Introduction to the role

Senior Marketing Manager, HarperFiction

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Senior Marketing Manager to join the multi award-winning HarperFiction marketing team.

In this role you’ll be the strategic lead on campaigns for some of our biggest author brands and debut launches. The successful candidate will be a senior voice in the HarperFiction marketing team, bringing their extensive knowledge of the market and prior experience to implement innovative campaigns that deliver consumer cut-through and drive sales. 

HarperFiction is one of the UK’s most successful commercial fiction publishers, with a reputation for innovation, market-leading creative and strategic campaigns  that deliver bestseller success. We publish some of the biggest and bestselling brands in fiction, from Jeffrey Archer to Karin Slaughter, Cecelia Ahern to Dilly Court. We’ve achieved chart-topping success with our inexhaustible event publishing, including Rebecca F. Kuang’s Yellowface, Bella Mackie’s How to Kill Your Family and Abigail Dean’s Girl A. And we’re home to legendary estates, including Agatha Christie and J.R.R. Tolkien. Complimented by our literary imprint, The Borough Press, and our science fiction and fantasy lists, HarperVoyager and Magpie.

British Book Awards Imprint of the Year 2022 HarperVoyager publishes market-leading SFF novels including 2023’s British Book Awards Fiction Book of the Year, Babel  by R.F. Kuang and No.1 bestsellers Godkiller by Hannah Kaner and Her Majesty’s Royal Coven by Juno Dawson. As well as ground-breaking authors that have defined modern fantasy, such as Robin Hobb, George R.R. Martin, Tamora Pierce, Nnedi Okorafor, and rising stars like Jay Kristoff, Shannon Chakraborty, and Sue Lynn Tan.

Key tasks and accountabilities

We are looking for someone who:

• Has experience of planning and implementing innovative, creative and market-leading campaigns that create consumer cut-through and maximise sales

• Has a flair for proposition, design and consumer brand-building, ensuring that all creative output is best-in-class

• Is experienced in delivering all elements of the marketing mix including, but not limited to, above and below the line advertising, paid media planning, creative briefing, brand-building, community management, copywriting, social media, and trade marketing

• Is a confident communicator able to lead campaigns, bring people on board with their ideas, and collaborate creatively with a wide variety of stakeholders

• Is a strategic thinker who is comfortable using consumer insight and market knowledge to produce best-in-class campaigns with real impact

• Is ROI-focused, able to effectively measure results and evaluate campaigns, and share learnings with wider team and stakeholders

• Understands the need to be responsive and flexible to pull in the market, monitoring ROI, providing ongoing analysis of campaigns, and reactively maximising opportunities as they arise

• Is a team-player, looking to share their learnings with the wider marcomms team in order to foster a culture of shared learning

• Enjoys working in a dynamic, fast-paced commercial environment, able to manage multiple deadlines and prioritise with confidence

• Has an active interest in campaigns from across the book industry as well as the wider entertainment and media sector

• Is a heavy reader who’s passionate about fiction, an active interest in science fiction and fantasy is advantageous

Skills required:

• Proven experience of delivering strategic, effective marketing campaigns across all channels of the marketing mix

• Track record in generating outstanding creative work that delivers against objectives

• Excellent communication and people skills, ability to work collaboratively with key stakeholders

• Creative flair with an aptitude for design, copy-writing and digital content creation

• An ability to write clear, directive and imaginative creative briefs for freelance designers

• Strong organisation, communication and prioritisation skills 

• Calm under pressure

• A team player with strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build strong working relationships with multiple stakeholders across the business and externally

• An understanding of the commercial fiction market and book buyer

• The ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment

• Data-driven and results focused

• Experience working in a busy marketing department at a trade publisher and with major author brands is desirable

• Commercially astute, with a focus on ROI

• Excellent negotiation and relationship skills

• Highly organised

 Benefits

• Hybrid working model (2+ days in the office)

• 28 days holiday plus bank holidays (option to buy and sell holiday days)

• Enhanced pay for maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave

• Private healthcare cover and life assurance

• Free access to HeadSpace, employee assistance programme (24 hour helpline), mental health first aiders, and a wellbeing portal

• Season ticket loans (from day 1 for entry level) and cycle to work scheme

• Employee networks: HC All In (open forum), Elevate (for ethnic minority colleagues), HarperParents, Menopause at Work and Pride at HC

• Unlimited training on our Learning and Development portal, management courses (up to MA level) and mentoring programmes

• Virtual GP and eyecare vouchers

• Gym membership discount

• Onsite physiotherapy (London only)

• Charitable donation matching and volunteering day

• We're a certified Carbon Neutral company

• Free e-books and audiobooks, newspaper subscriptions and discounts on books

• Subsidised canteen and retail discounts

• Onsite prayer room

If you wish to discuss anything regarding this position and/or your application to this role, please reach out directly to our Talent Acquisition Manager at sandra.lim@harpercollins.co.uk with subject heading ‘Vacancy Query’ plus the job title and we will aim to get back to you within 5 working days. 

Please note, if you are interested in the role you would need to submit your application via Applied. We do not accept email applications.