Head of Content Development (Commissioning and Editorial)
Salary: Up to £50K per annum dependent on experience, plus company benefits
Location: 18 Central Avenue, St Andrews Business Park, Norwich NR7 OHR
Contract: Permanent, full time
Shifts: 37.5 hours per week worked Mon-Fri 9am-5:30pm with a 1-hour unpaid lunch
Work model: Hybrid
Williams Lea and TSO seek a Head of Content Development to join our team!
Williams Lea is the leading global provider of skilled, technology-enabled, business-critical support services, with long-term trusted relationships with blue-chip clients across investment banks, law firms and professional services firms.
Williams Lea employees, nearly 7,000 people worldwide provide efficient business services at client sites in often complex and highly regulated environments, from centralised Williams Lea onshore facilities, and through best cost company offshore locations.
TSO provides regulatory and standards publishing and technology solutions for regulators and organisations that set rules and industry adopted standards. Our brand and solutions are recognised by regulators and public sector bodies across the UK and overseas. We are recognised for ground-breaking innovation and our long heritage of service and no fail delivery. Our solutions enable our clients to manage their authoritative information so that it is structured, accurate and up to date and make it easier to use and understand.
Purpose of the Role
We’re looking for a skilled and inspiring Head of Content Development to lead a team of publishing professionals and editors, as one coordinated group.
You will be responsible for overseeing the delivery of a busy publishing schedule across multiple clients – managing, prioritising, and supporting projects within time, cost, and quality thresholds.
This role is ideal for someone with a strong background in the publishing sector, particularly in managing the development and delivery of long-form content such as books, manuals, training materials, or educational resources. Experience with digital and print formats is essential, as is a solid understanding of editorial workflows from concept to final delivery.
Alongside ensuring successful execution of the publishing schedule, you will bring creativity, innovation, and commercial insight to help identify new product opportunities that meet user needs in a digital-first environment.
You will be responsible for setting and upholding editorial standards across all outputs and managing both in-house and external editorial resources.
You’ll thrive in a leadership role, be passionate about operational excellence, and bring deep experience in publishing processes.
Key Responsibilities
Team Leadership and Management
1. Lead and support a multidisciplinary publishing team, including editors and content development professionals
2. Manage the commissioning and delivery of long-form publishing products in both print and digital formats (e.g. print books, eBooks, e-learning, manuals)
3. Oversee workloads and scheduling, ensuring the effective prioritisation and delivery of projects
4. Act as the senior escalation point for project and editorial challenges
Content and Product Development
5. Guide the end-to-end development of publishing products — from concept, commissioning, and author management through to production and publication
6. Identify and develop new content opportunities that align with client needs and audience demands
7. Work closely with the rest of the publishing department and other functional teams (client services, sales and marketing) to ensure content is delivered to specification, on time and on budget
8. Lead the onboarding and contract negotiation process for authors, contributors, and freelancers
Editorial Oversight
9. Set and maintain high editorial standards across all content, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and adherence to style and tone
10. Allocate editorial work and supervise internal and freelance editors
11. Act as the escalation point for complex editorial decisions
12. Refine editorial processes to support long-form, digital-first product development
Operational and Process Management
13. Monitor timelines, budgets, and deliverables across multiple concurrent publishing projects
14. Ensure effective coordination between editorial, design, marketing, and sales teams
15. Continuously review and improve workflows to enhance team efficiency and product quality
Client Relationship Management
16. Build and maintain strong relationships with key client contacts
17. Understand and respond to client strategies, priorities, and audience requirements
18. Represent the business confidently in meetings and presentations, showcasing publishing expertise
19. Support the development and presentation of content ideas and publishing solutions aligned with client goals
Skills & Competencies
20. Significant experience in traditional publishing or content development, ideally across both print and digital formats
21. Proven ability to lead and develop multidisciplinary teams within a publishing environment
22. Strong understanding of editorial workflows, including commissioning, editing, proofreading, production, and publishing
23. Demonstrated experience with long-form content such as books, manuals, or educational resources
24. Strong project management skills and ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines
25. Excellent editorial judgement and meticulous attention to detail
26. Commercially aware with the ability to balance audience needs with business goals
27. Comfortable working closely with clients, authors, freelancers, and cross-functional teams
Personal Attributes
28. Organised, calm under pressure, and solutions-focused
29. A supportive leader who builds collaborative, high-performing teams
30. Confident communicator with strong interpersonal and stakeholder management skills
31. Proactive, curious, and enthusiastic about innovation in publishing
Rewards and Benefits
We believe in supporting our employees in both their professional and personal lives. As part of our commitment to your well-being, we offer a comprehensive benefits package, including but not limited to:
32. 25 days holiday, plus bank holidays(pro-rata for part time roles)
33. Salary sacrifice schemes, retail vouchers – including our TechScheme which can be used on a range of gadgets such as Smart TV’s, laptops and computers or household appliances.
34. Life Assurance
35. Private Medical Insurance
36. Dental Insurance
37. Health Assessments
38. Cycle-to-work scheme
39. Discounted gym memberships
40. Referral Scheme
You will also have the opportunity to work for a global employer who is dedicated to offering each and every employee an enjoyable, challenging and rewarding career with future career development prospects!
Equality and Diversity
The Company values the differences that a diverse workforce brings to the organisation and will not discriminate because of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race (which includes colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins), religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation (each of these being a “protected characteristic” in discrimination law). It will not discriminate because of any other irrelevant factor and will build a culture that values openness, fairness and transparency.
If you have a disability and would prefer to apply in a different format or would like to make a reasonable adjustment to enable you to make an interview please contact us at (we do not accept applications to this email address).
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