Senior Book Designer — Hybrid Jacket & Interior Lead

Publishers Marketplace; Oakland (CA); Hybrid; USD 81,000 - 94,000; Full time

Job summary

University of California Press in Oakland, CA, seeks a Senior Designer to lead jacket and cover design and develop interior layouts for scholarly and trade titles. The role blends hands-on design for print and digital formats with collaboration across Acquisitions, Marketing, Editorial, and Production teams.

Hybrid work arrangement requires on-site presence in Oakland at least two days weekly (Wed/Thu). Strong typography and production knowledge essential; portfolio required.

Qualifications

• Proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite, particularly InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Acrobat.
• 2+ years of experience designing or composing book interiors and adapting designs.
• Knowledge of color proofing and printing methods.
• Experience creating typographic specifications and working with composition vendors.
• Strong design judgment and collaborative problem-solving.
• Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills.
• Strong project management and ability to handle multiple projects.
• Portfolio demonstrating strong book design work.
• Basic proficiency with Word and Excel.

Responsibilities

• Create original jacket and cover designs for academic and trade titles.
• Develop interior book designs, layouts, typographic systems, and type specs.
• Adapt existing templates for customized treatments.
• Prepare production-ready files for printers and prepress.
• Collaborate with editors, marketing, production, authors, and vendors.
• Incorporate feedback while maintaining design standards.
• Review proofs and inspect printer proofs and finished books.
• Direct freelance designers and manage external vendors.
• Support UC Press collateral, annual reports, and other design projects.

Skills

Adobe Creative Suite

InDesign

Typography

Project management

Communication

Book design portfolio

Education

High school diploma / art training

Tools

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Illustrator

Acrobat

Microsoft Word

Excel

Job description

University of California Press in Oakland, CA, seeks a Senior Designer to lead jacket and cover design and develop interior layouts for scholarly and trade titles. The role blends hands-on design for print and digital formats with collaboration across Acquisitions, Marketing, Editorial, and Production teams.

Hybrid work arrangement requires on-site presence in Oakland at least two days weekly (Wed/Thu). Strong typography and production knowledge essential; portfolio required.