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We have an exciting opportunity for a Design Assistant to join our Puffin Picture Books team on a permanent basis.

The team

By bringing together the greatest stories, brands and authors of any global children’s publisher, Penguin Random House Children’s are here to help create and rediscover heroes for each new generation.

Puffin is home to so many imaginative and best-selling authors and illustrators. Our designers work on a huge range of different books but what they all have in common is clever creativity and outstanding design.

The role

We are looking for a creative, enthusiastic and organised individual to assist our design team.

As a Design Assistant you’ll be responsible for tasks ranging from:

  • Practical day to day design and admin support
  • Updating brand sheets and making corrections
  • Managing reprints
  • Producing mock-ups
  • Reimagining previously published books into fresh new formats
  • And working on your own projects where appropriate.

This is an entry level position but you should be able to demonstrate a keen design eye, good typographic skills, creativity and a desire to learn.

What you’ll bring

You will be fluent in the use of the Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Photoshop & Illustrator) and a working knowledge of Word, Excel and PowerPoint would be useful. You’ll also have a demonstrable interest in picture books and children’s books.

We’re also looking for someone who is:

  • Organised, able to prioritise and juggle multiple responsibilities
  • Flexible in their approach and able to work to tight deadlines
  • Creative, willing to contribute ideas, absorb feedback and manage changes of creative direction
  • Inquisitive and keen to learn about all aspects of publishing design

About Penguin

We’re the UK’s largest publisher; made up of some 2,000 people and publishing over 1,500 books each year. Our doors are open to all kinds of talent. In a constantly evolving industry, we work hard to stretch the definition of the word publisher. Here, you’ll work with a breadth of talent who all play their part to make each of our books a success. Together, we make books for everyone because a book can change anyone.

How to apply: Please apply by 23:59 on Sunday 6th October with a CV, Cover Letter, and a PDF of three examples that showcase the range of your design work.

Within your Cover Letter, please tell us why you’re interested in design and why you’d like to join the Penguin Random House Children’s Art Department. Applications without Cover Letters will not be accepted.

Salary: £27,500 plus benefits.

Competitive benefits package: Our people are the heart of our business, and we work hard to support a culture of responsibility and recognition.

Our benefits include

  • Financial – discounted shopping, season ticket loan, rental deposit loan
  • Wellbeing - healthcare cash plan, employee assistance, gym loan
  • Lifestyle – taste card, tech scheme, free and discounted books

Hybrid working: We’re experimenting with a hybrid way of working that suits the needs of each team. While our offices across the UK are places to connect, collaborate and celebrate with colleagues, we recognise that flexibility around where you work is just as important. For this role we expect that you will work from our office in Embassy Gardens 3 days a week.

The recruitment process: You can read about our recruitment process at https://www.penguinrandomhousecareers.co.uk/how-we-hire/

As a Disability Confident Committed organisation, we offer interviews to candidates with a disability who meet the essential criteria for the role, and opt-in on their application form. There may be times when the volume of applications means we cannot take all eligible candidates to interview.

We encourage you to tell us about any reasonable adjustments you may need by emailing PRHCareersUK@penguinrandomhouse.co.uk. Remember, you only need to share what you are comfortable to for us to support your request.

Please note, we are not able to accept agency CVs for this role. Any CVs sent speculatively will not be eligible for a fee.