Digital Content Producer

Reports to: Head of Editorial, Booker Prize Foundation

Contract: Employee, preferably full-time employment

Location: UK based, at present working remotely

Salary: £35,000 - £38,000

Application details: Email CV and covering letter to [email protected]

The Booker Prizes have a unique place in the literary sphere, enjoying an enviable reputation as a cultural institution that is highly respected, much loved and hotly debated throughout the world. Over the past 50 years, more than 500 extraordinary books have been brought to the attention of the public, influencing reading tastes and transforming culture in Britain and beyond, along with the careers of hundreds of authors from around the globe. 

The Booker Prize Foundation is a registered charity, established in 2002, whose purpose is to promote the art and value of literature for the public benefit. The best-known way it fulfils this mission is by awarding the Booker Prize and the International Booker Prize. Other aspects of the foundation’s work include reading initiatives in prisons, writers’ visits to universities, the distribution of books to disadvantaged readers and the funding of Braille and audio editions of Booker Prize books through the RNIB. The UEA Booker Prize Foundation Scholarship is awarded annually to a candidate for the Creative Writing MA at the University of East Anglia. Many past scholars have since met with acclaim as published authors. 

In 2021, we launched a new digital strategy at www.thebookerprizes.com to showcase ‘our’ nominated books alongside their exceptional authors in one unique online space. Called the Booker Library, it aims to be a unique and entertaining cultural destination that brings fresh attention to our books by combining 1) new content; 2) archive material from our authors, publishers and partners as well as our own physical archive at Oxford Brookes University; and 3) curated content from across the web. We’ve identified the concept of the Booker ‘Golden Thread’, a strand that runs through all our books, authors, themes and subject matters. We aim to bend and stretch this thread in many directions to help our audiences explore our world with the goal of encouraging more people to read more books. We believe that this blend of writing, audio, video, visual art, manuscripts and interactives will bring new insights and attention to the books, their themes, subject matter and the art of fiction writing itself. We are building a small editorial, marketing and partnerships team to take responsibility for executing this plan.

We welcome and encourage applications from candidates who are under-represented in the creative industries.

Booker Prize Foundation is looking for two imaginative and highly skilled digital producers to be responsible for creating, producing and publishing a breadth of content to our website and social channels that will bring ‘our’ books to life online. This will cover all longlisted, shortlisted and winning books for both the Booker Prize and the International Booker Prize in their combined 52-year history, as well as those nominated each coming year. 

Working to the new Head of Editorial, they’ll be tasked with coming up with detailed plans for individual packages of content for our books, authors, themes and prize years. They will take hands-on responsibility for defining, producing and launching this content for maximum impact and reach. They will also be responsible for evaluating the impact of these activities, and then adapting their plans to respond to these performance insights. 

Both these roles require individuals with a thorough understanding of best practice in digital content and social management as well as how to nurture and represent a high profile and respected cultural brand such as the Booker Prizes online. They will have a feel for how to create content and social activity to surprise and delight existing audiences as well as having insights into how to build new audiences. All with the goal of encouraging people across the world to read more of ‘our’ books.

• Reporting to the Head of Editorial, plan, produce, create and publish engaging copy, images, videos, photography, audio, interactives and aggregated content for the books nominated for the Booker Prize and International Booker Prize each year as well as from the past 50 years
• Project manage external digital commissions including liaising with high profile writers, photographers, artists, film makers, audio and interactive producers. Take delivery of their material and launch it with maximum impact and reach.
• Work with senior digital personnel to identify and prioritise new features for thebookerprizes.com
• Work with editorial, marketing and publicity colleagues to devise and deliver effective social media and newsletter content to support the Booker Prizes and the wider Booker Prize Foundation portfolio of activities
• Liaise with a wide range of partners to plan and enact campaigns and initiatives to reach specific audiences; syndicate content to news organisations and cultural partner websites
• Be responsible for the Booker Prizes’ digital archive of images, video, audio, copy, archive assets and other materials to ensure they are catalogued and managed with the correct data and permissions
• Ensure all digital activity is on brand and consistent
• Support the Head of Editorial in planning and budgetary control of all digital activities
• Undertake analysis of the Booker Prizes’ online activities to track performance against goals, reporting results and adapting activities accordingly.

• Demonstrable experience in a previous similar digital content, editorial or journalism role
• Demonstrable experience of producing creative copy, image, video and preferably audio based digital content for websites and social media, including links to a portfolio
• Experience of working with commissioned high-profile writers, producers, artists and other talent
• Experience of website development, using CMS systems and Photoshop/image software (ability to use video/audio editing software and Adobe After Effects a bonus)
• Understanding and appreciation of digital marketing 
• Experience of using social media in a professional context
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Organised and reliable with excellent attention to detail
• Comfortable conducting analysis using data
• Self-starter who can work on their own initiative as well as collaboratively within a team and with third parties or external individuals/companies
• Able to prioritise, handle multiple simultaneous tasks and work in a newly created team
• Knowledge of and passion for contemporary fiction and literature a plus.