Senior Production Controller

Job Description

Senior Production Controller (FTC 12 month contract)

Simon & Schuster is one of the most successful global publishers in the world. Our Adult fiction list in the UK includes bestselling authors such as Philippa Gregory, Santa Montefiore, Kathy Reichs, Colleen Hoover, Graham Swift and John Irving.
Our Adult non-fiction list ranges from Number One bestsellers Bob Mortimer, Dave Grohl and Rupi Kaur to John Nichol, Laura Bates, Anita Anand and Walter Isaacson.

Simon & Schuster Children's Books is one of the UK's most vibrant and fast-growing publishers for young people.
Our children's fiction and YA list features an array of bestsellers and rising stars, from Ben Miller and Adam Silvera to Nadia Shireen, Benjamin Dean, A.F. Steadman and many more, with successful series including Dragon Realm and Dork Diaries.
Our picture book list is world-renowned and we are the proud home of the smash-hit Supertato series by Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet as well as stand-out author-illustrators such as Benji Davies, Tom Percival, Beach and Steve Small.

Scribner is a literary imprint of Simon & Schuster with a long and prestigious history in the US where it was the publisher of Henry James, Edith Wharton, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway. It was launched in the UK in 2016 and in its first year published two Booker longlistees, THE NORTH WATER by Ian McGuire and Virginia Reeves' WORK LIKE ANY OTHER, and the bestselling MOTHERING SUNDAY by former Booker Prize winner, Graham Swift.

Job Profile:

The Simon & Schuster UK Production department is looking to recruit an enthusiastic, pro-active, and passionate Senior Production Controller to manage our successful and growing

Children's Fiction list. We need an experienced and commercially aware production professional to confidently deliver an exceptional production service, covering the full end to end product development process.

Your Role:

Reporting to the Production Director, the successful candidate will work across a wide range of mono and colour formats - managing both front list, reprints and a growing co-edition list – and working with a supplier base that covers the UK, Europe and Asia.

You will demonstrate accurate administration and record keeping, ensuring projects are produced at cost, on schedule and meet with required quality standards – often working autonomously and under pressure. Proactive communication with your line manager as well as clear and effective communication with all internal departments and external suppliers is essential.

Your Profile:

You are an enthusiastic, pro-active, and highly motivated production professional who has worked in a high volume and fast paced environment – ideally with specific experience of Children's publishing. You must have a solid understanding of all aspects of the book production process, a proven track record in spot buying, cost/schedule negotiation as well as working from scales. Attention to detail is a must as well as being highly organised with excellent time management, numeracy and communication skills with the ability to make sound independent decisions where necessary. A keen eye for detail with a collaborative and positive attitude towards problem solving.

Confident and well informed when liaising with other departments to determine scheduling, production values, costs and agreeing to final details for each edition. Ability to prioritise and meet deadlines in a highly creative, exciting and fast paced environment and strong IT skills including knowledge of MS Office and intermediate Excel, Adobe and InDesign.

Experience / skills required:
- At least 5 years relevant book production experience in trade publishing, including a proven track record of working on high profile titles, in a high volume and fast paced environment is essential.
- Some understanding of the colour book production process from receipt of artwork through to delivery at warehouse is ideal but not essential
- Strong negotiation skills with a proven track record for print purchasing.
- Highly organised with excellent time management and an eye for detail, numeracy and communication skills.

If you are passionate about publishing, commercially aware and can demonstrate a high level of efficiency then this will be an exciting opportunity for either an existing Senior Controller or a Production Controller looking for the next step in their career.

Application Deadline: Wednesday 16th November 2022

We reserve the right to close applications early should we receive a suitable number of applications before this date. Therefore, if you are interested we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

Simon & Schuster UK is an equal opportunities employer committed to the goal of building a culturally diverse workforce. We welcome applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity.

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-d5mj41-3-145-163-58-42 in your application.