Overview
In this Senior Designer role, you will lead the design of market-leading book covers and special editions for Canelo and bespoke projects, shaping visual identity across Fiction and non-fiction. You will collaborate with editors, production, sales, and marketing to deliver print-ready assets and oversee freelance designers, driving innovation and commercial impact. You’ll own high-profile jacket designs, supervise end-to-end production, and push creative boundaries within a dynamic team. This is an opportunity to influence how readers experience DK’s books and to contribute to a fast-paced, cross-functional creative process.
Pay / Benefits
- 25 days holiday + bank holidays
- generous pension scheme
- volunteering policy and charity matching
- employee assistance programme
- 70% discount on company books
- cycle to work scheme and discounted gym membership
Responsibilities
- Design market-leading covers for Canelo and bespoke editions; ensure print-ready files
- Oversee freelance cover design alongside Commissioning Editors and expand freelance pool
- Lead bespoke design of special editions and box sets with premium finishes
- Present designs in jacket meetings and collect feedback from internal and external stakeholders
- Present covers in global Sales Jacket Meeting and coordinate with Editorial, Production, Sales, Marketing & PR
- Create and maintain sales/presentation assets for key markets; support Marketing & PR initiatives
- Serve as primary design contact for both imprints; negotiate terms with external suppliers and monitor budgets/schedules
Key requirements
- Proven experience designing standout fiction and non-fiction covers from conception to print in fast-paced environments
- High proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator)
- Exceptional eye for detail, visual literacy, and artwork management
- Strong typographic skills
- Experience commissioning illustration and preferably photography
- In-depth knowledge of print processes, color management, and pre-production file setup
- Strong commercial awareness to anticipate market trends and tailor designs
- Excellent time and stakeholder management to balance multiple high-priority projects
- ambitious
- proactive
- collaborative
- Adobe Creative Suite
- typography
- print production
Canelo & Sourcebooks - Senior Designer in London employer: Bertelsmann
At DK, we pride ourselves on being an excellent employer that fosters a collaborative and innovative work culture. Our hybrid working model allows for flexibility while providing ample opportunities for professional growth and development within the finance sector. Join us in the UK, where you will be part of a supportive team dedicated to making a meaningful impact in the publishing industry.
