Sales Assistant

About Penguin We’re the UK’s largest publisher; made up of some 2,000 people and publishing over 1,500 books each year. Our doors are open to all kinds of talent. In a constantly evolving industry, we work hard to stretch the definition of the word publisher. Here, you’ll work with a breadth of talent who all play their part to make each of our books a success. Together, we make books for everyone because a book can change anyone.  Sales Assistant Penguin Random House are looking for an Adult Non-Trade Sales Assistant to work within our Adult Non-Trade Sales team. About the team The team works across the seven adult Penguin Random House publishing houses, and you will help to identify key frontlist and catalogue titles suitable for key Non Trade accounts. This role requires you to liaise with many other teams across the company including Production, inventory, editorial, royalties and contracts. Key responsibilities: Manage sales to authors, ensuring orders are processed accurately and efficiently. Coordinate and support a varied range of event sales, ensuring smooth communication and fulfilment. Work closely with the Customer Services team to ensure delivery requirements are met and any issues are resolved promptly. Assist the Key Account Manager in managing a number of key Non-Trade accounts. Prepare materials and documentation to support sales presentations. Follow up on sales presentations, including processing orders and responding to customer queries. Process small orders accurately and in a timely manner. Fulfil customer documentation requests, ensuring all information is complete and correct. Conduct research to identify and develop new customer contacts. Provide general administrative and sales support to the Non-Trade team as required. What you’ll bring Essential criteria: Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities effectively. Keen attention to detail, ensuring accuracy in all aspects of work. Excellent written and verbal communication skills. A proactive, positive “can-do” attitude and willingness to support the wider team. Solid knowledge of Microsoft Office, particularly PowerPoint and Excel. Confidence using Excel for data handling and reporting, and PowerPoint for preparing sales materials. Disability Confident If you have opted into our disability confident scheme, the above are the essential criteria you must meet to be considered for our interview scheme. Please note, there may be occasions where the volume of applicants means we can’t take all eligible candidates to interview. Application instructions Please apply with your CV and cover letter outlining why you are the right candidate for the role by 11:59pm on 19 th March 2026. Please ensure you include a cover letter, as it is a crucial part of our assessment process. The cover letter offers an opportunity to show how your experience and interests align with the role requirements. Typically, we expect the cover letter to be no more than one or two pages in length. Please note we are looking for someone to join the team as soon as possible, but we are also happy to accommodate a reasonable notice period for the right candidate. We anticipate a two-stage interview process which will include a virtual first-stage interview and in-person second stage interview. We are happy to discuss this further with you throughout the recruitment process. Here at Penguin, we believe in the power of authenticity and human creativity. When you apply for a position, we want to encourage you to showcase your unique voice. Throughout our recruitment process, please share your own thoughts, experiences, and skills. This helps us get a true sense of who you are and what you might bring to our team. We celebrate creativity and diverse perspectives, so please be yourself! While we recognise AI tools can be helpful, we recommend using them thoughtfully to ensure your responses reflect you. Salary £29,000 plus benefits. Hybrid working While our offices across the UK are places to connect, collaborate and celebrate with colleagues, we recognise that flexibility around where you work is just as important. For this role we expect the successful candidate to work from our London-based office a minimum of three days per week (Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays) and offer the remaining two days to be worked remotely. Benefits Income Protection Health assessment Gym flex Life event leave Dental insurance Cycle scheme Please note that we do not accept any CVs via agencies, and any sent speculatively will not be eligible for a fee.