Head of Sales, International

Head of Sales, International (HarperNonFiction and HarperNorth) HarperCollins Publishers

Employment Type Full time

Location Hybrid · London, UK 3+ days office based

Salary £47,000 – £50,000 (GBP)

Seniority Senior

• Closing:11:59pm, 9th Nov 2025 GMT

Perks and benefits

Work from home option

Healthcare

Retirement benefits

Wellness programs

Employee Assistance Programme

Enhanced maternity and paternity leave

Extra holiday

Professional development

Mentoring/coaching

Paid volunteer days

Flexible benefits scheme

Cycle to work scheme

Candidate happiness

Job Description

Introduction to the Role

We are looking for a Head of Sales to own and manage the performance of HarperNonFiction and HarperNorth in international markets, selling to our overseas affiliates and distributors, and via colleagues operating in other markets, to drive growth for these businesses, for the UK division, and for the Group as a whole. You will be a part of the senior commercial team in the division, helping to shape acquisition and publishing strategy with an understanding of the strategy of these lists and the commercial landscape in which they operate.

Key Tasks and Accountabilities:

• Accountability for the performance for your divisional titles and imprints in nominated international markets and territories, delivering on agreed targets and objectives with a focus on profitable selling.

• Responsible for ensuring that divisional publishing, marketing, and publicity strategies take into account the needs of all international territories and markets wherever possible

• A key commercial player within the division, helping to shape the business by contributing to strategic planning, acquisitions, marketing/PR and design, informed by your knowledge of the current marketplace and your tastes as a reader

• Excellent customer relationships with affiliate markets, which foster collaboration and understanding, and drive business growth and profit

• Knowledge of the wider Group business to inform divisional activity and help share and implement best practice within your own and other divisions

• Membership of HarperCollins group international sales leadership team and divisional publishing boards

• Shared management and development of a Sales Executive

Skills Required:

• Trade publishing sales experience, ideally at manager level, required

• Experience of international markets

• Able to demonstrate and communicate awareness of the markets for our books, and how the divisional strategies and publishing can fit these markets

• Ability to act autonomously within your divisional P&L in line with Group best practice, and to manage budgets, targets etc in conjunction with International Sales Director and commercial teams

• An aptitude for selling results-driven, entrepreneurial, ambitious, strong on relationships, and able to adapt to customers' requirements but also to push them to support our priorities

• A leader within Sales and within the business, demonstrating both individual accountability and a commitment to coaching and developing those around you, inspiring a strong team spirit and a high-performance ethos.

• Knowledgeable about international markets, publishing, and trends, and committed to getting to know your markets from the ground up

• Good communicator, in person and remotely

• Financially aware; able to make informed predictions and analyse results to inform future decisions

• Organised, able to prioritise, agile and quick to respond to customers and internal stakeholders alike

• A team player; effective with all colleagues, willing to help others where necessary, and contributing as widely as possible to our international success.

Benefits

• Hybrid working model (3 days in the office)

• 28 days holiday plus bank holidays (option to buy and sell holiday days)

• Enhanced pay for maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave

• Private healthcare cover and life assurance

• Summer Hours

• Free access to HeadSpace, employee assistance programme (24 hour helpline), mental health first aiders, and a wellbeing portal

• Season ticket loans (from day 1 for entry level) and cycle to work scheme

• Relocation Rent Support Loan

• Employee networks: HC All In (open forum), Elevate (for ethnic minority colleagues), HarperParents, Menopause at Work, Pride at HC, Social Mobility Network and Neurodiversity at Work

• Unlimited training on our Learning and Development portal, management courses (up to MA level) and mentoring programmes

• Virtual GP and eyecare vouchers

• Gym membership discount

• Onsite physiotherapy (London only)

• Charitable donation matching and 2 volunteering days

• We're a certified Carbon Neutral company

• Green Electric/Hybrid Car Benefit Scheme (salary sacrifice)

• With Trees for Life we plant a tree in the Highlands of Scotland for every permanent hire

• Free e-books and audiobooks, digital newspaper subscriptions and discounts on books

• Subsidised canteen and retail discounts

• Onsite prayer room

At HarperCollins, we value authenticity and integrity in our recruitment process. To ensure a fair and accurate evaluation of all applications, we ask that all responses to assessment questions reflect your own thoughts, experiences, and capabilities. This allows us to fairly assess your knowledge, skills, and experience to determine how they align with the role. We value diverse perspectives and genuine contributions, even if answers are not perfect. The use of AI tools or external assistance to generate responses is discouraged unless explicitly permitted for specific tasks.

If you wish to discuss anything regarding this position and/or your application to this role, please reach out directly subject heading 'Vacancy Query' plus the job title and we will aim to get back to you within 5 working days.

Please note, if you are interested in the role you would need to submit your application via Applied. We do not accept email applications.