Acquisition Editor

Reporting to - Licensing Manager

Team - Licensing

About Packt

Packt’s mission is to help the world put software to work in new ways, through the delivery of effective learning and information services to IT professionals. We are a global technical learning publisher with over 400 team members based primarily in India and the UK, and a catalogue of over 8,000 books and video courses used by learners and organisations worldwide.

A core part of delivering this mission is the licensing of high-quality content from independent creators and publishers. The Licensing team is responsible for building and maintaining a strong network of partners and ensuring a consistent pipeline of commercially viable learning products that extend and strengthen Packt’s catalogue. The Acquisition Editor role supports this by identifying, evaluating, and contracting content that aligns with Packt’s publishing strategy and delivers long term value across our distribution channels.

Role Overview
Reporting to the Licensing Manager, the Acquisition Editor is responsible for sourcing, evaluating, and contracting licensed learning content that supports Packt’s publishing and commercial strategy. The role focuses on building and managing relationships with independent creators and publishers, and on securing a consistent pipeline of high quality, commercially viable products.

Working closely with internal editorial, production, and quality teams, the Acquisition Editor ensures that incoming content is well aligned to defined briefs and catalogue priorities. The role carries clear accountability for delivery against agreed targets, requiring sound commercial judgement, effective negotiation, and disciplined pipeline management.

What You Will Do

• Work to defined content briefs to identify and source relevant creators and publishers.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with creators and publishers across priority subject areas.

• Evaluate proposed content against editorial, commercial, and catalogue requirements.

• Develop and manage a pipeline of licensed products that support Packt’s publishing strategy.

• Negotiate non-exclusive licensing terms that reflect content value and distribution scope.

• Contract a consistent flow of licensed products in line with quarterly targets.

• Collaborate with editorial, production, and quality teams to ensure smooth handover of contracted content.

• Participate in editorial board and title level discussions to maintain alignment between in-house and licensed content.

KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)

• Generate signed contracts for at least 20 pieces of licensed content a month.

• Ensure that you contact key creator/publisher stakeholders at least once a quarter.

• Generate a minimum LTV (lifetime value) of over 18m of £5k for each piece of licensed content.

• Licensing partnerships that enhance the prestige of the Packt brand.

Who You Are

The work we do is fast paced, demanding, and intellectually challenging. We are looking for dynamic candidates with an interest in technology and project management. You will need strong oral and written communication skills, attention to detail, and excellent organization and time-management skills. You will need to be proactive in troubleshooting and problem-solving, upbeat, enthusiastic, and motivated. You will be a demonstrated self-starter who is focused and calm under pressure.

• 2+ years' experience in relationship management, acquisition, or commercial roles, ideally within publishing, media, or digital content.

• Strong communication and negotiation skills, with the ability to build trust and credibility with creators and publishers.

• Sound commercial judgement, with the ability to assess content value and make data informed decisions.

• Strong organisational and time management skills, with the ability to manage a pipeline and work to targets.

• A proactive and resilient self-starter who can operate effectively in a fast-paced environment.

• Attention to detail and a commitment to maintaining high standards of quality and accuracy.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office 365 and online collaboration tools.

• A reliable remote working setup, including a stable internet connection suitable for large file transfers.

Why Work at Packt

We are a global and remote-first business with most of our team based in India and the UK. We recognize how important our people are and acknowledge and support the things that are important to them. Our culture is open and informal and based around learning. We love sharing ideas and we want everyone to feel that they have an input into how the business works. We are a fun place to work but with a focus on performance and personal development providing opportunities for personal growth and career progression. We try to achieve this by:

• Ensuring a positive working environment for all team members, supportive of flexible and remote work.

• Supporting individual development through growth opportunities and internal mobility.

• Encouraging social collaboration within teams and communities and knowledge-sharing.

• Fostering a culture that supports a healthy work-life balance.

We focus on the full employee experience. We seek to achieve this by: 

• Providing a broad range of benefits and initiatives. 

• Advocating a healthy lifestyle where wellbeing is seen as an essential responsibility. 

• Celebrating success stories and encouraging peer-to-peer recognition. 

• Fostering a culture of self-development. 

• Providing a work environment where the best idea wins, and challenges are encouraged. 

Benefits: 
You will also have access to a range of flexible benefits that are designed to help you make the most of your time with us.

• Bonus scheme 

• 5 day working week

• 25 days annual holiday (plus bank holidays)

• Flexible hours: choose how, when, and where you work within India

• Training programs

• Group Medical Insurance

• Wellness initiatives

Salary Range - INR 35K- 65K fixed pay per month (skills and/or experience dependent)

Disclaimer: Packt does not authorize any third-party consultancies, influencers, or agencies to offer employment opportunities on our behalf. We are not involved in any financial transactions with these parties. Our hiring process is managed internally, and all applications should be made through the official procedures outlined in our job listings.