Assistant literary editor - 1 year FTC

Assistant literary editor - 1 year FTC

The Times is seeking an assistant editor to join our literary department on a one year fixed term contract.

The successful candidate will write, commission and edit book reviews across a wide range of subjects and pitch imaginative ideas for literary news stories and features. As well as having broad and promiscuous reading habits, they will be a digital whizz and provide administrative support to the literary team. A flair for writing and an independent mind are essential.

This is an exciting opportunity for a creative and organised journalist with a keen interest to see their name in print and pixels.

Apply with a covering letter and your CV by July 21.

Responsibilities

• Support the literary team in producing the books section in print and online
• Manage the department’s social media and promote books content to boost the section’s digital impact
• Organise the flow of books in and out of the paper, overseeing books being sent to reviewers and liaising with publishers
• Write, commission and edit book reviews and features across a range of subjects
• Help produce and write our weekly books newsletter. Zippy ideas, sense of fun important
• Pitch stories for the Culture section and write on literary matters elsewhere in print and digital
• Work collaboratively with other sections across the paper
• Provide administrative support to the literary team

Skills and experience

• Good literary knowledge and breadth of reading across many non-fiction subjects
• A flair for lively writing. Wit especially welcome
• Experience at a national newspaper is valuable but not essential; however, a commitment to journalism should be demonstrated
• Unflappable under pressure and delivers work at a consistently high standard
• Keen attention to detail and meticulous fact-checking
• Excellent communication skills, can communicate effectively with all levels of seniority across the paper and with external industry contacts
• Displays an enthusiastic, can-do, flexible attitude, especially when facing challenges
• Works hard, is punctual and is prepared to put in extra time and effort where necessary

We are News UK: One of the leading media businesses in the UK and Ireland. Our newsbrands include The Times, The Sunday Times, The Sun, The Sun on Sunday and The TLS. Our national broadcast brands include talkSPORT, Times Radio, TalkTV and Virgin Radio UK, and we have market-leading local radio stations across Ireland. Our world-famous brands provide news, analysis, opinion and entertainment to almost 40 million people each month. Spanning print and pixel, audio and video, events and experiences, our multiplatform brands are home to a plurality of opinion, representing the diverse communities we serve. News UK is wholly owned by News Corp.

Life at News

Driven by passion, guided by principles and acting with purpose. We represent, reflect and reach the nation, telling the stories that matter. We inform our audiences so that they can make decisions based on trusted information.

To do this, we believe our employees must represent different backgrounds, perspectives and experiences. We strive to maximise and encourage every individual’s potential and ensure everyone feels valued. We support this through our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategy, which focuses on three main priorities - attracting talent from a wider, more representative pool, developing equity programmes to drive better representation in our leadership, and ensuring diversity and inclusivity in our workforce as well as the journalism and content we produce. We also currently have 12 employee led networks and groups that support our strategy and connect like minded employees socially.

Benefits

Some of our benefits include:

• Maternity leave up to 18 weeks full basic salary & paternity leave up to 2 weeks
• Wide range of training available, plus full LinkedIn Learning access
• Private medical insurance including coverage for pre-existing conditions
• Discounted gym memberships, free ClassPass at Home, weekly virtual yoga classes
• ‘Bikes for Work’ and ‘Electric Car’ scheme
• Up to 60% discount on Harper Collins books
• Access to exclusive events and competitions with exciting brands such as talkSPORT, Virgin Radio UK & The Times. Weekly virtual panel chats with top journalists and celebrities
• Access to wellbeing benefits such as EAP, physio/massage and counselling
• A generous pension scheme with employer contributions of up to 5%
• 30 days holiday, plus bank holidays and up to 4 volunteering days per year

We want to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to perform to their best when applying for a role. If you would like to receive any information in a different way or for us to do anything differently to support you apply for any of our roles please contact us on careers@news.co.uk.