The Postholder will work across a range of administrative tasks to support the Publishing team to deliver an exciting publishing programme for the British Museum.
Working with the Sales and Marketing Manager, the Publishing Assistant circulates promotional material to interested parties, liaising with colleagues both inside and outside the Museum to ensure the books reach the widest-possible audience. The Publishing Assistant keeps meticulous records and updates and maintains the sales and rights database for the team.
Working with the Production Manager, the Publishing Assistant runs stock management reports, arranges deliveries and collections and assists with the administration of production tasks – liaising with external suppliers and preparing paperwork as required. The Publishing Assistant assists with the reprinting of backlist titles – updating files, raising purchase orders and checking files for reprints.
The Publishing Assistant provides administrative support to the whole Publishing team including processing invoices, archiving digital and print titles and keeping excellent records.
This is an exciting opportunity for a junior publishing professional with a demonstrable interest in the work of the British Museum and illustrated publishing that is capable of juggling a varied and time-critical workload.
Key areas of responsibility:
• Provide administrative support to the Publishing team – processing invoices, filing contracts, archiving, keeping excellent records.
• Distribute promotional material and liaise with internal and external contacts to keep on top of sales and marketing deadlines.
• Assist Production Manager with reprints, including placing orders, raising purchase orders, checking files, updating files and liaising with suppliers.
• Support Sales and Marketing Manager with the delivery of book events and signings both on site at the Museum and in the book trade.
• Update and maintain sales and rights database.
• Archive digital files and print copies – ownership of the Publishing archive.
• Stakeholder management – reporting to and managing expectations of key members of Museum staff.
About you:
• Experience in publishing, media or other editorial area
• Demonstrable administrative skills
• Ability to juggle complex and demanding workload
• Strong copyediting and proofreading skills
• Ability to problem solve simple issues independently
• Confident user of Adobe Creative Suite for print publishing – particularly InDesign, Photoshop and Acrobat
• Ability to juggle conflicting demands and prioritise workload appropriately
• Reliably report any issues or concerns at an early stage and propose solutions
• Ability to successfully manage relationships with third party partners and suppliers
• Excellent IT skills, working knowledge of Excel and ability to work competently on Mac and PC
• Excellent communication both written and verbal
About the British Museum:
Founded in 1753, the British Museum’s remarkable collection spans over two million years of human history and culture. The Museum is one of the country’s leading visitor attractions and its world-famous collection includes the Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon sculptures, Egyptian mummies, the Admonitions Scroll, and the Amaravati sculptures.
