Senior Publishing Designer

Senior Publishing Designer
Client: Publishing Company
Department: Design
Hours: Full-time, 9:30am- 5:30pm U.K. Time
Seniority Level: Senior or Executive
Salary: From GBP 950 monthly (TBD)

Role Overview

We are looking for a highly capable Publishing Designer to support the design and production of children’s books, accessible reading materials, licensed projects, annuals, symbolised texts, and related visual assets.
This role is best suited to a confident, creative and detail-focused designer who can take clear briefs, work quickly, produce visually strong layouts, and contribute ideas where appropriate. The client is not necessarily looking for someone who has come directly from a traditional publishing background. Instead, the priority is finding a strong layout designer with excellent Adobe skills, a creative eye, the ability to follow detailed briefs, and the confidence to speak up when something can be improved.

The formal UK role requires a Senior Designer who can lead visual development, manage publishing projects from concept to production, collaborate with editorial, production, marketing and external partners, maintain accessible publishing standards, and prepare technically accurate print-ready files. The meeting added further context that the client wants someone who can “make it look fabulous” when given assets, layouts and direction, particularly across creative children’s books, annuals and accessible formats.

About the Client

We are an award-winning children’s publisher based in the U.K. The wider group also includes a major online books retailer. We have a strong mission around inclusive reading and produces books for children across a broad range of needs, including specialist accessible books for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.
We are highly inclusive, fast-moving, commercially focused and creatively ambitious. We want someone who can become part of the team remotely, communicate well, and contribute to a business that is willing to do things differently from traditional publishers.

Core Purpose of the Role
The designer will support the visual execution of high-quality children’s publishing projects, helping the internal team bring books, layouts, covers, symbols, marketing assets and print-ready files to life.

The role will involve:
Turning detailed briefs, supplied assets and page plans into polished book layouts.
Designing children’s publishing materials that are visually engaging, commercial and age-appropriate.
Supporting accessible publishing projects, including symbolised texts and SEND-focused formats.
Preparing print-ready artwork with strong technical accuracy.
Working across covers, internal layouts, annuals, licensed projects, promotional materials and digital assets.
Collaborating with editors, writers, production, marketing and design tea ---------- mbers.
Bringing ideas to the table when appropriate, while still being able to follow direction closely.

Key Responsibilities

Design & Layout
Design book layouts for children’s publishing projects.
Create covers, internal spreads, visual assets, annual-style layouts and supporting sales/marketing materials.
Work from supplied assets, flatplans, editorial direction and page-by-page briefs.
Maintain visual consistency across titles, imprints, series and licensed brands.
Produce engaging layouts suitable for children, young readers and accessible reading audiences.
Support special design tasks such as artworking, colour correction, resizing, resending artwork and adapting existing files.

Accessible & Inclusive Publishing
Support the accessible books range.
Help create and maintain symbolised texts and accessible formats.
Design new symbols where required, following editorial and SEND-specialist guidance.
Maintain consistency within the symbol library / symbol dictionary.
Understand the importance of accessibility, clear typography and inclusive design.

Print Production & Technical Artwork
Prepare print-ready files to the required technical specifications.
Ensure files follow correct printing guidelines.
Set up finishing layers where needed, including spot UV, foil, embossing or similar finishes.
Review proofs and check that quality-control standards are met.
Ensure accuracy across typography, layout, image placement, file setup and final artwork delivery.

Collaboration & Communication
Work closely with editors, writers, production teams, marketing and other designers.
Take part in development or visualisation meetings when needed.
Communicate clearly if deadlines, quality or production requirements are at risk.
Be comfortable receiving constructive feedback and making changes quickly.
Speak up when something does not look right or when a better design solution is possible.

Creative Contribution
Bring creative ideas to the table where appropriate.
Contribute to project development rather than only completing isolated design tasks.
Be confident enough to suggest improvements while remaining collaborative and easy to work with.
Support the team’s fast-paced, commercially focused approach.

Required Skills & Experience

**Essential
Strong experience in layout design, ideally within publishing, editorial design, print design, children’s products, stationery, educational materials, magazines, books or similar.

Advanced Adobe Creative Suite skills, especially (ALL REQUIRED)
-Adobe InDesign
-Adobe Illustrator
-Adobe Photoshop

Excellent layout, typography and visual composition skills.
Strong portfolio showing high-quality layout and design work.
Good understanding of print production and preparing final artwork.
Ability to work quickly while maintaining strong design standards.
Excellent attention to detail.
Strong communication skills.
Ability to follow detailed briefs and work independently.
Confidence to ask questions, challenge constructively and raise concerns when needed.
Ability to take feedback positively and apply it quickly.
Strong time management and ability to handle multiple projects.
InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop are the key required tools.
Layout design experience “in any capacity” would be highly relevant.

**Desirable Skills
Experience in children’s publishing or children’s product design.
Experience with accessible reading, SEND materials, symbolised texts or inclusive design.
Experience with licensed projects and working from brand/style guides.
Experience preparing books, magazines, annuals or educational content for print.
Experience using publishing or project management systems such as Stison.
Familiarity with Slack or similar internal communication tools.
Basic animation or Adobe After Effects experience would be useful but is not essential.
Experience contributing ideas in creative development meetings.
Experience mentoring junior designers or supporting other creatives.

Stison, Slack and After Effects are useful but not essential.
After Effects is specifically positioned as a “nice to have” because the team sometimes uses animation.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is not just a technical designer. They should be someone who has creative judgement, confidence and a practical mindset.
The client is looking for someone similar to a high-performing existing designer in the business: someone who can be given a brief, understand the desired outcome, produce something strong, take feedback well, and make work look polished without needing excessive hand-holding.

They should be:
Creative and visually strong.
Fast, practical and commercially aware.
Detail-oriented without becoming too slow.
Confident enough to have their own voice.
Comfortable speaking up if something is not right.
Able to balance speed and quality.
Positive, proactive and can-do.
Able to follow a process from beginning to end.
Comfortable working with a fast-moving, informal and highly inclusive team.
Open to constructive criticism.
Team-oriented and easy to communicate with.
We emphasize that we want someone with a “can-do attitude”, confidence, and their “own voice”, rather than someone passive who simply waits for instructions. We also want to make it clear that the role requires someone who can balance speed and quality, and who can confidently say when a rushed deadline may affect the final standard.

Working Style & Communication

We operate in a fast-paced environment where projects need to move quickly. The designer should be able to receive a clear brief, produce work efficiently, respond quickly to feedback and maintain high standards.
The team is open to the Remote Specialist working Philippines-based hours, provided communication works well. However, occasional overlap with the UK team will be useful, especially for calls where it is quicker to explain or show a task live.

The successful candidate should be comfortable:
Joining calls when needed.
Receiving visual feedback.
Making quick amendments.
Working from detailed briefs.
Communicating progress clearly.
Asking sensible questions.
Being treated as part of the wider team, not just an outsourced freelancer.

Portfolio Requirements

Candidates should provide a portfolio showing relevant design work. Strong examples may include:
Book layouts
Children’s book designs
Magazine or editorial layouts
Educational resources
Annuals or activity books
Covers
Print-ready artwork
Character-led or illustration-heavy layouts
Accessible or inclusive design projects
Product, stationery or packaging layouts where strong design judgement is evident
Publishing experience is beneficial, but not mandatory if the candidate has strong layout design ability and a portfolio that shows they can adapt to children’s publishing.

How to apply:
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