Art Director, Inklore

Job Description

Art Director, Inklore (Open to Remote)

Random House Illustrated Books is the full-package art department which produces titles for Random House Worlds, Harmony/Rodale, and Inklore. We are seeking an Art Director for our Inklore list and forthcoming Disney graphic novel publishing program. In this role you will design and oversee full-package art and design aspects of graphic novels, manga, and manhwa, as well as gift items such as boxed postcards and oracle decks. The ideal candidate will have 8 years or more experience designing full package books in graphic novels, manga, and manhwa, trafficking and art directing freelance designers, letterers, and illustrators, and internal management experience.

Inklore is an imprint of Random House Worlds publishing the best in manga, manhwa, manhua,  webcomics, and graphic novels, both licensed and original. Our team is dedicated to celebrating the most popular, fan-driven tropes in visual storytelling, with a focus on the romance, fantasy, science-fiction, horror, and slice-of-life genres.

Specific responsibilities include:
• Art Directs and oversees staff, assigning the design of every book, interior and package.
• Works with the Creative Director, Publisher and Editor to identify the right artist or designer for every potential manuscript, or the right project for every artist of interest.
• Assigns and manages titles with freelance designers and letterers, art directs illustrators, and maintains art and design schedules and databases.
• Prepares interior and exterior mechanicals from creation to final product, including: designing covers, designing layouts and choosing typography, setting up templates and parent pages, lettering, style sheets, etc.
• Maintains a current sense of design trends and the aesthetic zeitgeist and seeking out up-and-coming artists (designers, letterers, illustrators) of interest.
• Manages color printing process, checks proofs for all books for color accuracy.

Please apply if you meet the following qualifications:
• Minimum 8 years of experience in the field of full-package book design in graphic novels, manga, and manhwa
• Expert knowledge of the book design process and technical knowledge of book production, with a specialty in Graphic Novels
• Strong knowledge of typefaces and typography, full-color printing, RGB/CMYK color spaces, and image formats
• Expert knowledge of longform illustrated book design in InDesign
• Ability to work collaboratively with in-house colleagues and external artists and authors
• Incredibly high standards of design and finished product
• A love of typography and pop culture
• Exceptional attention to detail and organization
• Fluency/expert competency with the Adobe Creative Suite
• Excellent writing and communication skills
• Ability to manage competing priorities while adhering to deadlines
• Experience in 3D gift design would be a valuable asset
• People management experience strongly preferred

The salary range for this position is $90,000 - $107,000. All positions are currently eligible for annual profit award or bonus, subject to company results.  

Please apply by March 24, 2025 and include your resume, cover letter, salary requirements, and a link to an online portfolio 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.

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-d5x6p0-3-23-85-47-42 in your application.