Job Description

Job Title: Rights Assistant

Department: Rights, Macmillan Children’s Books

Contract: Permanent, full-time

We’re looking for a highly organized and detail-oriented individual to join the busy and successful Children’s Rights team, offering administrative support to assist the team in reaching our sales targets. This is an exciting opportunity to join an award-winning publisher at a key point of growth.

Your team:

The Rights Department is responsible for sales of co-edition and subsidiary rights across the whole children’s publishing division, which includes the imprints of Macmillan Children’s Books, Two Hoots, Preschool, Campbell, Kingfisher, Rocket Fox, Priddy and Neon Squid. We work closely with our sister companies in New York and Frankfurt, but also with other international publishers, whether big or small, to find the right homes for our authors and illustrators. We work directly with publishers throughout the world, and through co-agents in some Asian markets.

Your role:

As the Rights Assistant, you will play a pivotal role by facilitating administrative and sales support to help the team reach their targets. You will act as a key point of contact between Rights, Editorial, Royalties, Production, Contracts and other in-house teams, as well as a wide range of external customers.

Your key responsibilities:

• Sales & administrative support: Assist the Children’s Rights team with daily administrative duties to support sales targets.
• Contract administration: Process co-edition and sub-rights contracts end-to-end, from deal agreement to signing and invoicing.
• Database & systems management: Maintain accurate data entries on our publishing database (Biblio) and generate business reports.
• Book fair & trip coordination: Build sales guides, manage fair schedules, organize overseas materials, and send prompt post-event follow-ups.
• Logistics & production liaison: Coordinate customer packing and shipping requirements directly with Production and external buyers.
• Event & fair representation: Attend international book fairs, perform reception duties where applicable, and help manage author/illustrator events.
• Relationship management: Build and sustain strong working relationships with internal colleagues and international partners.

Essential experience, abilities and knowledge you’ll need to succeed:

• Administrative experience: Practical experience in an administrative or office support role, with confidence in managing day-to-day coordination, routine processes, and digital files.
• Organization & prioritization: Strong ability to manage varied priorities, take initiative, and work effectively both independently and as part of a collaborative team.
• Technical confidence & attention to detail: Comfortable using core software (MS Office, Google Suite), adaptable to learning new tools, and committed to high standards of accuracy in your work.
• Communication & languages: Clear written and spoken communication skills, with fluency in an additional language (fluency in Central or Eastern European languages is a bonus, though all foreign languages are welcomed).
• International perspective: Enthusiasm for global children's publishing, with a readiness to travel to major international book fairs as part of the role.
• Publishing awareness: A foundational understanding of how a rights department operates within a publishing house.
• Industry knowledge: A demonstrable passion for children’s and YA books and the publishing industry, particularly for Macmillan Children’s Books imprints.
• Inclusion and representation: An active dedication to promoting diverse voices and inclusive practices, taking personal responsibility for ensuring our workplace and publishing reflect the communities we serve.
• Community: A collaborative approach to building a supportive and vibrant environment.
• Curiosity: A genuine drive for learning and a readiness to embrace different perspectives.
• Integrity: A foundation of openness and honesty, taking responsibility for actions and learning from mistakes.

Desirable skills we’d love you to have:

• Industry experience: Experience working in the publishing industry, ideally within rights.
• Biblio familiarity: Experience using the Biblio database system.

What you’ll get in return:

In return we can offer you a range of great projects, a supportive and collaborative working environment as well as a competitive salary and benefits package.

Salary: £28,000

Closing date: 13 September 2026

This is a full time, permanent role, and will be based in our offices in Farringdon, London, with some flexibility to work from home each week.

Some of the benefits we offer:

• 28 days’ annual leave increasing with years of service + bank holidays
• Generous pension scheme
• Discounted private medical insurance or health cash plan
• Group income protection scheme
• Enhanced family pay and leave
• Flexible working hours and summer hours (early finish on a Friday during summer months)
• 2 volunteer days per year
• 75% off all Pan Macmillan books and regular staff book sales (highly reduced rates)
• Season ticket loan/advance
• Cycle to work scheme
• Discounts on shopping and gym memberships; Christmas club savings
• Daily free breakfast and monthly company lunch

How to apply & eligibility:

• Our process: All applications must be submitted via our careers site to be considered. We are unable to accept CVs or applications sent via email.
• Our timelines: Because we review every application thoroughly and with care, our shortlisting process can take some time. We appreciate your patience and will be in touch as soon as we have an update on your application.
• Right to work: All applicants must be able to demonstrate the right to live and work in the UK in order to be considered for this role.

Our commitment to diversity & inclusion:

At Pan Macmillan, we are committed to publishing a wide range of voices that reflect the full breadth of the communities we serve. Joining us means playing an active role in bringing our titles to life as part of a team that champions inclusion at every level. We are dedicated to building a workplace that is as diverse and welcoming as the stories we tell, ensuring all perspectives are celebrated across everything we do.

We welcome applications from all individuals, including any age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and/or belief. Our efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are ongoing, and we continually strive to learn and improve. You can read our full Diversity, Equity and Inclusion pledge here.

Disability confident scheme:

As a Disability Confident employer, we actively encourage applications from disabled candidates and people with long-term health conditions, aiming to offer an interview to everyone who meets the essential criteria for the role and chooses to apply under the scheme. The essential criteria can be found under our ‘Essential experience, abilities, knowledge and values you’ll need to succeed’ section.

Please note, some of our vacancies attract an exceptionally high volume of applications. In these circumstances, to ensure a fair and focused process for everyone, we may need to limit the overall number of interviews. Where this happens, we will look closely at who most closely aligns with the requirements to select the candidates applying under this scheme who best meet the essential criteria, in line with official government guidance.

Please remember that you are never required to disclose a disability to us, and you only need to share what you feel comfortable with.

Adjustment & support:

We want to ensure that all candidates are supported throughout the recruitment process. If you have any reasonable adjustments or accessibility requirements, please contact Kayelle Danyluk (Head of Talent Acquisition) at kayelle.danyluk@macmillan.com.

Privacy notice:

All personal information which we process in connection with your application will be treated in accordance with our Recruitment Privacy Notice here. Please read this notice before submitting your application.