Inventory Assistant (12-month FTC)

Are you organised and great with data? A new opportunity has arisen for a detail-orientated individual to support the Inventory Management team as Inventory Assistant on a 12-month Fixed Term basis.

About the team

The Inventory Management team collaborates with colleagues within Publishing Operations and across Sales, Production, Finance, and our Publishing Houses to maintain the correct stock levels for every one of our titles throughout their lifecycle. The team plays a critical role in managing relationships with our distribution colleagues and our external partners to ensure the efficient distribution of our books.

The role

This is a busy and varied role, with great opportunity to learn, develop, and support multiple colleagues across the wider Inventory team. You’ll ensure things run smoothly and your key responsibilities will include:

Key responsibilities:

• Managing end-to-end process within the Distribution Centre
• Manage our print on demand process
• Managing the local print set-up for printings in our Group company territories
• Correcting SAP specific issues and answering system and inventory related queries
• Ensuring good housekeeping of internal systems and updating them with correct and up to date Inventory data
• Running weekly and monthly reports to track information
• Cross-skilling with Inventory Management colleagues to provide optimal team support.

What you’ll bring

Essential criteria:

• Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities effectively.
• Strong attention to detail and a high level of accuracy when working with data.
• A collaborative approach, with the ability to work effectively as part of a team.
• The ability to remain calm under pressure and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong prioritisation and time management skills.
• A high level of competency in Microsoft Excel.
• Confidence in learning and using new systems and processes quickly (experience of SAP or similar systems is beneficial but not essential).
• An interest in data, logistics, and how inventory supports the publishing process.
• A strong passion for the publishing industry and enthusiasm for Penguin Random House's books and authors.
• A proactive attitude, with a willingness to learn, develop new skills, and take ownership of your work.

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 21st July 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, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, and offer the remaining two days to be worked remotely.

Disclosure requirements pertaining to the collection of your personal data:

Responsible for processing the information provided in your application is the company specified in the job advertisement, with its registered office as indicated. The company processes your data for the purpose of establishing an employment relationship on the basis of Art. 6 (1) b GDPR / Section 26 (1) sentence 1 BDSG.

The retention period for your data is determined by the statutory time limits applicable in the respective country, beginning upon completion of the recruitment process. You can find these here.

You can contact the company’s Data Protection Officer at the above-mentioned postal address. 

Further information on data protection and your rights can be found here.
 

Recruiting-Platform powered by SmartRecruiters.