Canelo & Sourcebooks - Senior Designer

Critical Playground LLC; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days holiday + bank holidays

Generous pension scheme

Volunteer policy and charity matching

Employee assistance programme

70% discount on company books

Cycle to work scheme

Job summary

DK is seeking a Senior Designer to shape the visual identity for its dynamic fiction and non‑fiction titles. You will lead on cover design for Canelo and custom projects, coordinating with editors and freelance designers to deliver print-ready files.

In this hybrid London role, you will drive premium finishes for special editions, oversee artwork procurement, and collaborate across Editorial, Production, Sales and Marketing to ensure end-to-end project success.

Qualifications

• Proven experience designing standout fiction and non-fiction covers from concept to print.
• Strong eye for detail and a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Experience commissioning illustration and photography is a plus.
• Knowledge of print processes, color management, and pre-production file setup.

Responsibilities

• Design market-leading covers for Canelo and bespoke editions.
• Oversee freelance cover design and expand the freelance designer pool.
• Lead design for special editions and box sets with premium finishes.
• Present designs at jacket meetings and gather feedback.
• Collaborate with Editorial, Production, Sales, and Marketing teams.
• Maintain sales/presentation assets for key markets and support marketing.
• Negotiate terms with external suppliers and manage budgets.

Skills

Design leadership

Typography

Stakeholder management

Visual literacy

Picture research

Tools

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe InDesign

Adobe Illustrator

Job description

Are you ready to shape the visual identity of dynamic fiction and non-fiction books? We're looking for a standout Senior Designer to create striking, market-leading book covers and special editions across our Canelo and fiction custom projects.

You’ll take the lead on design, bringing flair, innovation, and wow-factor to every single project. It’s a fantastic opportunity to push visual boundaries and shape the creative vision within a passionate and dynamic team.

Key responsibilities include (but are not limited to):

• Designing market-leading covers for Canelo, ensuring creative excellence and accurately preparing and delivering print-ready files.
• Alongside Commissioning Editors, overseeing freelance cover design while actively researching and expanding our freelance designer pool.
• Leading the bespoke design and execution of special editions and box sets for retailers, including sprayed or printed edges, custom endpapers, and premium finishes.
• Attending divisional jacket meetings to present designs and gather feedback on both in-house and freelance covers.
• Presenting covers at the weekly global Sales Jacket Meeting.
• Collaborating with Editorial, Production, Sales, and Marketing & PR teams to ensure smooth end-to-end project completion across multiple titles.
• Creating, updating, and maintaining accurate sales and presentation assets for key markets, and actively supporting Marketing & PR initiatives.
• Serving as the primary point of contact for all design-related queries across both imprints.
• Negotiating competitive terms and rates with external suppliers and monitoring workflows to prevent budget overspends or schedule slippage.

We are seeking an ambitious and proactive self-starter who has:

• Proven experience in designing standout fiction and non-fiction covers and taking multiple high-quality designs from conception through to print in a fast-paced environment.
• High technical expertise in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator).
• An exceptional eye for detail, strong visual literacy, and experience conducting effective picture research and artwork management.
• Exceptional typographic skills.
• Experience in commissioning illustration and preferably photography
• In-depth knowledge of print processes, color management, and file setup for pre-production.
• Strong commercial awareness to identify market trends ahead of the curve and tailor designs appropriately.
• Outstanding time management and stakeholder management skills to balance multiple high-priority projects simultaneously.
• Desirable: Experience working with North American markets, or a background designing for crime, thriller, and romance genres.

Closing date for applications: Midnight on Tuesday 20 October 2026

Salary: up to £50,000 depending on how your skills and experience align to the role, plus bonus and benefits

We have a range of benefits to reflect our commitment to our people, some of which are:

• 25 days paid holiday entitlement in year one, plus 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
• Shopping discounts
• Flex Fridays (1pm Finish*)
• Up to 30 days remote working from abroad*

*Subject to certain criteria being met.

And we plant a tree for every new employee to our business

DK is committed to building a diverse workforce that reflects the varied communities that read our books across the world. We encourage applications from all individuals, regardless of age, religion, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexuality or social background. DK is proud to announce that we have adopted The Halo Code.

DK is a member of the disability confident scheme. We guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy/ies.

DK supports flexible working and has introduced a new 'smart-working' policy with a hybrid approach of working weekly from home and in DK’s office. This is a hybrid role requiring a minimum of 3 days per week in our Pimlico office. As this is non-negotiable, please ensure you are within a reasonable commuting distance of London before applying.

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 or undertaking internships. For more information, visit www.booktradeentrysupport.org