Designer, Children's Group

Job Description

Hippo Park and mineditionUS, two imprints of Astra Books for Young Readers, a division of Astra Publishing House, are looking for a collaborative, creative designer to work on illustrated books for children from 0 to 12 in an exciting, fast-paced environment. The designer will report to the art director for both imprints and be involved in all phases of book design, from concept through final production. The designer will work across a variety of illustrated formats, including board books, picture books, chapter books, graphic novels, activity books, and novelties.

The Hippo Park and mineditionUS lists include illustrated books by award-winning creators, including Beatrice Alemagna, Chris Raschka, Rilla Alexander, Daniel Bernstrom, Elise Gravel, Rebecca Green, Dan Yaccarino, and many others. We publish approximately thirty-five books a year.

Specific responsibilities include:

• High-level design of approximately ten illustrated children’s books per year, working with illustrators and editors from concept to final art
• Hiring and art-directing illustrators, collaborating with them to brainstorm the development of their book as well as manage deadlines
• Route layouts and manage daily, weekly, and long-term trafficking goals, across all teams.
• Work with Art Director to maintain brand consistency that can be applied to designs across book and marketing
• Creative collaboration and professional, courteous communication with all parties
• Perform other related projects and duties as needed, including managing shared files and graphic assets

Please apply if you meet the following minimum requirements:

• 2 to 5 years of relevant design and/or publishing experience
• A passion for children’s illustration and a strong portfolio of book and/or print work design
• Ability to meet daily, weekly, and monthly deadlines
• Strong project management, multitasking, and organized workflow skills, dedication to detail, quality, and process.
• Strong Mac Computer skills, including extensive knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator), Microsoft Office, Gmail, Google Drive.
• Knowledge of print design, typography, color profiles, and prepress requirements
• Within InDesign, knowledge of managing linked files, multiple fonts, illustrations, photographs, and other graphic assets
• Interest in close collaboration with editors, authors, and illustrators

Duties and responsibilities may be adjusted based on years of experience.

All candidates must have the right to work and live in the United States.

This position reports to: Art Director.

About Hippo Park:

Named after beloved New York City playground, Hippo Park is intended as a kind of “playground of books” where kids know if they pick up a Hippo Park book, they’ll find out something wonderous about the world; they’ll see the world upside down, perhaps feel like an animal for a little while, and see their big feelings reflected in stories. The magic is the connection between creator and reader—our books give kids that little bit of humor, adventure, or tenderness that helps them navigate the unpredictable, often silly, and almost always befuddling world in which they live.

About mineditionUS:

mineditionUS is dedicated to publishing exceptional children’s books from around the world. Our mission is to find, create, and publish artistically sophisticated books that are built to last. Our books expand children’s experiences as well as their hearts and minds, opening doors to cultures and places they may not yet know. We believe that high-quality, beautifully crafted illustrated books not only help children develop a deeper appreciation of language and art, they also foster emotional awareness, intellectual discernment, and a greater understanding of the multicultural world in which we live.

About Astra Publishing House:

Headquartered in New York City, Astra Publishing House consists of the adult literary imprint Astra House, Astra Magazine, and the award-winning children’s imprints Astra Young Readers, Calkins Creek, Hippo Park, Kane Press, mineditionUS, TOON Books, and Wordsong.

Application instructions:

All candidates interested in applying should email a resume and cover letter to positions@astrapublishinghouse.com.

Astra Publishing House is an equal employment opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability, national origin, or citizenship.

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-r0ey1m-18-119-125-7-42 in your application.