Designer, Children's Publishing Division

About the Company

Simon & Schuster is a major international publishing business that produces fiction and non-fiction across print, digital, and audio. Its portfolio includes many widely recognized authors and award-winning titles, along with a range of established imprints and divisions such as Simon & Schuster, Scribner, Atria Books, Gallery Books, Adams Media, Avid Reader Press, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, and Simon & Schuster Audio. The company also operates in Australia, Canada, India, and the United Kingdom, and its books reach readers in more than 200 countries and territories.

Role Overview

This position is a hands-on creative role focused on producing high-quality fiction covers and interiors for Simon & Schuster Children’s Books. The work must be delivered to a high standard, on schedule, and in line with the approved brief. The role combines design innovation, pre-press preparation, and the practical administrative elements involved in making books, while working closely with the fiction Art Director, editors, and fellow designers.

What the Role Involves

You will take projects from brief through to print, ensuring they stay within budget and timeline. The role also includes commissioning illustrators, negotiating contributor agreements, and keeping stakeholders updated on project status throughout the workflow.

You will collaborate with Production, Sales & Marketing, Rights, freelance designers, and external suppliers, while also supporting the wider design team with departmental needs.

Another key part of the job is applying house and brand style guidelines consistently across design work, creating and supplying marketing assets for both print and digital use, maintaining bibliographic records, keeping artwork and archives organized, preparing press-ready digital files to printer requirements, and staying current with illustrators, agents, market developments, and competitor activity.

Candidate Profile

The preferred applicant will bring strong knowledge of illustration, design, creative agencies, and current visual trends, along with excellent communication and people skills. The role calls for someone who can work well across teams and with external contributors, manage time effectively, stay organized, handle several projects and deadlines at once, and take a proactive, team-oriented approach. Strong creative problem-solving skills are also important, as are adaptability, reliability, and the ability to perform well in a busy, fast-moving setting.

Experience and Qualifications

A suitable candidate should ideally have 3–4 years of experience commissioning artwork and managing creative contributors. Experience preparing and converting digital files for print production is also required, along with experience managing, or helping manage, schedules and project workflows.

A formal design qualification is strongly preferred, though equivalent experience in a design environment will also be considered.

Salary

The starting salary is £31,000.

Application Requirements

Applicants should submit a CV, examples of their work, and a cover letter.

Work Authorization

Candidates must have the legal right to work in the UK. Applications cannot be considered from individuals who need visa sponsorship. Right-to-work checks are completed for candidates at the offer stage.

Equal Opportunity Statement

The employer is committed to equal opportunity and inclusion in the workplace. Hiring decisions are made regardless of race, colour, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, creed, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship status, marital status, disability, gender identity, or gender expression. The organization believes opportunity, access, resources, and rewards should be available to everyone.

Employment Terms

Anyone hired into this role will be employed by Simon & Schuster UK Ltd and will be covered by all applicable company policies, including the Workplace Privacy Notice, and will be eligible only for the benefits plans offered through that entity.

Application Deadline

The closing date for applications is 09/06/2026.