Senior Designer

Harvard Central Administration (CADM) Talent Acquisition | Posted Mar 4

Part-time

Negotiable

Unknown

By working at Harvard University, you join a vibrant community that advances Harvard's world-changing mission in meaningful ways, inspires innovation and collaboration, and builds skills and expertise. We are dedicated to creating a diverse and welcoming environment where everyone can thrive.

Harvard University's Central Administration (CADM) is a 5,000+ employee organization that supports the university's overall excellence by understanding and serving the needs of its schools, students, faculty, staff, alumni, and surrounding communities. Through dynamic and collaborative partnerships, CADM provides high-quality and efficient services to the schools to help them achieve their goals.

Founded in 1913, Harvard University Press is renowned for publishing influential works of scholarship, including titles by authors like Carol Gilligan, Stephen Jay Gould, Toni Morrison, and Thomas Piketty. We bring groundbreaking ideas to both academic and general audiences and are committed to preserving intellectual traditions through works like our Loeb Classical Library.

Harvard University Press (HUP), one of the world’s leading academic publishers, is seeking a talented Senior 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 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.

• 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.

Basic Qualifications are the minimum threshold a candidate must meet in order to be considered for this role.

• Minimum of 7 years of design experience, with at least 5 years in book jacket design or book publishing.
• A strong portfolio showcasing a variety of design work in book publishing.

• Expertise in Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat, After Effects)
• A fine‑tuned sense of design, with an emphasis on typography and visual storytelling
• Strong organizational and time‑management skills
• A collaborative mindset and passion for books and design
• Knowledge of printing and prepress processes
• Interior design experience
• Experience collaborating with freelancers (illustrators, photographers) to execute high‑quality artwork
• Strong organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects under tight deadlines
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, and the ability to work collaboratively in a team…