Art Director - Children's

Sourcebooks Kids publishes notable and award-winning fiction and non-fiction with the hope of engaging children in the pure fun of books and the wonder of learning new things. Our art and design team are industry leaders in creativity, innovation, and vision. We are a highly collaborative group of creatives who value using data to drive results and inform our decisions!

We are looking for a Children’s Art Director to join our team. You must have demonstrated experience art directing and designing children’s books with strong communication skills to be considered for this role. This position will focus on supporting and expanding our growing Children's list while overseeing the vision, art direction, design, and production of board books, picture books, middle-grade novels, and graphic novels.

This is a fantastic opportunity for an individual who believes in our mission that Books. Change. Lives. and a desire to grow their career as a creative!

This position can be Remote or Hybrid in Naperville or NYC, or fully remote in the following States ONLY: AZ, CT, LA, MA, MD, MN, NJ, NY, NV, OR, PA, TN, TX, WA, AND WI.

The salary range for this role is $60,000 to $80,000, with the final offer dependent on experience and qualifications.

In addition to the above, the Art Director candidates will:

Have Vision. We raise our own expectations and our partners to higher levels with each new title we launch. You should be able to iterate and expand on ideas without limits and then turn those ideas into real books.
Be Agile. We have a very creative, dynamic environment. While many of our books have months to be developed, we often need to turn around new ideas in days or hours. You have to be willing to push creative boundaries while accepting and respecting the realities of the marketplace. Be able to solve problems, be flexible, and communicate complex ideas on the fly.
Thrive with Process. You will work within efficient design processes focused on creating the highest quality covers and internals in a deadline driven environment. Be respectfully persistent in the pursuit of creative excellence and timely delivery of work.
Communicate and Collaborate effectively and often with your team, authors, illustrators, and across Sourcebooks. Have a remarkable ability to present and champion your ideas and our thinking while providing keen insights and valuable perspectives.
Embody Growth Mindset and the Entrepreneurial Spirit. Commit to an idea with passion and enthusiasm and know when to change gears and let the idea go. Be self-motivated with a desire to work in a fast paced, entrepreneurial environment.

Other Requirements:

• Experience art directing and designing children’s books with a trade book publisher
• An expert understanding of the needs of children’s books across genres, age categories, and formats
• Demonstrated experience leading cover and internal development from concept to final approval
• Strong visual and written communication skills
• Experience managing illustrators and designers
• Expert skills in Adobe Creative Suite and a Mac-based environment
• Love of art and typography
• An advanced understanding of offset and digital printing and the print industry
• Unquestioned integrity and values that the organization can trust without reservation
• Be able to work independently and as part of the design team while contributing to department goals
• Champion the quality and originality Sourcebooks is known for
• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience in the publishing industry

 Ideal Candidate will also:

• Maintain detailed knowledge and insight into the categories they are assigned to and specifically how it relates to and affects content development, cover and internal design, and book publishing
• Have a clear design aesthetic that complements Sourcebooks
• Exhibit a passion for children’s books and the mission of the company

Please be sure to include a strong cover letter with your application, your application will not be considered without a cover letter

Full-time employees are eligible for our comprehensive benefits program. Our range of benefits include, but are not limited to, Medical/Prescription drug insurance, Dental, Vision, Health Care/Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account, Health Savings Account 401(k), Short and Long-Term Disability Insurance, Life/AD&D Insurance, & generous paid time off.

Sourcebooks values the array of talents and perspectives that a diverse workforce brings. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status.

Sourcebooks is a fast-growing entrepreneurial company seeking impact players and difference makers. We create books that transcend categories and defy odds; with hundreds of national bestsellers and awards to show for it. We are a company of enthusiastic, book-loving employees who are dedicated to connecting books to readers in new and innovative ways. Every day, we are transforming the publishing industry with bold thinking and unprecedented results. Story by story, book by book, we have touched over 100 million lives. Join us as we strive to change 100 million more.

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