Art Director (12 month FTC)

Who we are and what we do

We were created over three decades ago to deliver the brightest and best entertainment. Story – real and imagined – lies at the heart of everything for us. We delight in seeking out storytellers and story lovers everywhere. We're serious about keeping people entertained and believe our books should be devoured, not left on the shelf. Headline is a division of Hachette, one of the largest publishing groups in the UK, with 10 publishing divisions and over 60 imprints. Everyone here is proud to be in the business of opening doors and minds.

What you'll be doing

We have an opportunity for a confident and capable Art Director, with a number of years experience in book publishing, to join our Creative team for a 12 month contract. You’ll be a key member of our team of highly creative and well regarded designers working on a diverse range of book titles, handling the creative process from initial brief to final artwork. You’ll work closely with the rest of the in-house design team, many outside illustrators, photographers and other designers. You will also be developing great working relationships with our editorial teams where strong skills in conveying ideas and effectively interpreting feedback will be key, and working closely with our skilled production team to ensure our books look and feel as good as possible.

Who we are looking for

We are looking for a highly creative and skilled designer with proven experience, and a portfolio of work that demonstrates all your design talents. You should have a keen interest in working on all areas of commercial publishing, from women’s fiction and literary fiction, to leading sports biographies and popular culture and should have a love for problem solving, possess great communication skills and have excellent abilities to creatively respond to feedback. Strong Adobe Creative Suite skills and an established knowledge of print and digital reproduction know-how is also essential.

In your application, please submit your CV, Cover Letter and Portfolio of recent work (which is in the cover letter section).

What we offer

• 28 annual leave days per year, increases to 29 days after 2 years’ service and goes up to 30 days after 5 years’ (+ bank holidays)
• Generous pension schemes
• Rent deposit loans
• 2 community days per year
• Summer hours (finishing at 1pm on Fridays during the summer months)
• Retail discounts through Hachette rewards
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Eye care vouchers
• Wide-ranging training library
• Development programmes (including mentoring)
• Up to 70% off book purchases
• A charity bookshelf
• An active range of staff-led employee networks that are voluntary, including AgeWise, Gender Balance, Thrive, Pride, All Together, Wellbeing, Women in Tech and religious networks
• Season ticket loans
• And much more!

The role will be based at our London or Sheffield office, with a blend of in-office (3 days) and homeworking (2 days) per week.

Our commitment

Hachette employs people on the basis of their abilities. We aim to attract and develop talent from a base as broad as the world of readers we want to reach, with a wide and representative range of age, faith, disability, race, gender, sexuality and socio-economic, regional and cultural backgrounds. We want everyone to have the opportunity to perform at their best during our recruitment process. If you need any adjustments, you can let us know at the ‘Reasonable Adjustments’ section of your application. We’ll make sure you’re supported throughout the process.

The Book Trade Charity offers financial support to people looking to enter the book trade but who may struggle to afford the costs of attending interviews and undertaking junior roles. For more information visit www.booktradeentrysupport.org