Job Profile
Job Title
Associate Commissioning Editor - Academic
Line Manager
Publisher
Direct Reports
N/A
Location
Wimbledon
Job Purpose
To deliver a portfolio of profitable books and related products, through commissioning and
developing new editions, ensuring content is in line with CIPD’s academic content strategy.
Keep abreast of market trends to identify new product opportunities.
Key accountabilities
1. To take responsibility for identifying necessary new editions to keep them on a profitable
cycle, to brief author teams and negotiate terms of contracts, and to develop new editions
according to agreed budgets and timescales to ensure accuracy, quality and fit for
market.
2. Project managing titles from pre-proposal stage to post-publication. Tasks will include
preparing and presenting new editions product approval paperwork; coordinating the
academic review process including identifying appropriate reviewers; preparing
manuscripts for handover to Operations; monitoring and updating schedules and
databases and monitoring costs to ensure that the product is appropriate for market and
delivers the maximum value.
3. To develop content, including supporting authors during the writing process, and chasing
as deadlines arise. Devising and monitoring content schedules and taking action to
manage slippage, working with authors and reviewers to provide constructive feedback
on new chapters and manuscripts to ensure accuracy, quality and fit for market.
4. To take responsibility for the online tutor and student support sites and Case Studies
Extra. Tasks may include adding new material, working closely with the authors and
editors to identify gaps in the material and to commission appropriate content within the
budget, reviewing suitability of platforms and processes, supporting changes or
improvements to the products.
5. To take responsibility for cover designs to ensure that covers are available at the optimum
time for marketing and production purposes, and fulfil market need within appropriate
costs of time and payments. This to be done by; creating and managing schedule,
sourcing cover images, sending briefs to designers, monitoring the budget for this spend,
ensuring CIPD Publishing brand guidelines are followed, liaising with designers and
internal stakeholders throughout the process, writing copy, sending out proofs, and
preparing files for handover to operations team.
6. To take responsibility throughout the production process for making commercially sound
editorial related decisions, such as page extent, styling, timelines, cost, etc as well as
advising the Operations team on any queries/problems that they need to be aware of
throughout the writing and production schedules.
7. To oversee the royalties process for academic products; supported by the Publishing Coordinator; checking the royalty statements for accuracy, and resolving queries.
Job profile – Associate Commissioning Editor – Academic May 2014
8. Conducting and interpreting market research to propose new products and markets; and
identifying the necessary updates to new editions. This will include academic calling,
both alone and with Sales and Marketing colleagues, devising questionnaires, desk
research, competitor analysis and attendance at relevant conferences, to keep abreast of
developments in the market.
Nature and scope
The post-holder will work closely with the rest of the Content Strategy and Qualifications
departments. It is the jobholder’s responsibility to commission new editions of the textbooks
and to identify possible new products, within the context of the qualifications and aims of the
CIPD and to liaise with the Publisher to keep them informed of the development of projects.
The job holder is responsible for ensuring that the product is developed using market
feedback to ensure that the sales potential of the final product is maximised. It is the
responsibility of the job holder to ensure that the final manuscript is delivered on time and to
an appropriate standard. The job holder will take responsibility for monitoring costs and
schedules throughout the development process.
The job holder is also responsible for the reprint process by making recommendations on
quantities based on previous sales, budgets, profitability and projected sales as required.
The Associate Commissioning Editor will be expected to keep abreast of current
developments in the market and in the competitive landscape in order to ensure that product
development meets current market demand in order to maximise its sales potential.
The role involves dealing with internal and external customers at all levels, including authors,
members and customers, as well as internal staff. All communications from both external and
internal contacts are to be effectively handled to ensure that CIPD customer service
standards and levels are met.
The work requires organisational skills and the ability to multitask, prioritise and perform to
tight deadlines. Accuracy and attention to detail are also very important throughout the work,
from checking author guidelines to inputting data into the various bespoke databases and
monitoring spend against budget. Computer literacy is necessary, for internet research,
preparing well presented Word and Excel documents, email communication, and market
research. Good interpersonal skills and author management skills will be required to ensure
that authors are managed appropriately and that manuscripts are delivered on time. The job
holder will be working closely with Commissioning, Operations and Qualifiactions colleagues
and they will therefore need to have strong team working skills. It is also important that the job
holder monitors their activity to ensure that they prioritise according to commercial
opportunities, financial criteria and deadlines.
Contacts
Internal:
All members of CIPD Content Strategy department
Qualifications department
Other CIPD departments
Customer Services
External:
Customers (members and non-members)
Authors
Series Editors
Reviewers
Suppliers
Job profile – Associate Commissioning Editor – Academic May 2014
Dimensions
Financial
Maintaining financial information and working to budgets, and ability to read
and interpret financial information;
Responsibility for ensuring that all editorial and production costs are kept
within budgetary constraints;
Responsibility for monitoring sales of specific products against budget
Knowledge, qualifications and experience
The job holder should be of graduate calibre, with relevant experience of taking appropriate
decisions to develop and commission content in response to market needs. Excellent
organisation, communication, and interpersonal skills are essential, as is knowledge of
publishing processes. Higher Education or Further Education market awareness is desirable.
You will need to be accurate and pay attention to detail, be able to multi-task and perform to
tight deadlines.
Competence with spreadsheets and word processing are required along with an
understanding of databases.
You should be a good team worker with a positive and helpful attitude
The job holder is required to demonstrate appropriate levels of competence and behaviours
against CIPD’s values and core competencies.
Our values are: purposeful, agile, collaborative and expert.
Our core competencies are: business awareness and professional excellence; leading myself
and others; customer centric; problem solving and decision taking; building and maintaining
strong relationships; continuous improvement and innovation; and driven to deliver.
Full details of our values and competencies will be provided at induction.
Job profile – Associate Commissioning Editor – Academic May 2014