Head of Content Strategy, Commercial Fiction (Book Publishing / Acquisitions)

New York, NY (Hybrid, Open to Remote) | Full-Time | $80,000 - $110,000 + Benefits

About the Role

An independent publisher of crime fiction, horror, speculative fiction, and reader-centric genre fiction, with sales and distribution through Penguin Random House, is hiring a Head of Content Strategy to lead and aggressively scale commercial fiction acquisitions by 50%. The publisher operates two imprints and takes a data-driven, systems-first approach to acquisitions, pairing the speed and independence of a smaller house with major-publisher distribution reach.

This is a senior leadership role with real authority. The Head of Content Strategy will own the entire high-velocity acquisitions pipeline, from trend spotting and agent outreach to offers, negotiations, and contracts. The role includes the autonomy to greenlight projects that meet the publisher's standards and decline those that do not, protecting margins and ensuring the list consists exclusively of high-demand titles. The position also functions as a performance coach to an 11+ person editorial team, driving alignment with strategic buying criteria and building a culture of consistent output.

A strong fit for a logical, systems-focused publishing leader who thrives on process, data, and SOP documentation, and who has an established network of agents and authors capable of fueling a high-volume submission pipeline.

What the Role Covers

• Architecting and owning the end-to-end acquisitions pipeline, enforcing the acquisitions rubric and integrating systems to streamline workflows
• Exercising authority to approve or decline projects based on prescribed commercial standards
• Serving as a performance coach and mentor to 11+ editors, building a top-tier execution culture that drives the team to surpass output goals
• Monitoring industry trends and conducting sales, marketplace, and reader research to identify emerging genres and hooks
• Shaping offers with a deep understanding of the market for literary works, book sales, and profit and loss statements
• Overseeing negotiations, directly or through editors, to close the best possible deals
• Building and maintaining a network of literary agents and authors to secure a consistent volume of top submissions
• Championing titles at internal and external meetings, translating evidence-based logic into compelling commercial narratives for sales and distribution partners

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree: or higher
• 5-8 years of experience: in acquisitions and management at a trade publishing house or high-growth media company, with a proven track record of scaling commercial fiction lists and managing editorial teams
• Expert proficiency: in Excel and pipeline management tools, with the ability to translate sales tracks and P&Ls into high-margin acquisitions strategies
• Logical, systems-first thinker: who thrives on process and SOP documentation
• Experience leveraging technology: to optimize operational throughput and maximize team capacity
• Established, high-conversion network: of agents and authors capable of fueling a high-volume submission pipeline
• Exceptional ability: to identify and capitalize on emerging trends and hooks within books and adjacent entertainment sectors
• Elite writing and presentation skills:
• Ability to manage: accelerated workflows with close attention to detail and a zero-ego approach to process improvement

To Apply

Visit Mediabistro for full details and application instructions.