Schools Engagement Lead, Children's Booker Prize

Schools Engagement Lead, Children's Booker Prize

The Booker Prize Foundation

Contract and location: Fixed term for 1 year; 3 days a week; UK-based hybrid working with minimum number of days per week in the London office to be agreed on contract

Salary: £30,000 (FTE of £50,000)

Reporting to: Children's Prize Manager

Application details: Email covering letter (two pages maximum) and CV via the button below.

Deadline for applications: Midnight, Wednesday, 11 February 2026

The role

We are inviting applications for a new position - Schools Engagement Lead - for the Children's Booker Prize supported by AKO Foundation, which launches this spring. The successful candidate will be on a fixed term contract for one year at the Booker Prize Foundation with responsibility for developing and delivering a schools and education strategy which enables the prize to reach children aged eight to 12. We are looking for an organised, driven and collegiate individual, who has demonstrable experience of working with brands or charities on engaging schools and educational organisations in their work, as well as a passion for children's literature and promoting reading for pleasure among young audiences. They will report to the Children's Prize Manager and have support from the team Administrative Assistant - roles both currently being recruited.

About the Booker Prize Foundation and the Children's Booker Prize

The Booker Prize Foundation is a registered charity, established in 2002, which is responsible for awarding the Booker Prize, the International Booker Prize and now the Children's Booker Prize. It exists to inspire more people to read the world's best fiction, driven by a simple belief: that great fiction not only brings joy to millions but has the power to change the way we think about the world. Our aim is to foster a love of reading and to support writers and readers of the future.

The Booker Prizes occupy a unique position in the literary sphere, enjoying an enviable reputation as a cultural institution that is highly respected, much loved and hotly debated throughout the world. Over the past 50 years, almost 700 extraordinary books have been brought to the attention of the public, influencing reading tastes and transforming culture in Britain and beyond, along with the careers of hundreds of authors from around the globe. In adding a year-round, far-reaching digital portfolio, the Booker Prizes are now the globally recognised home of great writing.

This spring, the Booker Prize Foundation is launching the Children's Booker Prize supported by AKO Foundation. It is the first prize for children's fiction and the first major new prize from the Booker Prize Foundation in two decades.

The Children's Booker Prize, which will be awarded annually from 2027, will celebrate the best contemporary fiction for children aged eight to 12 years old, written in or translated into English and published in the UK and/or Ireland. The aim of the prize is to engage and grow a new generation of readers by recognising and championing the best children's fiction from writers around the world.

The founding partner and principal funder of the Children's Booker Prize is AKO Foundation, a grant-giving charitable foundation focused on supporting charities that improve education and the wellbeing of young people, promote the arts, and combat the climate emergency. AKO Foundation has generously committed to supporting the prize for its first three years. The development of the prize over the last three years has been made possible with thanks to donations from a small group of philanthropic supporters.

The inaugural £50,000 award for children's fiction will open for submissions in spring 2026, with the shortlist of eight books chosen by a panel of adult judges, chaired by the UK's Children's Laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce, announced in November 2026. The winner, to be announced in February 2027, will be selected by a combined panel of judges, with three child judges joining the adults. At least 30,000 copies of the shortlisted and winning books will be gifted to ensure more children can own and read the world's best fiction.

Visit for more information

Schools Engagement Lead's key responsibilities

• Work closely with the Director of Prizes and the newly appointed Children's Prize Manager to develop and deliver a strategy to engage primary and secondary schools and educational organisations with the Children's Booker Prize to reach children aged eight to 12
• Oversee the recruitment plan for three child judges, aged eight to 12, working closely with schools, and other partners, to encourage sign-up. The children will be responsible for reading the shortlist of eight books and selecting the winner of the Children's Booker Prize alongside three adult judges.
• Help develop and manage child protection and safeguarding policies
• Build and manage partnerships with schools, libraries, and educational organisations to integrate the prize into learning environments.
• Manage ongoing liaison with Beano Brain to consult directly with children on the development of the prize
• Work closely with the Booker Prize Foundation's content team to create resources, programming and digital content that fosters a love of reading among children and encourages them to engage with the books nominated for the Children's Booker Prize
• Drive school sign-up for resources and for physical and virtual attendance of the prize ceremony, and coordinate any additional schools events/author visits
• Encourage buy-in of the Children's Booker Prize shortlist and winner in school and public libraries
• Manage schools and family data in the CRM database
• Work closely with the Children's Prize Manager on the evaluation of the impact of the prize in partnership with the National Literacy Trust
• Report on engagement results and develop future plans based on learnings.

The ideal candidate will have:

• Proven experience of developing and evaluating school and education and engagement strategies for brands or charities, with examples of successful campaigns and events they have delivered
• Excellent verbal and written communication, with the ability to engage and motivate diverse audiences, including children
• The capability to build relationships with school senior leadership, teachers, librarians, young people and delivery partners in the sector
• A thorough understanding of the UK school system, curriculum and current educational challenges
• Strong attention to detail, the ability to multi-task and work with multiple teams
• A strategic and creative approach to audience development with children, their families and educators through marketing, communications and events
• Up-to-date knowledge of safeguarding procedures, child protection, relevant legislation and GDPR
• Proficiency in using CRM software and collating and presenting information using Microsoft Office, and the ability to work collaboratively with colleagues using systems including Asana and Slack
• Passion for children's literature and for promoting reading for pleasure among young audiences.

It would be desirable for the candidate to have:

• Knowledge of the children's publishing sector, as well as current trends in children's literature

How to apply

Please send a covering letter of no more than two pages outlining your suitability for the role and a CV by midnight on Wednesday, 11 February via the button below. In your covering letter, please explain why you are interested in the position and how your experience and skills match what we are looking for.

We welcome and encourage applications from candidates who are under-represented in the creative industries.

Candidates will be invited to interview on 25 February, although this is subject to change.