New Testament Scholar, Publishing (Acquisitions)

Description

For more than forty years, Hendrickson Publishers has provided important resources to the church and the academy, beginning with primary source material such as The Works of Josephus. Today, we continue to meet the publication needs of the religious studies academic community worldwide by publishing the latest in the areas of biblical studies, biblical reference, and biblical languages. Our books, written by experts in the field, meet rigorous scholarly standards while remaining accessible. Our ongoing goal is to publish the tools that help scholars understand the biblical text in ways that enrich their thinking and teaching.

In 2021, Hendrickson Publishers joined Tyndale House Publishers as its academic imprint. Together, we have more than seventy years of Christian publishing history. We all share the same mission: To help people better understand the biblical text. Today, our books and Bibles are trusted by millions of readers across the globe. Life-changing tools. Captivating insight. A legacy of service.

Join a close-knit team of academic publishing professionals at Hendrickson, where our shared goal is building a publishing house that truly serves the academic community — helping scholars bring the biblical text to life for their students and lay readers. We value open communication, creative problem-solving, and a culture where team members share expertise and grow together professionally.

In this role, you'll be central to how Hendrickson brings innovative New Testament biblical studies and biblical languages research to our audience of scholars and professors. You'll spend time with New Testament scholars discussing potential book projects, staying current on their research, evaluating proposals, and partnering with authors to develop strong manuscripts. We're looking for a collaborative, motivated team member to join our acquisitions and development group — ideally someone with deep expertise in New Testament studies — to help us grow our publishing list with fresh, compelling titles.

What You'll Do

Acquisitions

• Partner with the Hendrickson team to identify and secure new content for publication.
• Cultivate relationships with scholars across biblical studies to acquire 10–12 strong projects each year.
• Assess manuscript proposals for quality, originality, and overall fit.
• Stay attuned to emerging trends in scholarship and publishing to guide content decisions.
• Contribute to the creation of new academic series and product lines.
• Develop financial and content analysis (Pub Plan) for new projects and present findings to the Publication Committee.
• Weigh in on broader acquisitions strategy.

Product Development

• Guide the development plan for your assigned book projects.
• Collaborate across editorial, design, production, sales, and marketing.
• Generate ideas for new titles, whether pitched to outside scholars or developed in-house.
• Hand off polished manuscripts to the editorial/production team.
• Support approved projects as they move through the publishing pipeline.
• Assist in preparing and reviewing sales and marketing materials.
• Drive the repackaging of backlist titles across Hendrickson's product lines.

Project Management

• Keep authors informed on deadlines, manuscript expectations, and royalty details.
• Build positioning plans in partnership with sales, marketing, and design.
• Take part in shaping cover concepts and design direction.
• Coordinate with editorial, design, and production on scheduling, edits, and costs.
• Maintain strong, consistent communication with authors to build lasting relationships.
• Collaborate closely with the Publishing Director and Editorial Director throughout the publication process.
• Support content editing, copyediting, and product description writing as needed.
• Inform Publishing Director of any risk to delivery or production timelines — manuscript delays, bound-book dates, or other scheduling concerns.

Skills and Qualifications Needed

• BA, ideally in English, biblical studies, marketing, or business.
• MA and/or PhD in biblical languages or biblical/theological studies, with a preference for New Testament focus.
• Five or more years of publishing experience, ideally in acquisitions and/or editorial work.
• Strong familiarity with current scholarship in biblical/theological studies, biblical languages, and New Testament studies.
• Working proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and Adobe Acrobat.
• A self-directed, independent worker who takes initiative.
• Strong interpersonal skills, with tact and negotiation ability.
• Solid organizational skills to juggle multiple projects and timelines at once.
• Quick reader with strong writing ability.
• Available for occasional travel to meet authors or attend annual conferences.
• Personal alignment with and adherence to the Bible as God’s Word, and agreement with our Statement of Faith.
• Following an onboarding period, this position offers a hybrid schedule, splitting time between home and the office.

In addition to your CV/résumé, please include a cover letter telling us why you’re interested in working with us at Hendrickson and why you think this role may be a good fit for you. We look forward to hearing from you!

The hiring range for this position is $65k to $70k annually. Actual offers will take into consideration the candidate’s education, experience, industry knowledge, technical skills, and other relevant factors. A summary of Hendrickson’s comprehensive benefits is: https://www.hendricksonpublishers.com/career-center.