Description
You will lead the visual direction for our publishing house, covering book covers, interiors, branding and marketing collateral.
Role overview
This is a hands-on, strategic role: you will take design briefs from concept to final production, commission and manage external creatives (illustrators, photographers, typographers), and ensure our house style and brand identity remain distinctive and high-quality across all outputs. You'll work closely with Editorial, Marketing and Sales to ensure the visual execution supports the business goals and the author list.
What we offer
- A rare senior design role in a mission driven independent publishing house, where your work will shape our visual identity.
- Creative autonomy: you'll influence strategy and execution, not just follow a brief.
- Hybrid working flexibility and a supportive environment.
- Opportunity to grow with the business, drive new initiatives (rebrand, imprint visuals, marketing collateral).
- Training / development opportunities and working alongside a close-knit team where every title matters.
Benefits
Saqi offers the following competitive benefits package:
- Hybrid working
- Flexible working
- 32 days' Holiday including bank holidays
- Discretionary annual bonus
- Contributory pension scheme
- Birthday Leave / Personal Day
- Paid Volunteer Day
- The role is full time / 4 days a week, dependent. Salary pro rata
- Significant experience (5-8 years) in book publishing design (covers and/or interiors) or a closely related field.
- Proven portfolio of high quality work: covers, series branding, interiors, creative use of typography/image.
- Proficient in Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator) and comfortable handing print and digital production specs.
- Strong organisational, time-management and multitasking skills; ability to drive multiple design projects concurrently.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder-management skills (working with editors, authors, production, marketing).
- Comfortable commissioning and managing freelancers/creatives and negotiating within budgets.
Preferred
- Experience in a small/independent press environment (where hands-on, multi-tasking and creative autonomy are valued).
- Experience with marketing design.
- Develop cover design concepts in collaboration with editors and authors; produce final artwork ready for print and digital.
- Design interior layouts: typesetting, image placement, print specification, ensuring consistency and quality.
- Drive the visual identity for imprints/series; maintain brand systems, templates and ensure cohesion across titles and marketing materials.
- Commission and manage external creatives (illustrators, photographers, designers) including briefs, budget, timelines and quality control.
- Liaise with printers and other suppliers on book and shipping specifications.
- Collaborate with Marketing to supply design assets (catalogues, online banners, social media visuals, event materials).
- Manage the design workflow: scheduling, prioritising titles, tracking status, ensuring deadlines are met.
Please send your CV, a cover letter outlining why youâre excited by this role and a link or PDF portfolio (10â15 pages) showcasing relevant bookâcover, interior and/or branding work to [email protected].