Senior Production Designer

Sourcebooks•Naperville, IL

54d•Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking an experienced Senior Production Designer to join our Adult & YA cover design team. This is a hands-on senior individual contributor role. You will turn approved front cover designs into accurate, high-quality full-cover layouts and prepare final files for print and digital release. This role requires advanced production expertise and demands a high level of attention to detail, excellent communication skills, and a collaborative, growth mindset-focused attitude. You will lead complex, high-volume production projects, partner closely with creative, editorial, marketing, and manufacturing teams, and help ensure consistency across authors, series, imprints, and formats. You will also serve as a senior technical resource for the team by mentoring other production designers and helping improve how we work. You would be a strong fit for this role if you enjoy solving production problems, care about craft and accuracy, and bring sound design judgement to collaborative work! Applications must include a portfolio demonstrating relevant book cover production, print production, or comparable technical design experience. The location for this position can be hybrid or remote in New York or Naperville, Illinois or remote based in any of the following states: Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana , New Jersey, New York, Ohio , Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington D.C., and Wisconsin. This is an exempt salary position with a salary range of $58,000 - $68,000. We determine starting pay based on a thorough evaluation of job-related factors, including geographic location, market conditions, relevant experience, training, and education. This process ensures a fair and competitive salary that aligns with both the company and the candidate’s qualifications.

Requirements

8+ years of experience in book production design, print production, prepress, or a comparable production-focused design role.
Book cover production experience is strongly preferred.
Expert knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite, particularly InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator and Acrobat.
Advanced knowledge of print production and prepress. This includes color management, resolution standards, PDF workflows, mechanicals, printer specifications, and specialty print production.
A portfolio demonstrating relevant book cover production, print production, or comparable technical design work.
Exceptional attention to detail, organization, and quality control.
Proven ability to manage multiple projects, prioritize deadlines, and work efficiently in a fast-paced environment.
Experience mentoring or training other production professionals.
Strong communication, collaboration, problem-solving, and process-improvement skills.

Responsibilities

Lead complex book cover production projects from approved design through final print- and digital ready files.
Build full-cover layouts, mechanicals, Advance Reading Copy (ARC) files, reissues, and related production materials.
Prepare and review files for manufacturing.
Verify color management, image quality, resolution, typography, and preflight requirements.
Partner with designers and art directors to implement feedback and preserve creative intent.
Coordinate with editorial and marketing on approvals and production needs.
Work with manufacturing and vendors to interpret specifications, evaluate production options, and solve technical problems.
Manage multiple projects and deadlines while maintaining organized files, accurate version control, and consistent quality.
Mentor and train junior production designers and serve as a senior technical resource for the team.
Identify opportunities to improve workflows, templates, documentation, file optimization, and cost-effective production solutions.