Head of Sales, Fiction

HarperCollins Publishers UK

. Deliver the HarperFiction UK sales budget in line with divisional priorities .

Posted 10/30/2026contractLondon • United KingdomLead💰 £53,500 - £59,000 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates strong sales and account management capabilities within the UK trade publishing sector, with a focus on delivering sales growth and managing key customer relationships. Proficient in forecasting, reporting, and collaborating across various publishing functions to drive commercial success.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Sales Growth DeliveryAccount Management ExperienceUK Fiction Market KnowledgeNegotiation SkillsTeam Management Experience

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Sales ForecastingAccount PlanningAnalytical SkillsMarket Share MonitoringCustomer Plan Development

Soft Skills

Relationship ManagementClear CommunicationCollaborative ApproachOrganizational SkillsProactive Attitude

Tools & Technologies

ExcelPowerPoint

Industry Keywords

UK Trade PublishingRetail PositioningPromotional SupportCommercial FictionKey Retail Channels

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Deliver the HarperFiction UK sales budget in line with divisional priorities
Monitor sales, market share and print forecasts in key divisional meetings
Manage key customer relationships and negotiations across UK trade retailers
Secure strong retail positioning and promotional support
Develop customer plans across physical and online retail and collaborate with group sales to deliver them
Identify growth opportunities across frontlist and backlist
Manage and support the HarperFiction sales team, including direct reports
Work closely with Editorial, Marketing, PR, Operations and Finance
Ensure accurate forecasting, reporting and account planning, with specific responsibility for print forecasts
Champion priority titles in internal and customer meetings
Lead sales for the HarperFiction division and support its commercial success

Requirements

What you’ll need

Strong sales and account-management experience in UK trade publishing
Good knowledge of the UK fiction market and key retail channels
Track record of delivering sales growth across major accounts
Confident negotiation and relationship-management skills
Commercial judgement and strong analytical skills
Clear written, verbal and presentation skills
Experience of managing or supporting a sales team
Collaborative approach across publishing functions
Good working knowledge of Excel and PowerPoint
Organised, proactive and comfortable working under pressure
Enthusiasm for commercial fiction and a broad range of readers

Benefits

Comp & perks

No specific benefits or perks are stated.
Application queries can be sent to recruitment@harpercollins.co.uk, with a response aimed for within 5 working days.