Location: The role will be based at our Redfern centre, with the prospect to work from our Parramatta centre occasionally.

Term: Part-time, 22.8 hours (three days) per week beginning around the 11th of January 2027. One of the three work days must be a Tuesday; the other two work days can be either a Monday, Wednesday or Thursday. The role is a parental leave cover, for 12 months, with a three month probation period.

Reports to: Communications & Publishing Lead

Direct Reports: 0

Salary: Base salary of $54,337 per annum for this 0.6 FTE three day a week position (based on a full-time equivalent salary of $90,562 per annum) plus superannuation. Fringe benefit is available, providing up to an additional $15,900 per year tax free if eligible. For more information, click here.

ABOUT STORY FACTORY:

At Story Factory, we believe that stories can change lives. We focus on enriching the lives of young people in under-resourced communities through quality creative writing programs, improving their writing skills, increasing their confidence and expanding their future prospects. Reading is access but writing is agency.

Story Factory runs a wide variety of fun and engaging creative writing programs at primary and high schools across Sydney and Western Sydney, at our centres in Redfern and Parramatta, and digitally across Australia. We have also just opened a new centre in Bidwill, Mount Druitt in April 2026.

Since opening in 2012, our achievements include:

- 80,000+ student enrolments, with more than 10,000 enrolments in 2025;

- 15% of students are Indigenous and 49% are from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds;

- Recognition of our work with multiple awards, including a Secretary’s Award for Excellence in the 2018 Public Education Foundation Awards, and Executive Director and Co-founder Catherine Keenan AM being named the 2016 Australian of the Year Local Hero.

Six core values guide us and the work we do. They are:

- Young people come first

- Writing is agency

- Creativity unleashes potential

- Diversity makes us better

- We have high expectations of ourselves and the young people we work with

- We have heart, passion matters.

We are currently in the fourth year of a five-year strategy that will see us grow the reach and impact of our work. A key part of this was opening our new hub for our work in Bidwill, Mount Druitt in April 2026, to consolidate and deepen the work we’ve been doing in that area for many years.

If you would like further information visit: https://www.storyfactory.org.au or read through the following documents (please note, you will not be expected to have read these for the interview).

- To view the Theory of Change, click here.

- To view the current strategic plan, click here.

- To view the Story Factory Reconciliation Action Plan, click here.





- To view the latest Annual Report, click here.

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE:

This is a fixed-term, part-time, three day a week parental leave cover role. The Publishing and Production Manager (parental leave cover) manages the publication of stories by young people enrolled in Story Factory programs, in professionally published books, as well as digital formats. The role also manages the logistics of Special Projects, which are large-scale projects involving multiple schools and in partnership with other organisations and artists. Responsibilities for Special Projects include project management and managing the production of public outcomes such as books, exhibitions or performances. This role is closely aligned with our strategic goal of amplifying young people’s voices to wider audiences.

The Publishing and Production Manager (parental leave cover) will be based at our Redfern centre as this is where our bookshop is located, at least initially. But will have the option to work at our Parramatta centre occasionally.

Story Factory is a Child Safe Organisation. The successful applicant must undertake a Police Check and Working with Children Check prior to commencement. The Publishing & Production Manager will be expected to follow our Code of Conduct and Child-Safety Policy at all times, complete our child safety training, and be a role model for the Story Factory community in all matters of child safety.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Manage the production of professionally published Story Factory anthologies, novellas and poetry chapbooks for our year-long poetry and novella programs.

2. Project manage end-to-end logistics of all book launch events (Special Projects and Year of the Novella (YoN) and Year of Poetry (YoP) from inception, delivery, and legacy. Ensure collaboration across the organisation, with project partners and with creative freelancers, and the timely completion of all book publications and book launch events to a very high standard. The Special Projects Manager (for Special Projects launches) and the Open Programs Manager (for YoP and YoN launches) are responsible for setting the high-level launch structure and date for the Publishing and Production Manager to work within.

3. Brief and manage the design and editorial process for all Story Factory publications, including liaising with external providers such as designers, typesetters, editors, publishers and printers.

4.



In collaboration with the Communications and Publishing Lead and Special Projects Manager, develop creative strategies to promote student work across multiple formats (print, audio and video).

5. Manage the bookshop (online and at our Redfern centre), including stock control, dispatching online orders and ensuring our physical book shop space in Redfern is well-organised and showcases our latest work.

6. Visit schools as needed to support Storytellers in design and publication workshops.

7. Manage data for all Story Factory publications are across various platforms eg. Shopify, Ingram, Google Drive and Salesforce.

8. Promote and distribute publications to schools, libraries and the wider community.

9. Assist with in-house book publication at the end of each term in our School Programs, supporting sStorytellers with layouts, and covers.

SELECTION CRITERIA:

Essential

- Experience in publishing or a similar creative field.

- Familiarity with managing the production of printed and digital publications to a professional standard.

- Proven ability to manage projects from inception to delivery, meeting deadlines and coordinating multiple stakeholders.

- Proven ability to manage a busy workflow and to prioritise multiple, competing deadlines.

- Proven ability to find, engage and manage freelance contractors for the duration of their term of engagement.

Desirable

- Experience in copy editing.

- Experience in Adobe suite (specifically InDesign and Illustrator).

- Insight grounded in lived experience or community connection is considered an asset.

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY

At Story Factory, we embrace differences in gender, age, ethnicity, race, cultural background, disability, religion and sexual orientation. We know that diversity and inclusion helps us to attract, recruit, engage and retain a team of talented people.

We welcome applicants with relevant lived experience or cultural knowledge that may enrich our programs and strengthen our engagement with young people. Lived experience may include migration, disability or neurodivergence, socio-economic disadvantage, caring responsibilities, trauma, LGBTQIA+ identity or other experiences that shape how you understand and support young people.

We encourage people from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and culturally diverse backgrounds to apply. Residents of Greater Western Sydney are particularly encouraged to apply.

If you require specific support to apply for this position, please email [email protected]. We will work with you to identify the best way to assist you.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply for this role, please submit your CV and a cover letter addressing the selection criteria below.

Applications close at 9am on 17th November 2026.

📌 Publishing & Production Manager (parental leave cover from Jan 2027) (New South Wales)
🏢 Story Factory
📍 New South Wales