Senior Commissioning Editor, Curiosity Studio, Quarto Children’s Books

Do you want to create bold, engaging and commercially successful illustrated children’s non-fiction enjoyed by readers around the world?

Quarto Children’s Books has an exciting opportunity for an experienced, collaborative and commercially minded Senior Commissioning Editor to join the Curiosity Studio and help shape the future of our non-fiction publishing.

Quarto creates inspiring books for adults and children published across the globe. Curiosity Studio develops innovative and engaging illustrated non-fiction for children across our imprints, including Wide-Eyed Editions, Words & Pictures and Holler. Our publishing spans giftable art-led non-fiction, STEM, discovery, creativity, humour and information-led publishing. We create visually distinctive publishing that sparks curiosity and inspires young readers through outstanding design, compelling content and innovative formats.

Contract

Permanent

Salary

From £43,000 per annum

Closing date

15 June 2026

Working hours

35 hours per week, Monday to Friday, 9.30 am to 5.30 pm. We currently operate a discretionary hybrid model, with three days in our London office and two working from home.

About the role

Reporting to the Editorial Director, Curiosity Studio, the Senior Commissioning Editor will identify, create, commission and develop commercially successful and creatively distinctive illustrated publishing across a range of children’s non-fiction categories.

Working closely with Editorial, Design, Production, Sales, Marketing and Rights teams, you will manage a portfolio of publishing projects and contribute to the growth and strategic direction of the studio publishing programme.

You will play a central role in developing publishing opportunities from concept through to publication, building strong relationships with authors, illustrators and creative partners, and helping to create distinctive illustrated publishing that resonates with children and families across UK, North American and international markets.

You will help shape the future direction of Curiosity Studio by identifying publishing opportunities and transforming insights into compelling concepts, series and repeatable publishing programmes.

What you will be involved in:

• Identifying market trends, consumer behaviours and emerging publishing opportunities
• Creating, commissioning and developing commercially successful publishing concepts and projects
• Translating insights into compelling publishing opportunities and scalable concepts
• Creating acquisition proposals, building P&Ls and presenting projects at acquisitions meetings
• Managing titles and publishing programmes from acquisition through to publication
• Developing and maintaining relationships with authors, agents, illustrators and creative partners
• Contributing to the development of repeatable publishing concepts, series and longer-term opportunities
• Working closely with Publishers, Design, Production, Sales, Marketing and Rights teams to ensure publishing meets audience and market needs
• Maintaining and developing a successful publishing backlist
• Supporting broader studio planning and contributing to Curiosity Studio strategy
• Mentoring and supporting junior team members where appropriate

About you

You are an experienced editor and commissioner with a strong understanding of illustrated children’s non-fiction and a passion for creating exciting books for young readers.

You are commercially aware, highly organised and curious about trends, ideas and opportunities. You enjoy identifying opportunities, developing concepts and balancing creativity with commercial thinking.

You will be able to show you can:

• Identify trends and turn insights into strong publishing opportunities.
• Commission and manage successful illustrated publishing projects.
• Develop compelling acquisition proposals and evaluate commercial viability.
• Build strong relationships with authors, agents and creative partners.
• Manage multiple projects and priorities effectively.
• Work collaboratively across editorial, design, production and commercial teams.
• Balance creative ambition with practical and commercial considerations.

What we can offer

A supportive, open environment with development opportunities, as well as the following benefits: 

• 25 days paid holiday per year (increasing up to 30 days per year), plus bank holidays and Christmas closure days.
• Cultural appreciation day (to honour a cultural holiday which is significant to you, separate to your holiday entitlement)
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Staff discounts on selected shops, retailers, and restaurants
• Health Cash Plan
• Pension
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Summer hours
• Free books scheme
• Active social and diversity committees
• Excellent and welcoming office facilities in a fantastic location

How to apply

Please send a CV and cover letter to talent@quarto.com by the closing date and state the vacancy name in the email subject title.

Ensure you cover the following:

• Your motivation and what appeals to you about this particular role
• What key skills, experience and achievements you have that you think are relevant to this role, and why. Please provide examples of how you have used or demonstrated those.
• Where you saw the vacancy advertised

All applicants must be able to demonstrate the right to live and work in the UK in order to be considered for the vacancy.

We employ individuals based on their abilities and welcome applicants from all backgrounds regardless of disability, ethnic origin, gender, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, belief, age, or sexual orientation.

As a Disability Confident Committed employer, we aim to ensure that our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible for disabled people. Therefore, we encourage you to inform us of any reasonable adjustments you may require during your interview process. Please note, you only need to disclose information that you are comfortable sharing in order for us to accommodate your request.

Please note that due to the high volume of applications we receive, we are only able to respond to candidates selected for interview. We will keep applications on file for 6 months should a suitable vacancy arise. If you’d rather we didn’t, please let us know with your application.

May close early due to a high volume of applications. Don't miss out—submit your application today!