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BertelsmannBE

Designer, Penguin Workshop Books (Open to Remote)

Bertelsmann is a global media, services, and education company headquartered in Gütersloh, Germany, with operations in around 50 countries. Founded in 1835, it has grown from a small publishing house into a major international conglomerate.

Bertelsmann

Employee count: 5000+

Salary: 67k-67k USD

United States only

Penguin Workshop, an imprint in the Penguin Young Readers division of Penguin Random House, is searching for a Designer for our picture book, board book, and chapter book list on a children’s book design team in an exciting, collaborative, fast-paced environment that also has a lot of humor and heart.

The Designer will focus on all stages of book development, from manuscript through bound book—covers, interiors, and art direction. This position will report to the VP, Executive Art Director and collaborate closely with the editors, illustrators, authors, managing editors, and production managers.

We seek an enthusiastic designer who will embrace the challenge of creating beautiful books and enriching each author’s and illustrator’s vision. Our ideal candidate is eager to learn, creative, motivated, organized, detail-oriented, collaborative, imaginative, inventive, enthusiastic about children’s publishing, and has a love of books and artwork in general.

This talented designer should be ready on day one to take a manuscript and shape it from the design concepts and editorial requests through all subsequent passes to the finished book. We are looking for excellent design skills, a unique vision, and a designer who will elevate the look and feel of each book, creating eye-catching, striking cover designs, and who will bring a sense of playfulness and inventiveness to the title treatments and typography. This designer should be familiar with the book structure and layout, creating clean and kid-friendly page layouts and type design. This designer should have experience composing interiors, with an eye for typography, and a detailed touch that are all central to creating an interior design that supports the reader. This designer will be an active participant in seeking new talented illustrators.

We work very collaboratively with our illustrators, so excellent communication skills and experience with writing feedback are a must. This designer will be the illustrator’s point person, compiling editorial feedback and providing guidance and art direction through all phases of art development. We are looking for a designer with an eye and sense for visual storytelling—someone who will consider the visual pacing of the story, the page flips, the variety from spread to spread, and someone who is considering the most effective ways of combining art and text to enhance the reading experience.

Penguin Workshop publishes books for all ages such as the Caldecott Honor winner Home in a Lunchbox, Eisner award winners Danger and Other Unknown Risks and Bigfoot and Nessie, Pura Belpré Honor winner Across the Bay, Theodore Seuss Geisel Honor winner A Pig, a Fox,and a Box, and the #1 New York Times best-selling Who Was? series. Under the Penguin Workshop umbrella we publish the imprints of Rise (First Conversations), Grosset & Dunlap (The Little Engine That Could), The World of Eric Carle (The Very Hungry Caterpillar), Frederick Warne (Peter Rabbit), Mad Libs, and Penguin Licenses (Bluey).

Specific responsibilities include:

  • Working with the Art Director, this Designer will immediately hit the ground running, taking ownership of their own titles in all aspects of book making from concepting, designing, review of sketches and art, to type design, to color proofing.
  • Designing covers and interior sample pages for approximately 25-30 books a year for board books, picture books, early readers, and illustrated chapter books.
  • Executing a broad range of design styles that are appropriate for various age groups and formats with a strong sense of inventive typography and title branding is important.
  • Working collaboratively with the Art Director and all members of the design, editorial, production and inhouse teams.
  • Finding and pitching illustrators and working with them to take a project from start to finish.
  • Communicating effectively with artists and agents.
  • Maintaining priorities and adhering to production schedules and deadlines.
  • Keeping up to date on the illustrated children’s book market with a lens for cover trends, genre, and audience.

Please apply if you meet the following qualifications:

  • Minimum of 3 years of experience in illustrated children’s publishing book design
  • Attention to detail is a must
  • A portfolio showcasing strong design and typography. Hand-lettering and illustration skills a plus but not required. (Please note that this is not an illustration job.)
  • Proficient in Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator) with emphasis on InDesign
  • Knowledge of color correction, prepress, file preparation, and proofing for print design
  • Ability to work on multiple projects with strict timelines in a fast-paced environment
  • Active involvement in the illustrator community and the ability to seek out new talent

The salary for this position is $66,500. All positions are currently eligible for annual profit award or bonus, subject to Company results.

