Publishing Assistant

£18,895 to £23,315 per annum, plus benefits (£31,492 to £38,858 full-time equivalent)

9-month fixed term contract, 21 hours a week

Manchester based with the option for part remote working

This is an exciting opportunity for a proactive publishing assistant to join our small but busy in-house publications team, helping to produce high-quality publications and maximise the impact of IPPR’s research.

IPPR is an independent charity working towards a fairer, greener and more prosperous society. We work to shape public debate and ensure our research and ideas for policy change reach the audiences that matter most - decision-makers, influencers and the wider public - helping to make today’s bold ideas tomorrow’s common sense.

About the role

We are looking for a publishing assistant with some existing skills and a strong interest in all aspects of publishing, including editorial, design, typesetting and layout, and online publishing.

You will work as part of our three-person publishing team, supporting the delivery of IPPR’s publishing schedule across a wide range of public policy research and helping to see our publications through from submission to publication.

Duties will include:

• Copyediting and proofreading research publications and other content

• Copywriting, including producing online summaries of our research

• Supporting the design, typesetting and layout of publications

• Creating charts and graphics for research outputs

• Publishing research reports, articles and other content on the IPPR website

• Supporting the production of digital and print materials

• Working with researchers and colleagues across IPPR to deliver high-quality publications and other outputs

About you

You’ll have a strong interest in editing, design and layout and very strong attention to detail. You’ll be organised and proactive, with the ability to work independently and maintain focus on detailed tasks.

You’ll be a creative problem solver and an excellent communicator, with an approachable, flexible and collaborative style and be confident working with colleagues across the organisation.

You don’t need to have experience of all the programmes we use, but you’ll be keen to learn new skills and systems, including our website CMS Craft, Adobe Creative Cloud, SharePoint, Excel, Flourish and TeamUp. You’ll also have an interest in politics and public policy.

Why join us?

Joining IPPR means being part of a progressive organisation that values work-life balance, professional development and employee wellbeing. We offer generous leave allowances, flexible working arrangements, a matched pension contribution of up to 5.5 per cent, and a collaborative and inclusive culture.

This role is based in our Manchester office. We value the benefits of in-person collaboration and ask staff to spend at least 40 per cent of their working hours in the office, with the remainder able to be worked remotely.

We are committed to flexible working and will consider a range of arrangements for the successful candidate. We’re open to shaping the working pattern around the right person, and arrangements can be discussed at the interview stage.

IPPR is committed to equality of opportunity and welcomes applications from all sections of the community and from applicants with a range of professional and lived experiences. As an organisation engaging in critical debate about a wide range of progressive policy issues, we value the creativity and range of perspectives that a diverse team can provide.

Ready to apply?

For further information and to view the full job description, please click here.

We are keen to fill this role as quickly as possible and are looking for someone who can start this autumn, ideally in October 2026.

We will review applications as they are received and meet with suitable candidates until the role is filled, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible. We will close applications once an appointment has been made.

We’d be grateful if you could also complete our equity, diversity and inclusion monitoring form.