Design Manager Colour Non-fiction

Who we are and what we do

Hachette Children’s Group (HCG) is one of the largest children’s publishers in the UK, with an excellent track record in creating bestselling and award-winning books for children of all ages. Our mission is to make it easy for children and young people everywhere to access books and see themselves reflected. We publish bestselling picture books, fiction and non-fiction authors and illustrators and licensed brands including Cressida Cowell, Onjali Q. Raúf, Clare Balding,  Jim Field, Alice Oseman, Matthew Syed, David Almond, Lauren Child, Rachel Bright, Roma Agrawal, Paterson Joseph, Joseph Coelho, Marion Deuchars, Dermot O’Leary, Nick East, Nina Chakrabarti, Tim Peake, L.D. Lapinski, Benjamin Zephaniah, Rashmi Sirdeshpande, Piers Torday, Akala, Juno Dawson, Rainbow Magic and Beast Quest.

Hachette Children's Group is a division of Hachette, one of the largest publishing groups in the UK, with 12 publishing divisions and over 60 imprints. Everyone here is proud to be in the business of opening doors and minds.

What you'll be doing

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a talented, motivated and creative Design Manager to join the Hachette Children’s Colour Non-fiction team in a full-time position. Reporting to the Art Director for Series Brands/Licensing & Colour Non-fiction you will lead the design aspect of the Colour Non-fiction list, working closely with the editorial team to deliver on commercial and creative success, growth, profitability and quality. You will support the Art Director for Colour Non-fiction on strategy and vision by efficiently and cost-effectively managing, and overseeing both book designs and brand identities across multiple platforms.

You will line manage the Junior Designer for Colour Non-fiction and oversee the workload of the department, ensuring that all design work is delivered to the highest standard and on schedule.

You’ll be involved in every aspect of the design process, working closely with staff in all other departments.

Who we are looking for

We are looking for a highly creative and organised Design Manager to join the Hachette Children’s Group,working on the Colour Non-fiction list on titles for children of all ages. The successful candidate will have excellent design and visual communication skills, as well as collaboration, strategic thinking and people and project management capabilities.

This is a broad and varied role, and the right candidate will embrace working closely with the editors and the Art Director in the development of new and existing titles, exploring innovative concepts and formats.

We are looking for a versatile Design Manager who is aware of current trends and likes to develop new ideas. We need you to bring a positive, can-do approach, a passion for leading the design of this genre and a desire to build strong relationships with your immediate team, other departments, as well as illustrators, authors and agents.

An understanding of great design and a passion for Colour Non-fiction is essential.

Applicants should also have an appreciation and enthusiasm for the illustrators who work within this area of the market.

An excellent knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite is essential.

Within your application, please attach your CV, Cover Letter and Portfolio.

What we offer

Our staff are our greatest asset, and our benefits reflect this:

• 28 annual leave days per year, increases to 29 days after 2 years' service and goes up to 30 days after 5 years' (+ bank holidays)
• Private medical insurance
• Generous pension schemes
• Rent deposit loans
• 2 community days per year
• Summer hours (finishing at 1pm on Fridays during the summer months)
• Retail discounts through Hachette rewards
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Eye care vouchers
• Wide-ranging training library
• Development programmes (including mentoring)
• Up to 70% off book purchases
• A charity bookshelf
• 12 Staff-led employee networks that are voluntary, including Gender Balance, Thrive, Pride, All Together, Wellbeing and religious networks
• Season ticket loans
• And much more!

The role will be based at our London office, Carmelite House, with a blend of in-office (3 days) and homeworking (2 days) per week.

Our commitment

Hachette employs people on the basis of their abilities. We aim to attract and develop talent from a base as broad as the world of readers we want to reach, with a wide and representative range of age, faith, disability, race, gender, sexuality and socio-economic, regional and cultural backgrounds.

If you are shortlisted and need us to make any adjustments to help you attend for interview, please let us know.

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 and undertaking junior roles. For more information visit www.booktradeentrysupport.org