Careers at Orca Book Publishers
Sales Associate—Special Sales, Gifts and New Business
Salary Range: $50k–$65k. Commensurate with experience.
Orca Book Publishers is seeking an experienced, creative and motivated sales professional to drive growth through special sales channels, the gift market and new revenue opportunities. This role will combine strong account management with an entrepreneurial approach to developing and securing new business.
Orca Book Publishers is a successful, growing, independent Canadian children’s book publisher and distributor, based in Victoria, BC. With 1200 active titles in print and digital formats and 85 new titles each year, we have a vibrant, well-respected publishing program. Orca also distributes titles from more than twenty Canadian publishers—both English and French—in North America. We are looking for a professional, motivated person to join our team. The ideal candidate will bring a passion for books, an interest in sales and a desire to succeed.
Ideally, the successful candidate will be based in Victoria, BC, and work out of our editorial and marketing office. We will consider a remote candidate with the desired mix of experience and ability. Preference will be given to those with a strong understanding and knowledge of the market. The successful applicant will work with Orca’s in-house sales team to grow sales and develop relationships with new and existing accounts for a diverse list of books, including those published by Orca Book Publishers and those from the publishers we distribute.
The ideal candidate will have a broad-based skill set and will bring a knowledge of the sales process, experience selling and interacting with buyers as well as comfort selling children’s content.
Major Focus
- Manage and grow special sales programs and bulk channels (literacy organizations, libraries, curriculum companies, nonprofits, corporate partners and institutional buyers).
- Develop and close bulk order and custom printing opportunities.
- Identify, pitch and secure special projects, including sponsorships and co-branded campaigns.
- Manage gift market with a particular focus on calendar sales.
- Support sales director.
Required skills include:
- 3+ years of experience and a proven track record in book publishing, educational sales or a related industry.
- Strong relationship management skills with major accounts.
- Demonstrated ability to identify trends, conceive new sales initiatives and bring ideas from concept to execution.
- Comfort with bulk pricing, quoting, and coordinating special requirements (custom printing, program needs, timelines).
- Excellent communication, negotiation and presentation skills.
- Ability to manage multiple projects, prioritize effectively and meet deadlines.
- Entrepreneurial thinker who sees opportunities others miss.
- Skilled at both strategic planning and hands-on selling.
- Comfortable initiating conversations with new markets and decision makers.
Orca offers a competitive wage and benefits package, including extended medical and an RRSP matching program.
Orca is an inclusive employer with a passion for books that matter. We are committed to ensuring that young readers see themselves reflected in the books they read. We aim to produce books that illuminate the experiences of people of all ethnicities, people with disabilities and people who identify as LGBTQ+. We have a particular interest in publishing books that celebrate the lives of Indigenous people. Our fiction includes characters from diverse backgrounds and unique family structures, and our global nonfiction celebrates the variety of ways people live and educates readers about important issues. Providing young people with exposure to diversity and the opportunity for social change through reading creates a more compassionate world. We encourage applicants to learn more about us at www.orcabook.com.
We encourage candidates to self-identify in their application, as we will take that information into consideration in our hiring process. Requests for accommodation due to disability can be made at any stage in the recruitment process.
Only Canadian residents need apply.
Please send resume and cover letter by February 25, 2026, via email to jobs@orcabook.com. We thank all who apply; only those candidates who are short-listed will be contacted.
