Penguin General are looking for a Designer to join the team on a 12-month fixed-term contract, covering an internal secondment. We are looking for a candidate to start in early December this 2026.

About Penguin General

Penguin General is home to Viking, Hamish Hamilton, Fig Tree, Penguin Life and Sandycove. With roots stretching back to the original Penguin Books and Allen Lane’s founding vision, we publish an extraordinary breadth of fiction and non-fiction, driven by curiosity about the world and a passion for great storytelling. We look for books that stand out, connect and endure — carefully chosen books by exceptional authors, published with ambition, imagination and care, for readers of all kinds.

Our authors include Richard Osman, Emily Henry, Arundhati Roy, Marlon James, Han Kang, Robert Macfarlane, Elif Shafak, Ben Macintyre, Dolly Alderton, Zadie Smith, Ali Smith, Stanley Tucci and Meera Sodha, as well as major international voices including Michelle Obama and Barack Obama.

We value curiosity and are looking for people who notice the world, ask questions, and bring fresh perspectives to what we do. If you’re endlessly curious and love discovering and sharing new ideas, you’ll feel at home here.

The role

This is a brilliant opportunity for a designer who enjoys variety and wants to work across a broad range of books.

We are looking for somebody with a creative eye, who is curious and bursting with fresh ideas that you are eager to bring to life. You'll be someone who puts creativity first and thinks about design broadly - both within and outside of book covers.

The role is open to a designer with an interest in any part of the market – from literary fiction through to narrative non-fiction – creativity and excellence in your field is the only requirement.

Key responsibilities

• Designing distinctive and commercially effective book covers across a range of genres and styles.
• Developing strong creative concepts in response to individual briefs.
• Taking projects from initial ideas and pitches through to finished artwork and print.
• Commissioning and collaborating with illustrators, photographers, designers and other creative partners.
• Building strong working relationships with colleagues across Editorial, Sales and Communications.
• Communicating creative ideas clearly and confidently with colleagues, authors and agents.
• Managing multiple projects, deadlines and priorities effectively.
• Keeping up to date with developments in design, publishing and wider visual culture, and bringing fresh ideas and inspiration to your work.

What you’ll bring

Essential criteria

• Proven track record of designing and commissioning outstanding book covers.
• Adept at developing strong relationships with Editorial, Sales and Communications teams.
• Ability to manage multiple projects at once, whilst also collaborating with team members.
• Confidence in communicating with authors and agents.
• Strong commissioning experience in illustration, photography and design.
• In-depth knowledge of the Adobe Creative Suite, including InDesign and Photoshop.

Application instructions

Please apply with your CV, portfolio and a cover letter outlining why you are a suitable candidate for the role by 11:59pm on Sunday 1st November.

Please include your portfolio as a pdf attachment in the ‘additional documents’ section. Due to application volumes, we are only able to consider applications that include a pdf attachment. In addition, you are also welcome to include a link to your online portfolio, Instagram or Behance page as part of your CV or cover letter, if you would like to.

Salary

£32,000 - £37,000, dependent on how your skills and experience align to the role, plus bonus and benefits.

Hybrid working

While our offices across the UK are places to connect, collaborate and celebrate with colleagues, we recognise that flexibility around where you work is just as important.

For this role, we expect you to work three days per week from our London office, usually Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

AI

Here at Penguin, we believe in the power of authenticity and human creativity. When you apply for a position, we want to encourage you to showcase your unique voice. Throughout our recruitment process, please share your own thoughts, experiences, and skills. This helps us get a true sense of who you are and what you might bring to our team.

We celebrate creativity and diverse perspectives, so please be yourself! While we recognise AI tools can be helpful, we recommend using them thoughtfully to ensure your responses reflect you.

Disability Confident

As a Disability Confident Committed organisation, we offer interviews to candidates with a disability who meet the essential criteria for the role, and opt-in on their application form. The essential criteria for this role are listed as part of the ‘What you’ll bring’ section. There may be times when the volume of applications means we cannot take all eligible candidates to interview.

We encourage you to tell us about any reasonable adjustments you may need by emailing [email protected]. Remember, you only need to share what you are comfortable with, for us to support your request.