An exciting Senior Designer opportunity has arisen to join the design team within HQ/ Mills & Boon, a division of HarperCollins Publishers, to work on innovative campaigns for some of the leading names in commercial fiction and non-fiction.

The Senior Designer is an integral part of the team who has extensive experience designing book covers and will feel comfortable focusing on a range of genres in book cover design, from commercial to literary/ bookshop covers. This role is ideally suited to an organised and detail focused candidate.

In this role, you will be assisting the Creative Director in managing the workflow of the team and overseeing the workload of the more junior designers and freelancers.

Key tasks and accountabilities:

•   Manage covers from first concepts to production ensuring they are delivered on time and within budget.

• Work with the Creative Director to create solutions to individual briefs and deadlines.

• Create new, innovative, and market-leading cover designs for a range of titles across all genres.

• Help the Creative Director to manage the workload of the junior designers and support where needed.

• Attend weekly Cover Art meetings, and be able to implement editorial changes to covers, and feed back to freelancers effectively.

• Adhere to brand guidelines.

Skills required:

• Excellent knowledge of Adobe suite and being able to source your own images for cover designs.

• Extensive experience working in publishing.

• Experience in designing book covers.

• Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Design Degree or equivalent

• After Effects experience, desirable but not necessary

• Solid experience of freelance management

• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously

• Create innovative, original cover designs.

• Strong communication skills.

• Comprehensive portfolio.

• Ability to multitask, work on own initiative, and work to deadlines.

Benefits 

• Hybrid working model (3 days in the office)

• 28 days holiday plus bank holidays (option to buy and sell holiday days) 

• Enhanced pay for maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave 

• Private healthcare cover and life assurance 

• Summer Hours  

• Free access to HeadSpace, employee assistance programme (24 hour helpline), mental health first aiders, and a wellbeing portal 

• Season ticket loans (from day 1 for entry level) and cycle to work scheme 

• Relocation Rent Support Loan  

• Employee networks: HC All In (open forum), Elevate (for ethnic minority colleagues), HarperParents, Menopause at Work, Pride at HC, Social Mobility Network and Neurodiversity at Work

• Unlimited training on our Learning and Development portal, management courses (up to MA level) and mentoring programmes 

• Virtual GP and eyecare vouchers 

• Gym membership discount 

• Onsite physiotherapy (London only) 

• Charitable donation matching and 2 volunteering days 

• We're a certified Carbon Neutral company

• Green Electric/Hybrid Car Benefit Scheme (salary sacrifice)

• With Trees for Life we plant a tree in the Highlands of Scotland for every permanent hire

• Free e-books and audiobooks, digital newspaper subscriptions and discounts on books 

• Subsidised canteen and retail discounts 

• Onsite prayer room 

If you wish to discuss anything regarding this position and/or your application to this role, please reach out directly to recruitment@harpercollins.co.uk with subject heading ‘Vacancy Query’ plus the job title and we will aim to get back to you within 5 working days.

Please note, if you are interested in the role you would need to submit your application via Applied. We do not accept email applications.