DK Licensing - Custom & Gifts Designer

Are you a talented designer with a passion for books and pop culture? Do you have experience working on fast-paced custom and specials sales projects? Would you enjoy seeing your designs progress from concept stage to physical items on the shelves of mass-market stores and high-street chains in the UK, US and beyond? If so, DK is seeking an enthusiastic and well-organised person with a commercial outlook to take on a design role that’s filled with creative opportunities.

Reporting to the Art Director and working closely with the Custom team, your job is to design books and products for world-renowned licensors such as LEGO, Lucasfilm, Marvel Comics, Disney, Warner Bros, Pokémon and Mattel, alongside prestigious institutions like The Met and The Science Museum. Day-to-day tasks include:

• Thinking of creative ways to breathe new life into existing products

• Designing mock-ups for new books and products to be presented by sales teams to customers

• Working on multiple projects simultaneously, designing new covers and revising spread designs

• Collaborating with licensors to ensure products meet brand guidelines and obtaining licensor approval

• Coming up with innovative ideas to elevate existing products through finishes and potential extras, such as prints, posters, postcards and more

• Collaborating with editorial and production to develop new products and formats

• Keeping up to date with product and packaging innovation in the book industry and beyond

• Briefing and working with freelance designers, packagers, illustrators, and other contributors as needed

• When capacity allows, helping out on licensed trade titles and the gift list

The right candidate will be brimming with ideas, bringing proven and innovative design experience and creativity, and be highly proficient in InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator. You will be proactive, with excellent communication and organisational skills, including managing your own work schedules and budgets.

If you would relish the challenge of helping to create ground-breaking titles for DK, we'd like to hear from you. Please attach a PDF of your best work as well as your CV, and a short covering letter introducing yourself and providing an idea how you would rework an existing DK product into something new. We are excited to hear more about what you can bring to DK.

Salary: up to £31,000 depending on how your skills and experience align to the role, plus bonus and benefits.

Closing date for applications: Sunday 7 April 2024

We have a range of benefits to reflect our commitment to our people, some of which are:

• 25 days paid holiday entitlement in year one, plus bank holidays
• Generous pension scheme
• Volunteering policy and charity matching
• Employee assistance programme
• 60% discount on company books
• Cycle to work scheme and discounted gym membership
• Flex fridays (1pm Finish*)
• Shopping discounts
• Up to 30 days remote working from abroad

And we plant a tree for every new employee to our business

DK is committed to building a diverse workforce that reflects the varied communities that read our books across the world. We encourage applications from all individuals, regardless of age, religion, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexuality or social background. DK is proud to announce that we have adopted The Halo Code.

DK supports flexible working and has introduced a new ‘smart-working’ policy with a hybrid approach of working weekly from home and in DK’s office.

The Book Trade Charity offers financial support to people looking to enter the book trade, but who may struggle to afford the costs of attending interviews or undertaking internships. For more information, visit www.booktradeentrysupport.org

*Subject to certain criteria being met.