Contracts Assistant, The Crown Publishing Group and Sourcebooks

Title: Contracts Assistant, The Crown Publishing Group and Sourcebooks (Hybrid)

Location: New York United States

Job Description:

The contracts department at Penguin Random House seeks a Contracts Assistant to join The Crown Publishing Group and Sourcebooks contracts team. The Contracts Assistant is an integral part of the drafting, negotiating, and complete execution of contracts while partnering with many different areas of the company. The Contracts Assistant will work closely with the Contracts Director and Associate Contracts Director while liaising with editorial, legal, royalties & accounting, and the various contracts teams and partnering closely with agents, authors, and publishing entities to finalize the acquisition of rights for The Crown Publishing Group and Sourcebooks.

The Contracts Department represents an unrivaled roster of award-winning and celebrated titles across an editorial breadth that includes notable children's board books, picture books, chapter books, and middle-grade books, break-out young adult fiction and non-fiction, adult fiction, narrative history, science, memoirs, study aids, self-help, personal development and topics of particular interest to women, as well as practical and prescriptive books and impactful titles on themes like teamwork, success, and leadership. We support the acquisition of rights process for all titles at Penguin Random House and Sourcebooks.

The ideal candidate is a detail-oriented, meticulous self-starter who can manage a diverse set of responsibilities efficiently and effectively and is comfortable asking for help when needed. Once you've proven an independent ability to draft and negotiate, while also remembering to step back, consider the big picture, and adjust your strategy when needed, you'll assume greater responsibilities over time.

Specific responsibilities include:

• Drafts and negotiates author, illustrator and writer-for-hire contracts and contract amendments and handles rights reversions
• Manages contracts inquiries from other departments such as Editorial, Subsidiary Rights (a team that sells translation and other rights), and Royalties
• Routes contracts and amendments to appropriate parties for signature
• Conducts contract research
• Scans files and performs database maintenance
• Liaises with Royalties to ensure data for payments or changes to payment due dates is accurate
• Coordinates with team and internal resources to optimize the efficiency of processes and workflow
• Supports additional project work for the group as needed.

Please apply if you meet the following qualifications:

• A self-starter with impeccable attention to detail when drafting and reviewing contracts
• It is essential that the candidate possesses a proactive and independent approach to work, including a strong ability to problem-solve autonomously
• Able to apply organizational methods and strategies to meet deadlines and manage a busy inbox on Outlook
• Timely follow-up skills with the contracts team, authors, agents, and other departments and the ability to prioritize and complete multiple projects in a rapidly changing, detail-focused environment
• A curious mind that enjoys research projects
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Highly proficient in Microsoft Word, Adobe (PDF), and Excel and an avid interest and ability to learn new applications
• A history or interest in communications, literature, or a related publishing field is a plus, but not required to succeed in this role.

The salary for this position is $51,000.  All positions are currently eligible for annual profit award or bonus, subject to Company results.

This is a hybrid position with in-office responsibilities, which will include, but not be limited to, file management and research and participating in and contributing to in-person meetings. We will consider candidates who can work from a commutable distance to our offices at 1745 Broadway, which includes the tri-state area.

Please apply using our ATS system by May 1, 2026, and include your resume and cover letter for consideration. Before applying for any role at Penguin Random House, we recommend you review our applicant resources page and look over our hybrid and open-to-remote guidelines on our FAQs page.