Job Description
Book Selection and Purchasing Coordinator
Our Organisation and Mission
For over a century, BookTrust has championed the power of reading. Founded in 1921 as the Society of Bookmen, we’ve played a leading role in shaping a national reading culture. Now we’re the UK’s largest children’s reading charity. Each year we reach over 1.3 million children and families across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, delivering evidence-informed programmes that make a measurable difference to children’s reading behaviours.
Our work is rooted in the belief that every child deserves the chance to enjoy reading and all the lifelong benefits it brings. Children who read regularly are happier and healthier, they form stronger bonds, they are more creative and enjoy more success in life. Equally importantly, we know that something profound happens in those magical moments when an adult and child share a story together. Reading supports bonding, stability, identity, social and emotional growth and attainment. In many ways, sharing stories is a protective factor against the adversity that some children experience, helping them feel secure and loved.
BookTrust has historically been known for our large-scale book giving programmes. However, in recent years we have refocused our strategy on helping children from low-income and vulnerable family backgrounds become regular readers. This is strengthened in our latest five-year strategy, covering 2025 to 2030. Our mission is clear: to get children from low-income households and vulnerable family backgrounds reading regularly and by choice. What we do has never mattered more – or been more needed.
We deliver our mission through evidence-based interventions, with a strong focus on children in the early years and their families. Our carefully selected books and well-researched programmes are delivered by a network of over 6,000 local partners, bringing the magic of reading to children in every community in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. We work with every local authority across England and Wales, as well as health visitors, schools, libraries, social workers and early years workers. We also have an excellent and increasingly diverse community of children’s authors and illustrators and committed and expert support from publishers.
BookTrust is united by our commitment to our mission, and the opportunity to make a real difference. We are a genuinely family/life-friendly organisation, offering a caring workplace with expert colleagues.
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
* Copyrighting Learning and competency with new digital systems, for example digital database systems and con 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