Senior Development Editor

Job Title:  Senior Development Editor

Organisation: Macmillan Education

Location(s): London and Madrid

Application Deadline: 21st May 2025

About Springer Nature Group

Springer Nature opens the doors to discovery for researchers, educators, clinicians and other professionals. Every day, around the globe, our imprints, books, journals, platforms and technology solutions reach millions of people. For over 180 years our brands and imprints have been a trusted source of knowledge to these communities and today, more than ever, we see it as our responsibility to ensure that fundamental knowledge can be found, verified, understood and used by our communities – enabling them to improve outcomes, make progress, and benefit the generations that follow. Visit group.springernature.com and follow @SpringerNature / @SpringerNatureGroup

About the Brand

Macmillan Education provides world-class content in the most relevant, engaging and flexible formats to support students, teachers and institutions in lifelong learning.

Visit macmillaneducation.com and follow @MacmillanEducation / @MacmillanELT

About the Role

Working within the Publishing Content Development team, the Senior Development Editor works with a high level of autonomy to manage content development from initial writing brief to publication, ensuring that all material is of an appropriate quality and fully aligned to the publishing vision of the Commissioning Editor and Publisher. 

Working principally within the Primary portfolio, the role also involves some commissioning of key ancillary items and extensive liaison with overseas markets, content production and content delivery to create material which meets the needs of the key audience and is published on schedule and within budget. 

The Senior Development Editor also line manages the Development Editors within the team, offering mentoring, training and support. 

Collaboration with the Publishing Strategy and Concept Development, Delivery, Product, and Sales and Marketing Teams is vital to ensuring the publishing meets the needs of the market and is aligned with pre-press investment.

Role Responsibilities:

Key tasks:

• Understand the publishing vision in the context of the publishing plan and Macmillan Education’s business needs.

• Work with the Commissioning Editor to prepare author briefs for specific projects, in light of market research.
• Support in the identification of potential authors, contributors and external content creators.
• Commission and work with authors and contributors in the development of material. providing feedback and suggesting appropriate action to ensure content meets the brief.
• Alert the project team to any content development issues to ensure delivery is on time and within budget. 
• Understand the budgeting process and financial implications of making changes.
• Negotiate and administer content development contracts with support from the Delivery team
• Recruit and induct new staff in line with management capacity, managing performance, training and development of staff.
• Use and develop existing skills and participate in in-house/external training sessions.

Experience, Qualifications, Skills/knowledge:

Essential

• Educated to degree level or equivalent 
• Formal ELT/TEFL qualification
• Demonstrable ELT/EFL teaching experience, in a primary, secondary or adult setting
• Publishing background, ideally in ELT
• Excellent written English
• An ability to work to tight deadlines and to manage numerous tasks
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• A positive attitude and commitment to aims of the company
• Excellent team-working and organisational skills

Desirable

• Knowledge of ELT markets and segments
• Appreciation for a wide international range of teaching and learning situations
• Understanding of publishing technologies
• Knowledge of a second language
• A working understanding of content management systems
• Experience of working with a range of new media and digital projects
• Experience of successful team-working

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