Senior Desk Editor, Osprey Military History - 12 month FTC

Salary £30,000-£35,000 pa, depending on skills and experience

Location Oxford

This is a Temporary, Full Time vacancy that will close in {x} days at {xx:xx} BST.

The Vacancy

We are looking for a Desk Editor to join Osprey Publishing within the Special Interest Team at Bloomsbury. Osprey Publishing is the UK’s leading illustrated military history publisher and we have been producing books for both enthusiasts and the wider market since 1968. We are part of Bloomsbury’s Special Interest division, which creates original and high quality content to support hobbies, enthusiasms and interests in a number of subject areas including military history, sports, religion, wildlife, creative writing and sailing.

We are looking for someone with previous professional experience of book project management in a dynamic editorial role, who has excellent communication skills and a good eye for detail and who is used to juggling a variety of tasks in a fast-paced environment. An enthusiasm for history would be an advantage. The role reports to the Publisher.

The role

To project manage a broad range of titles on the General trade list as the main project editor for the list.
To ensure all books are published on time, to a high standard of quality and within budget while maintaining good working relationships with freelancers, authors, illustrators and internal departments (primarily Sales, Marketing and Production).
To maintain accurate schedules, metadata and copy for all books in Biblio (our Publishing database) based on regular reports.

Knowledge, skills and experience 

Excellent eye for detail, knowledge of English language, and editorial skills
Strong project management and problem-solving experience
Great organizational and time management skills and ability to prioritize workload
Ability to establish and nurture good working relationships with key colleagues, authors and freelancers
IT competency, particularly with Word, Outlook, Excel and databases such as Biblio 3, and aptitude for learning new software
Proactive attitude and professional manner

Additional information

The role is a full-time temporary 12-month maternity cover position to start October 2025.

Salary range: £30,000 - £35,000 depending on skills and experience

The role is based at our Oxford office, Kemp House, Chawley Park, Cumnor Hill, Oxford OX2 9PH on a hybrid-working pattern of 2 days office based / 3 days home based (or fully office based if preferred). Allocated office days for this role are: Mondays and Tuesdays.

Please apply with a CV and covering letter addressed to Human Resources (Word or PDF format only) via the ‘APPLY NOW’ button detailing how you meet the requirements outlined above for this role by Friday 1st August 2025.

For best results, please use a desktop to apply as some mobile browsers may not fully support the application portal.

Bloomsbury reserve the right to close the role early if we exceed the required number of applications

Bloomsbury Benefits

As well as a fantastic opportunity to join a global award-winning organisation, Bloomsbury offers the following competitive benefits package:

Working Pattern

Hybrid working pattern of: 2 days office based / 3 days home based (or fully office based if preferred)

Holidays

25 days holiday

3.5 days Christmas company holiday

 Other Benefits

Two paid Personal Wellness Days

Flexible Fridays – take Friday afternoon off by working an additional 3 hours and 30 minutes earlier in the week

Work Anywhere Fortnight - For two weeks of any calendar year. The minimum period for Working Anywhere is one week, the maximum period is two weeks.

AXA Healthcare Plan (Private Medical Insurance)

Peppy Health App

In-house Doctor

Eye Care Voucher Scheme

Company culture – Employee Voice Meetings, Staff Networks (Bloom, Accessibility, Mental Health, Pride, and Parents, Guardians and Carers, Multi-Faith) and Mental Health First Aiders trained across the UK offices, Publishing Events and access to free Publishing Resources

For additional benefits see below

Bloomsbury is a place where anyone of any background, race, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, gender identity, age, ability, or socio-economic status can thrive, feel comfortable, and be heard and accepted. We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all sections of the community.

We are willing to make any reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process, please flag to the recruitment team if required

Applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK.

The Company

Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.

Bloomsbury Publishing is a leading independent publishing house, established in 1986, with authors who have won the Nobel, Pulitzer and Booker Prizes, and is the originating publisher and custodian of the Harry Potter series. Bloomsbury has offices in London, New York, New Delhi, Oxford and Sydney. Within Bloomsbury’s Academic division, it publishes under Bloomsbury, as well as under a number of prestigious and historic imprint names. Read Our Story for how it all began.

Bloomsbury is committed to creating a working environment that stimulates creativity and collaboration, is respectful of difference, is inclusive and ethical in its practice, and promotes well-being. We are determined to nurture and develop our employees to reach their highest potential, and we know that our success is down to the passion, commitment and hard work of our talented people. We recognise the urgent need to attract and support applicants from all backgrounds and identities to become part of the global publishing industry, allowing diverse voices to reflect and shape our culture and society.

Please read more on our Missions and Values here.

Please read our environmental policy here.

Our Benefits

Pension

Flexible Working

Life Insurance

Staff Discount on Books

Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP)

Bike to Work

Employee Testimonials

Here’s what some of our employees had to say about joining Bloomsbury: