Designer, Penguin Michael Joseph (6-month FTC)

Michael Joseph publishes some of the world’s most popular authors. We specialise in women’s fiction, crime, thriller, cookery, memoir and lifestyle books. Many of our authors are household names, here in the UK and around the world. We seek out the very best authors in their field and bring their books to the widest possible audience. We take an author’s vision and turn it into a beautiful package people can’t help but talk about. In a crowded market, our books must shine. The role As a Designer you will work closely with the Art Director, studio manager and Senior Designers. Key responsibilities: Creating effective, high-quality designs for a range of titles to meet bespoke creative and commercial briefs. Leading on projects from pitch to print and working with the Art Director to monitor and review the direction of projects to keep on track. Commissioning illustrators/designers and developing their ideas. Keeping on top of budgets and being responsible for ensuring spend is within budget. Read and analyse book text. Planning and management of schedules. Proactively researching innovative design and book ideas, identifying concepts and initiating ideas. Collaborating with key colleagues across the business, including Editorial, Production, Sales and Rights. Effective communication including negotiation skills. What you’ll bring We are looking for a designer with exceptional typographic and layout skills, an amazing design eye and creative flair, plus the ability to turn their ideas into innovative and commercial packages. Essential criteria: A proven track record of developing high quality concepts and designs for book covers across a range of genres and styles, including for high-profile brands and authors. Fluency in InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator. A clear communicator with experience of collaborating with illustrators and other freelancers. Engaged with and motivated by big ideas and the latest trends. Exceptional organisation skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects, all with different lead times. An ability to ensure that all work is delivered to the highest standard and on schedule – and that all administration and file management is up-to-date and accurate. Understand how to create design work for print. Application instructions Please apply with your CV and portfolio outlining your work and why you are the right candidate for the role by 4th of September 2026. Salary Circa £34,000 annually dependent on how your skills and experience align to the role, plus bonus and benefits. This will be pro-rated to the duration of the contract. Disability Confident As a Disability Confident Committed organisation, we offer interviews to candidates with a disability who meet the essential criteria for the role, and opt-in on their application form. The essential criteria for this role are listed as part of the ‘What you’ll bring’ section. There may be times when the volume of applications means we cannot take all eligible candidates to interview. We encourage you to tell us about any reasonable adjustments you may need by emailing PRHCareersUK@penguinrandomhouse.co.uk. Remember, you only need to share what you are comfortable with, for us to support your request. Hybrid working While our offices across the UK are places to connect, collaborate and celebrate with colleagues, we recognise that flexibility around where you work is just as important. For this role we expect you to work at least two days in the office. Use of AI tools Here at Penguin, we believe in the power of authenticity and human creativity. When you apply for a position, we want to encourage you to showcase your unique voice. Throughout our recruitment process, please share your own thoughts, experiences, and skills. This helps us get a true sense of who you are and what you might bring to our team. We celebrate creativity and diverse perspectives, so please be yourself! While we recognise AI tools can be helpful, we recommend using them thoughtfully to ensure your responses reflect you. Disclosure requirements pertaining to the collection of your personal data: Responsible for processing the information provided in your application is the company specified in the job advertisement, with its registered office as indicated. The company processes your data for the purpose of establishing an employment relationship on the basis of Art. 6 (1) b GDPR / Section 26 (1) sentence 1 BDSG. The retention period for your data is determined by the statutory time limits applicable in the respective country, beginning upon completion of the recruitment process. You can find these here . You can contact the company’s Data Protection Officer at the above-mentioned postal address. Further information on data protection and your rights can be found here . Recruiting-Platform powered by SmartRecruiters .