Overview
Book Selection and Purchasing Coordinator, BOOKTRUST
BookTrust champions reading and works to get children from low-income households reading regularly and by choice. We are the UK’s largest children’s reading charity, delivering evidence-informed programmes through a network of local partners across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. We are a family/life-friendly organisation with a caring workplace and expert colleagues.
Our mission for 2025–2030 focuses on helping children from low-income and vulnerable backgrounds become regular readers, supported by our author and publisher networks and delivery partners.
Job Purpose
To co-ordinate selection, procurement and delivery of books according to selection criteria and support excellent publisher relations so that we can supply the best children’s books in a cost-effective manner for our campaigns, book gifting and traded programmes.
This post holder will report to: Book Selection and Purchasing Lead
This post holder will manage: N/a
Key Responsibilities
* Be the first point of contact for publishers regarding practical procurement issues for selected programmes, ensuring efficient processes and good interface with publishers.
* Maintain log of publisher negotiations, purchases and deliveries.
* Maintain central information on books purchased and undertake research into diversity and inclusion for submissions and purchases producing reports as required.
* Organise and administer book selection panel meetings and maintain a central calendar and database of selection panel meetings, attendees and decisions taken.
* Promote and encourage knowledge about children’s books within the organisation.
* Provide administrative support for other activities around publisher relations.
* Attend publishing events and book launches where appropriate.
* Carry out all duties in line with BookTrust policies and procedures and be prepared to undertake additional reasonable duties as required.
Person Specification
We are looking for a highly organised person with excellent attention to detail and strong administrative skills to co-ordinate and support excellent publisher relations and book selection to facilitate the purchasing of a diverse range of children’s books for our campaigns, book gifting and traded programmes.
The successful candidate will have a genuine enthusiasm in children’s books and children’s book publishing and will work with the Manager to co-ordinate the book selection process. They will maintain and track efficient processes and records for book selection and procurement, including attending publishing events and book launches, and work collaboratively with the team to find the best books for our programmes.
Criteria
E or D Knowledge
* Demonstrate knowledge of and interest in children’s books and publishing for children E
* Knowledge of publishers D
* Understanding of the impact of reading and literacy as drivers of social change D
* Copyrighted learning and competency with new digital systems, for example digital database systems and management systems D
Experience
* Relevant administrative experience which includes Excel and database administration and project planning E
* Experience in book purchasing, rights, book retailing or book publishing. Production / coedition experience working with translated books D
Skills And Attributes
* Excellent IT skills: Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Database E
* Strong administrative, planning and organisational skills E
* Meticulous attention to detail E
* Excellent interpersonal skills E
* Strong verbal and written communication skills; effective team-working; flexible; inclusive and acts with integrity; works collaboratively D
Qualifications
* Good general education to at least A Level E
* Degree level qualification or equivalent D
* E = essential criteria
* D = desirable criteria
Senior and Employment Details
* Seniority level: Entry level
* Employment type: Full-time
* Job function: Purchasing and Supply Chain
* Industries: Advertising Services
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