Head of Contracts & Business Affairs

Overview

Are you a commercially astute contracts professional with a strategic focus? Do you enjoy creative problem solving and fostering collaboration with a range of stakeholders?

Quarto creates inspiring books for adults and children published across the globe, and we are looking for our next Head of Contracts & Business Affairs to help shape our overall commercial strategy.

• Contract
• Permanent
• From £60,000 per year, dependent on experience
• 12 October 2025

Working hours

Full-time, 35 hours per week, Monday to Friday, 09:30 am to 5:30 pm. We currently operate a discretionary hybrid model, with three days in our London office and two working from home.

About the role

As Head of Contracts & Business Affairs, you will contribute to our success by leading the contracts team and maximising the value of our intellectual property.

Responsibilities

What you will be involved in

Reporting to the Finance Director, you will:

• Negotiate and draft contracts to the highest standards
• Review and manage non-standard licensing agreements (brand licensing, partnerships, etc.)
• Deliver commercially sound outcomes across the full publishing lifecycle, working closely with creative, sales, and marketing teams
• Protect and maximise the value of our intellectual property
• Seek specialist advice where needed, providing clear and informed guidance to senior management
• Ensure contractual policies comply with legislation and reflect industry best practice
• Define the vision for the business affairs function and embed it across the organisation
• Develop streamlined contracts processes and playbooks
• Lead and inspire a high-performing team, driving both operational excellence and long-term strategic growth

About you

About you
You are a strategic leader with a degree in Law, Publishing, Business or a related field, and proven experience in contracts, business affairs, or legal roles within the publishing, media, or entertainment industries.

You will be able to demonstrate your ability to:

• Balance commercial priorities with legal and compliance risk
• Build influence and engagement with stakeholders at all levels
• Communicate complex issues with clarity and impact
• Lead, motivate, and develop a team to achieve ambitious goals

What we can offer

What we can offer

A supportive, open environment with development opportunities, as well as the following benefits:

• 25 days paid holiday per year (increasing up to 30 days per year), plus bank holidays
• Cultural appreciation day (to honour a cultural holiday which is significant to you, separate to your holiday entitlement)
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Staff discounts on selected shops, retailers, and restaurants
• Health Cash Plan
• Pension
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Summer hours
• Active social and diversity committees

How to apply

Please send a CV and cover letter to by the closing date and state the vacancy name in the email subject title.

Ensure you cover the following:

• Your motivation and what appeals to you about this particular role
• What key skills, experience and achievements you have that you think are relevant to this role, and why. Please provide examples of how you have used or demonstrated those.
• Where you saw the vacancy advertised

All applicants must be able to demonstrate the right to live and work in the UK in order to be considered for the vacancy.

We employ individuals based on their abilities and welcome applicants from all backgrounds regardless of disability, ethnic origin, gender, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, belief, age, or sexual orientation.

As a Disability Confident Committed employer, we aim to ensure that our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible for disabled people. Therefore, we encourage you to inform us of any reasonable adjustments you may require during your interview process. Please note, you only need to disclose information that you are comfortable sharing in order for us to accommodate your request.

Please note that due to the high volume of applications we receive, we are only able to respond to candidates selected for interview. We will keep applications on file for 6 months should a suitable vacancy arise. If you'd rather we didn't, please let us know with your application.

Apply now as the position may close early due to a high volume of applications. Don't miss out-submit your application today!