% off book purchases
- A charity bookshelf
- 12 Staff-led employee networks that are voluntary, including Gender Balance, Thrive, Pride, All Together, Wellbeing and religious networks
- Season ticket loans
- And much more!
The role will be based at our London office, Carmelite House, with a blend of in-office (3 days) and homeworking (2 days) per week.
Our commitment
Hachette employs people on the basis of their abilities. We aim to attract and develop talent from a base as broad as the world of readers we want to reach, with a wide and representative range of age, faith, disability, race, gender, sexuality and socio-economic, regional and cultural backgrounds.
If you are shortlisted and need us to make any adjustments to help you attend for interview, please let us know.
The Book Trade Charity offers financial support to people looking to enter the book trade but who may struggle to afford the costs of attending interviews and undertaking junior roles. For more information visit www.booktradeentrysupport.org