DK
Canelo & Sourcebooks - Senior Designer
Get notified of more jobs like this · No spam, ever
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
Are you ready to shape the visual identity of dynamic fiction and non-fiction books?
We’re looking for a standout Senior Designer to create striking, market-leading book covers and special editions across our Canelo and fiction custom projects.
You’ll take the lead on design, bringing flair, innovation, and wow-factor to every single project. It’s a fantastic opportunity to push visual boundaries and shape the creative vision within a passionate and dynamic team.
Key Responsibilities
- Designing market-leading covers for Canelo, ensuring creative excellence and accurately preparing and delivering print-ready files.
- Alongside Commissioning Editors, overseeing freelance cover design while actively researching and expanding our freelance designer pool.
- Leading the bespoke design and execution of special editions and box sets for retailers, including sprayed or printed edges, custom endpapers, and premium finishes.
- Attending divisional jacket meetings to present designs and gather feedback on both in-house and freelance covers.
- Presenting covers at the weekly global Sales Jacket Meeting.
- Collaborating with Editorial, Production, Sales, and Marketing & PR teams to ensure smooth end-to-end project completion across multiple titles.
- Creating, updating, and maintaining accurate sales and presentation assets for key markets, and actively supporting Marketing & PR initiatives.
- Serving as the primary point of contact for all design-related queries across both imprints.
- Negotiating competitive terms and rates with external suppliers and monitoring workflows to prevent budget overspends or schedule slippage.
Reasons to use Rodeo
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
It searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
Requirements
We are seeking an ambitious and proactive self-starter who has:
- Proven experience in designing standout fiction and non-fiction covers and taking multiple high-quality designs from conception through to print in a fast-paced environment.
- High technical expertise in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator).
- An exceptional eye for detail, strong visual literacy, and experience conducting effective picture research and artwork management.
- Exceptional typographic skills.
- Experience in commissioning illustration and preferably photography.
- In-depth knowledge of print processes, color management, and file setup for pre-production.
- Strong commercial awareness to identify market trends ahead of the curve and tailor designs appropriately.
- Outstanding time management and stakeholder management skills to balance multiple high-priority projects simultaneously.
Desirable:
- Experience working with North American markets, or a background designing for crime, thriller, and romance genres.
If you are a commercially minded, dynamic designer looking to step into a pivotal, creative role we would love to hear from you! Please apply with the below:
- Your most recent CV
- A cover letter detailing why this role appeals to you
- Your design portfolio - please note, we would like to see your original work and cannot accept AI generated images as part of your portfolio.
Closing date for applications: Midnight on Tuesday 20 October 2026
Salary
Up to £50,000 depending on how your skills and experience align to the role, plus bonus and benefits.
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
Benefits
- 25 days paid holiday entitlement in year one, plus bank holidays
- Generous pension scheme
- Volunteering policy and charity matching
- Employee assistance programme
- 70% discount on company books
- Cycle to work scheme and discounted gym membership
- Shopping discounts
- Flex Fridays (1pm Finish*)
- Up to 30 days remote working from abroad*
- And we plant a tree for every new employee to our business
*Subject to certain criteria being met.
DK is committed to building a diverse workforce that reflects the varied communities that read our books across the world. We encourage applications from all individuals, regardless of age, religion, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexuality or social background.
DK is proud to announce that we have adopted The Halo Code.
DK is a member of the disability confident scheme. We guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy/ies.
DK supports flexible working and has introduced a new ‘smart-working’ policy with a hybrid approach of working weekly from home and in DK’s office. This is a hybrid role requiring a minimum of 3 days per week in our Pimlico office. As this is non-negotiable, please ensure you are within a reasonable commuting distance of London before applying.
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 or undertaking internships. For more information, visit www.booktradeentrysupport.org.
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Location