Foreign Rights Manager

Contract Type: Permanent

Working Hours: Full Time

Location: Vauxhall, London (Hybrid Post Probation)

Closing Date: 4 th May 2025

About Walker Books

Walker Books UK is part of the vibrant internationalGroup that includes Candlewick Press, Holiday House, Peachtree and Pixel + Ink in the USA and Walker Books Australia. Renowned for its truly original publishing and outstanding quality, theWalker Books Groupis home to a wide range of children's and young adult books.

Award-winning authors and illustrators for the group include Angie Thomas, Sydney Smith, M.T Anderson, Patrick Ness, and Jon Klassen. We are also enormously proud to publish belovedfamily brands including Lucy Cousin's Maisy , Michael Rosen's We're Going on a Bear Hunt , Sam McBratney and Anita Jeram's Guess How Much I Love You andMartin Handford's Where's Wally?

About the Role :

This is an exciting opportunity for a Foreign Rights Manager or an experienced Foreign Rights Executive to further progress their career in children's publishing and work on débuts, award-winning and best-selling children's books with customers from all around the world, across a wide range of formats, such as picture books, non-fiction, novelty and major licensed brands.

This role will be responsible for securing co-edition and translation rights sales of The Walker Group list, as well as provide sales fulfilment support to a busy and dynamic international Foreign Rights team selling rights worldwide. You will have the opportunity to work closely with other departments across all parts of the Walker Books Group, in a fast-paced area of our business.

Key responsibilities:

• Pitch titles to customers in assigned territories (Germany/ Netherlands/ Portugal/ Brazil).
• Pursue and progress sales into two revenue channels in the designated territories: co-edition sales and rights (or royalty/licensing) agreements.
• Forecast annual budgets for territories and reforecast throughout year as required.
• Plan practical and cohesive strategies to achieve the annual co-edition and rights sales budgets, maximising turnover and profit for agreed territories.
• Undertake co edition production fulfilment for assigned territories from sale through to delivery with support from an assistant on certain territories. Work collectively with the Foreign Rights and production teams to keep production schedules on track.
• Provide post-sale fulfilment in assigned territories to ensure that publishing partners have relevant information on scheduling, production, pricing, terms of business including contractual obligations, and liaise with production, IT, Pre-press, Marketing, Permissions and Legal departments.
• Maintain accurate records of interest in assigned territories and provide post-trip/fair reports.
• Attend international book fairs and self-directed territory-specific sales trips.
• Research and maintain a detailed understanding of local market needs in order to maximise sales potential.
• Consolidate business with key partners and proactively seek new business partnerships.
• Conduct market research and stay informed about industry trends and developments.
• Understand and contribute to the company's publishing process, including acquisition and development, by advising on international sales potential and international market trends.
• Manage, organise and participate in industry events, book fairs and sales trips. These tasks include:

- Overseeing the preparation for bookfairs - lead weekly meetings and act as main point of contact for team members involved

- Project management of book fair leaflet with assistance of Assistant/Executive

- Coordinating material and production of stand graphics

• Line Management duties: Foreign Rights Assistant - regular meetings and annual appraisals as well as training and support.
• Give practical guidance and training to the rights executives/rights assistants to achieve efficient work practice and maximum sales.
• Adhoc tasks as required

Please note the above is not an exhaustive list and does not necessarily include all the duties the job holder may have to perform. This job description may be amended to meet changing needs of the business.

Skills and Experience:

To be successful in this role, you will be able to demonstrate evidence of the following skills and/or experience:

• You will have a proactive, goal-oriented approach, with an understanding of the Rights process and proven experience in rights sales.
• Strong presentation and negotiation skills, with strong proven experience of the co-edition and rights business.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, and have the confidence to communicate with other departments as well as foreign publishers.
• Demonstrable time-management, organisational and administrative skills.
• An ability to use initiative and work calmly under pressure with a 'can-do' / proactive approach to problem-solving.
• An ability to prioritise work given specific deadlines, juggling multiple projects and requests without close supervision, with meticulous attention to detail.
• Highly self-motivated, enjoys working as part of a team, and also able to work independently
• Excellent working knowledge of Microsoft office applications.
• Strong mathematical and analytical skills, as well as a high standard of written English.
• Proactive commercial acumen and results-orientated approach.
• International travel is essential and foreign language skills will be advantageous.
• Knowledge and enthusiasm for children's book publishing
• Line management experience is not essential but would be advantageous

We offer:

• Hybrid working (at least two days in the office per week) once you have successfully passed probation
• 22 days annual leave per year plus bank holidays (with annual leave increasing with length of service up to 27 days)
• Enhanced Pension Scheme
• Health Insurance and Health Cash Plan
• Life Assurance
• Enhanced Maternity and Paternity Pay
• Access to an Employee Assistance Programme
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Plus, other great benefits!

All children deserve to see themselves, their families, and their communities represented in the books they read. As children's book publishers, it is our goal to ensure that the books and content we publish authentically and joyfully reflect the world around us. As an employer, we are committed to creating and maintaining a supportive working environment where everyone is included, valued, and empowered to do their best and most creative work. As an equal opportunities employer, we welcome candidates from all backgrounds without regard to race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, sex, or any other characteristic protected by law and those not yet protected by law.

If you have any queries about this role or require any reasonable adjustments for your application or throughout the recruitment process, please let our team know by contacting us at .

Please note we reserve the right to close vacancies before the closing date where we have received sufficient applications. We recommend submitting your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.