Please apply using our ATS system by August 13, 2025, and include your resume, cover letter, and remember to attach your PDF portfolio or portfolio link to your digital application for consideration. Before applying for any role at Penguin Random House, we recommend you review our applicant resources page and look over our open-to-remote guidelines on our FAQs page.

Penguin Random House job postings include a good faith compensation range for each open position. The salary range listed is specific to each particular open position and takes into account various factors including the specifics of the individual role, and candidate's relevant experience and qualifications.

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, Pre-Tax and Roth 401(k), Short and Long-Term Disability Insurance, Life/AD&D Insurance, Commuter Benefits, Student Loan Repayment Program, Educational Assistance & generous paid time off.

Penguin Random House is the leading adult and children's publishing house in North America, the United Kingdom and many other regions around the world. In publishing the best books in every genre and subject for all ages, we are committed to quality, excellence in execution, and innovation throughout the entire publishing process: editorial, design, marketing, publicity, sales, production, and distribution. Our vibrant and diverse international community of nearly 300 publishing brands and imprints include Ballantine Bantam Dell, Berkley, Clarkson Potter, Crown, DK, Doubleday, Dutton, Grosset & Dunlap, Little Golden Books, Knopf, Modern Library, Pantheon, Penguin Books, Penguin Press, Penguin Random House Audio, Penguin Young Readers, Portfolio, Puffin, Putnam, Random House, Random House Children's Books, Riverhead, Ten Speed Press, Viking, and Vintage, among others. More information can be found at http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/.

Penguin Random House 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.

Company:Penguin Random House LLC

Country: United States of America

State/Region: New York

City: New York

Postal Code: 10019

Job ID:281560

About the job

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Job type

Full Time

Experience level

Mid-level

Salary

Salary: 67k-67k USD

Location requirements

Hiring timezones

United States +/- 0 hours

About Bertelsmann

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What began in 1835 as a modest publishing house founded by Carl Bertelsmann in Gütersloh, Germany, specializing in theological literature and hymnbooks, has evolved into a global media, services, and education powerhouse. Carl Bertelsmann, a printer and bookbinder, laid the foundation for a company that would, generations later, significantly shape the media landscape. His son, Heinrich Bertelsmann, and subsequently his son-in-law, Johannes Mohn, continued the family tradition, guiding the publishing house through its early years. The company experienced considerable growth even before World War II, but its most significant expansion phase commenced after the German currency reform of 1948. Under the visionary leadership of Reinhard Mohn, the fifth generation of the family to manage the enterprise, Bertelsmann underwent a revolutionary transformation. Reinhard Mohn's introduction of the Bertelsmann book club, 'Lesering,' in 1950, was a groundbreaking direct sales model that reshaped the German publishing market. This innovative spirit became a hallmark of the company.

The post-war era saw Bertelsmann diversify beyond books, venturing into television, radio, music, magazines, and services, transforming from a medium-sized enterprise into a major conglomerate. Key milestones include entering the magazine business in 1969 with the acquisition of a stake in Gruner + Jahr, and expanding into the U.S. market in the late 1970s and 1980s by acquiring Arista Records and Bantam Books, followed by the purchase of RCA label and Doubleday publishers. The company's global music businesses were consolidated under Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG) in 1987. A pivotal moment came in 1998 with the takeover of Random House, merging it with Bantam Doubleday Dell to create Random House, Inc., establishing Bertelsmann as the largest book publisher in the English-speaking world. The journey continued with the formation of RTL Group through mergers and acquisitions, solidifying its position in broadcasting. Bertelsmann has consistently adapted to technological innovations and changing market dynamics, including the current digital transformation, ensuring its continued growth and success. Today, Bertelsmann operates in approximately 50 countries, encompassing major divisions like RTL Group, Penguin Random House, BMG, Arvato Group, Bertelsmann Marketing Services, Bertelsmann Education Group, and Bertelsmann Investments.

Employee benefits

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401(k) Plan

Bertelsmann, Inc has a 401(k) plan.

Life Insurance

Bertelsmann, Inc offers life insurance.

Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance

Bertelsmann, Inc offers AD&D insurance.

Profit Sharing

Bertelsmann, Inc offers profit sharing.

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Bertelsmann

Company size

5000+ employees

Founded in

1835

Chief executive officer

Thomas Rabe

Employees live in

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Bertelsmann hiring Designer, Penguin Workshop Books (Open to Remote) • Remote (Work from Home) | Himalayas