Editorial Designer, Hybrid (Publishing / Magazine Design)

Mediabistro; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 55,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Mediabistro in Chicago (Hybrid: 2 days in office, 3 days remote) seeks a full-time Editorial Designer to shape layouts for the monthly Catholic magazine and craft graphics for social, website, and newsletters.

The role blends strong editorial design instincts with production skills, coordinating multiple deadlines across print and digital channels while upholding brand identity. Catholic topics and culture are central to the work.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in graphic design, visual communication, or related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• 3–5 years of professional graphic design experience, preferably editorial/magazine design.
• Experience preparing publications for professional printing, including prepress, color management, and proofing.
• Experience creating graphics for social media and digital platforms.
• Advanced proficiency in InDesign and Photoshop; Illustrator proficiency preferred.

Responsibilities

• Design layouts for the monthly print magazine using photography, illustration, and typography across features and sections.
• Collaborate with editors to develop visual concepts for features and packages.
• Prepare and manage files for monthly production cycle, ensuring press-ready pages on schedule.
• Manage production schedules and workflows for design, proofs, and printer deadlines.
• Create graphics and visual assets for social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook).
• Design visuals for website, newsletters, podcasts, and other digital products to maintain brand identity.
• Design promotional and marketing materials including subscriptions, fundraising, ads, media kits, and event materials.
• Maintain organized archives of design files, photography, illustrations, logos, templates, and fonts.
• Provide guidance to colleagues on improving the publication’s visual presentation and production processes.

Skills

Editorial design

Typography

Communication

Collaboration

Brand consistency

Education

Bachelor’s degree in graphic design or related field

Tools

Adobe InDesign

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Illustrator

Job description

Chicago, IL (Hybrid - 2 days in office, 3 days remote) | Full-Time | $55,000 - $65,000/year

About the Role

A monthly Catholic magazine is hiring a full-time Editorial Designer to work across print production and digital platforms. The designer will be a core part of the production team, working closely with the executive editor and editorial staff to create visually compelling layouts for the print magazine while also producing graphics and visual content for social media, the website, email newsletters, and other digital products.

The role requires someone who combines strong editorial design instincts with solid technical and production skills and is comfortable managing multiple deadlines across both traditional print publishing and fast-moving digital channels. The magazine covers topics including religion, social justice, and contemporary culture.

What the Role Covers

• Designing layouts for the monthly print magazine using photography, illustration, and typography across features, columns, and front- and back-of-book pages
• Collaborating with editors to develop visual concepts for features and special packages and identifying opportunities for visual storytelling
• Preparing and managing files throughout the monthly production cycle, incorporating editorial corrections and ensuring pages are accurate and press-ready on schedule
• Managing production schedules and workflows related to design, proofing, corrections, and printer deadlines
• Creating graphics and visual assets for social media platforms including Instagram and Facebook, such as quote graphics, carousels, and promotional content
• Designing visual elements for the website, email newsletters, podcast promotion, and other digital products to maintain consistent brand identity
• Designing promotional and marketing materials including subscription and fundraising campaigns, house ads, digital advertisements, media kits, and event materials
• Maintaining organized archives of design files, photography, illustrations, logos, templates, and fonts
• Providing guidance to colleagues on improving the publication’s visual presentation and production processes

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in graphic design, visual communication, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience
• 3 to 5 years of professional graphic design experience, preferably including editorial, magazine, or publication design
• Experience preparing publications for professional printing, including knowledge of prepress, color management, image preparation, file specifications, and proofing
• Experience creating graphics and visual content for social media and digital platforms
• Advanced proficiency in Adobe InDesign and Photoshop; Illustrator proficiency preferred
• Comfort working with content related to Catholicism, religion, social justice, and contemporary culture; knowledge of Catholicism a plus
• Strong communication and collaboration skills

Compensation

• $55,000 - $65,000/year