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Creative Director
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
New York, NY, United States
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Job Requisition ID: 9682
For more than 150 years, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers has published many of the world's most beloved picture books, novels, and works of nonfiction. Our distinguished author list includes two National Book Awards and over 100 Caldecott, Newbery, Printz, and Sibert Medals and Honors recipients.
The Creative Director will lead the design team for HMH Books for Young Readers. He or she will be responsible for conceiving and following through with the creative vision for our varied line of books (covers and interiors), roughly 200 titles per year. The Creative Director will have a critical eye for design, excellent communication skills, and an organized workflow as both a designer and art director.
The ideal candidate is a motivated and creative individual with book design experience (Trade, Young Readers), possessing exceptional skills in design, art direction, communication, and time and project management. This position encompasses the wide range of responsibilities involved with conceptualizing, art directing, designing, and managing the creation of high-quality books and packaging. He or she understands the publishing industry and design trends and possesses a passion both for creative thinking and for books.
The Creative Director performs the following job duties:
• Directs all aspects of design and leads projects through the design process, from conception through approval, production reviews, to the finished book.
• Supervises and inspires in-house design staff. Oversees the flow of artwork, design assignments, and production materials circulating in and out of the department.
• Sources, hires, and directs freelancers: writes creative briefs, negotiates and processes contracts, and reviews all incoming work.
• Determines appropriate fees and scopes of work for each title; adheres to budgets.
• Manages workflow and scheduling to ensure that key production and sales dates are met.
• Oversees the preparation of materials for sales meetings.
• Establishes best practices, reviews and reinforces design processes within the department; leads other departmental initiatives.
• Works collaboratively with key contacts in the Trade Division; all members of the creative team, editorial, production, and sales teams.
• Brings new trends in design to the company and contributes to new project development.
Requirements:
• BA / BFA in art/design
• 7+ years' experience in children's book design
• Ability to conceptualize a broad range of designs that are appropriate for various age groups, genres, and markets
• Excellent presentation and communication skills
• The ability to manage and direct with confidence and finesse
• An affinity for mentoring and developing designers
• A collaborative work style, with the ability to interact positively and effectively with editorial, marketing, publicity, and production, as well as with authors, artists, and other suppliers
• Timely and efficient follow-up with collaborators
• Ability to attend to details and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
• Excellent understanding of print production
• Understanding of current design trends at all levels of Young Readers publishing, including more mature crossover fiction and commercial fiction
• Expertise in Adobe Creative Suite applications (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, AcrobatPro)
Physical Requirements
• Might be in a stationary position for a considerable time (sitting and/or standing).
• The person in this position needs to move about inside the office to access file cabinets, office machinery, etc.
• Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a calculator, copy machine, and computer printer.
• Must be able to collaborate with colleagues via face to face, conference calls, and online meetings.
ABOUT OUR TRADE DIVISION:
For nearly two centuries, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Trade Publishing has published some of the world’s most renowned novels, nonfiction, children’s books, and reference works. As part of a leading global learning company, it is uniquely positioned to create educational and entertaining content for multiple channels and in various formats, from hardcovers and paperbacks to e-books and mobile apps. Its distinguished author list includes eight Nobel Prize winners, forty-seven Pulitzer Prize winners, thirteen National Book Award winners, and more than one hundred Caldecott, Newbery, Printz, and Sibert Medal and Honor recipients. HMH publishes such distinguished authors as Philip Roth, Temple Grandin, Tim O'Brien, and Umberto Eco, and a celebrated roster of children’s authors and illustrators including Lois Lowry, Chris Van Allsburg, and David Wiesner. HMH is also home to The Best American series®; The American Heritage® and Webster’s New World® dictionaries; Betty Crocker®, Better Homes and Gardens®, How to Cook Everything®, The Gourmet Cookbook, and other leading culinary properties; the Peterson Field Guides®; CliffsNotes™; books by J.R.R. Tolkien; and many iconic children’s books and characters, including Curious George®, The Little Prince, and The Polar Express.
ABOUT HMH:
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (NASDAQ:HMHC) is a global learning company dedicated to changing people’s lives by fostering passionate, curious learners. As a leading provider of pre-K–12 education content, services, and cutting-edge technology solutions across a variety of media, HMH enables learning in a changing landscape. HMH is uniquely positioned to create engaging and effective educational content and experiences from early childhood to beyond the classroom. HMH serves more than 50 million students in over 150 countries worldwide, while its award-winning children's books, novels, non-fiction, and reference titles are enjoyed by readers throughout the world.
PLEASE NOTE:
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is an equal employment opportunity employer and participates in E-Verify. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of gender, race/ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, or other protected group status.