Job Description
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers is seeking to hire a Senior Designer. This role will primarily be responsible for the design of middle grade, chapter book, young adult, and new adult fiction titles for the Little, Brown Books for Young Readers novel list. This person will carry each project through the design process, including conception, execution, approval, and transmitting files to Production.
This is a NYC based role. Please note our current hybrid model is two days per week in the office. Effective in January 2025, HBG’s hybrid model will be 3 days in-office, 2 days working from home.
Please apply with a cover letter and resume.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Work closely with Associate Creative Director, Art Director, and Editorial in the design and production of jackets, covers, and interiors (which includes creating sample pages, preparing files to go to the compositor, and/or typesetting files in-house as needed).
- Work closely with illustrators, photographers, and freelancers in the creation of cover and interior artwork, from sketches to final art.
- Oversee out-of-house freelance designers as necessary
- Work with Associate Creative Director and Art Director to determine appropriate budgets and scopes of work for each title.
- Work closely with the Associate Creative Director and Art Director to schedule and prepare materials for jacket meetings, as well as Sales and Marketing meetings.
- Ensure all covers and related sales assets are uploaded into HBG’s proprietary asset management database (Aprimo) and archive documents appropriately.
- Assist in managing a master schedule of books to make sure key production, marketing and sales milestone dates are met, as well as the creation of sales materials.
- Create select advertising and promotional materials as needed for custom publishing or retail promotions.
- Perform other duties as assigned by the Associate Creative Director, the Art Director, or Department Head
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES REQUIRED:
- Bachelor’s degree in art/design preferred
- Minimum of 5 years experience in book publishing design required — experience in children’s books preferred.
- Knowledge of typography, illustration, and photography
- Proficiency in InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator required; working knowledge of PDF workflow a plus.
- Ability to execute a broad range of designs that are appropriate for various age groups and formats (young adult, middle grade, chapter book, new adult), as well as literary and commercial markets.
- Ability to attend to details and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, deadline driven environment
- Strong communication skills (verbal and written) with the aptitude to communicate effectively in both individual and group settings regardless of audience
- Ability to manage in-house and out-of-house artists and freelancers
- Ability to take direction yet maintain intuition
- Solid print production experience required. (Experience with digital production preferred)
As a leading book publisher, we believe that including and representing diverse voices in all aspects of our business is fundamental to what we do. Our publishing programs must reflect the broad range of backgrounds, experiences, political views and ideas that shape our society and publish books for all readers.
Hachette Book Group provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.
The compensation for this position is $65,000-$75,000. Salary can vary based on a number of factors including skills, experience, and location — talk with your recruiter to learn more. There may be times that you will be required (or requested) to work overtime due to the nature of your role or exceptional workload issues or special projects.
The following benefits are offered by the company: medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life, short-term and long-term disability, accidental death and dismemberment, critical illness, hospital indemnity, long-term care, health and dependent care FSA, commuter benefit plan, employee assistance program, tuition reimbursement, travel assistance, 401(k), discretionary bonus program, PTO (15 vacation days, 3 personal days, 10 holidays and generous sick leave) and group discounts on auto and home insurance and legal services. Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification, hours worked and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms.