Senior Book Jacket Designer

Harvard University Press (HUP), one of the world’s leading academic publishers, is seeking a talented Senior Book Jacket Designer to join our creative team. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced graphic designer passionate about books, design, and the publishing industry. In this role, you will play a key part in creating visually compelling book covers that reflect our tradition of excellence, while working in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.

As Senior Book Jacket Designer, you will collaborate with the Creative Director and the design team to develop visually distinctive book covers and interiors. You will oversee design projects from concept to completion, managing 10–15 titles per season. Your work will directly contribute to a diverse and impactful portfolio of trade and academic titles.

Job-Specific Responsibilities:

• Design: Create visually striking and captivating covers. Responsible for multiple design concepts to present to the team for feedback and approval.
• Collaboration: Work closely with editors, illustrators, photographers, authors, and the production team to communicate the essence of each book through design. manage multiple projects and meet tight deadlines.
• Freelance Management: Direct freelance illustrators and photographers to produce high-quality designs.
• Feedback & Refinement: Incorporate editorial feedback to ensure the final design aligns with both creative and production standards.
• Production Coordination: Ensure the final designs and mechanicals meet production requirements, including preparing print-ready files and overseeing mechanicals.
• Cultural awareness: Stay current with design, art, and technology trends to produce innovative, market-leading book designs.
• Interior Design: Design several interior design titles per season.
• Special Projects: Design marketing projects connected to book cover and interiors.

This is a 2-year term position.