Junior Designer, Cornerstone

Are you at the start of your design career and curious about what makes a book cover irresistible to readers? Do you thrive in creative teams - sharing ideas, asking great questions, and helping to bring projects over the line?

As one of Penguin Random House’s flagship divisions, Cornerstone is behind chart-topping and award-winning books across fiction and non-fiction, working with some of the most exciting and influential voices in book publishing. We’re looking for a creative Junior Designer to join our friendly and fast-paced design team, supporting on a broad mix of cover projects while building the skills and confidence to take on your own briefs.

About the team

Our designers work closely with editorial, marketing and publicity colleagues, as well as authors, agents, freelancers and external partners, to create covers that are both creatively ambitious and commercially effective. You’ll be surrounded by people who love books, care about craft, and enjoy sharing ideas, learning, and making brilliant work together.

The role

This is an entry-level opportunity where your potential and portfolio matter most. You don’t need formal studio experience or specific qualifications - we’re looking for a strong creative eye, curiosity, and a willingness to learn. You’ll support the team across day-to-day design tasks and develop the tools to progress towards owning your own cover briefs.

Key responsibilities:

• Supporting the design team across frontlist and key ongoing titles (from initial concepts through to final artwork)
• Re-designing backlist titles and helping to refresh established brands/series
• Contributing to creative development for established series (evolving look and feel while keeping brand consistency)
• Preparing, artworking and supplying files for print and digital formats, working accurately to schedules
• Staying curious and up to date with design trends in publishing and beyond, bringing references and ideas into the team

What you’ll bring

• A portfolio that shows your creative potential and demonstrates strong visual ideas (this can include student, personal, freelance or passion projects)
• A good working knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite, especially InDesign and Photoshop (Illustrator is a plus)
• An enthusiasm for learning - you try things, ask questions, take feedback well, and enjoy improving your craft
• A collaborative mindset and clear communication - you’ll work with lots of different people and perspectives
• Care and attention to detail - you take pride in accuracy
• An interest in books, culture, and visual storytelling, and how design connects with audiences
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and work to deadlines, staying organised and adaptable
• Ability to work with sudden changes of direction (publishing moves fast!)

Preferred criteria:

• A strong grasp of typography, particularly combining image and type with impact
• Any experience (formal or informal) in a creative environment: studio, in-house, freelance, student publication, etc.
• Skills in illustration, photography, photomanipulation, or artworking for print
• Interest in the commercial side of design - how covers help readers find the right book

Application instructions

Given the high volume of applications we usually receive for junior design roles, your portfolio and cover letter really matter. Anything you can include that shows a genuine interest in book cover design and publishing will help your application stand out - this could be publishing-focused projects in your portfolio, a short reflection on what you love about cover design, or examples of how you’ve explored publishing design in your own time (e.g. redesigns, series explorations, typography studies, or mood boards/process work).

Please apply with your CV and cover letter outlining why you are the right candidate for the role by 11:59pm on Sunday 15th February. Please also include a link to, or PDF of, your portfolio (and/or Instagram/Behance/website - anything that best showcases your work).

Our recruitment process

We aim to be transparent about how we hire. The process is usually three stages, and for successful applicants it will look something like this:

• 1st stage interview with the hiring member and usually one other team member. You’ll discuss your experience, motivation, and what you’re hoping to learn. This will also include a portfolio review and discussion around how you develop ideas, take feedback, and approach design.
• 2nd stage interview which will include a design brief (completed at home within a set timeframe) that you’ll present to the hiring manager and discuss your approach to the work.
• Final interview with the Cornerstone Managing Director.

We’ll share full details and support at each stage, including any reasonable adjustments.

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.

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.

Circa £30,000 dependent on how your skills and experience align to the role, plus bonus and benefits.

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 that you’ll work from our London office a minimum of three days per week.