Art & Design Director, Practical Publishing - United Kingdom
This job is located in Stockport, United Kingdom (map)
This is a fantastic opportunity to join Practical Publishing International, an established independent publisher of market-leading craft magazines.
We're seeking an Art & Design Director to lead the company's design and photography team.
You will have ultimate responsibility for the visual quality of all our products — including magazine covers and internal pages, product packaging, marketing materials and websites. You will ensure that your team's work is consistently eye-catching, effective, on time, on budget, and just what our audience is looking for.
You'll be passionate about design, and will have experience leading a team. You will have worked in either the magazine industry or in retail packaging design. And you'll have excellent interpersonal skills — both for developing the knowledge and abilities of your team and for working with other departments.
RESPONSIBILITIES
* Work with Art Editors and the editorial teams on a day to day basis to ensure all products are produced to the highest possible standard and in accordance with the production schedule
* Manage workloads and areas of responsibility across the design and photography team
* Develop the skills and knowledge of the art and design team, sharing your passion for effective design and your experience of what works and what doesn't, both informally day to day and formally through regular team meetings
* Produce a written monthly report for the management team, assessing how visually effective our products are versus their competitors
* Liaise with the Publishing Assistant and/or Publishing Director on a day to day basis; highlight any anticipated problems and suggest appropriate solutions; ensure the Publishing Assistant is advised of all relevant production requirements in a clear and timely fashion (eg colours to be used on printed bags, any special colours required on front covers, etc)
* Attend the weekly internal production meeting
* Ensure suppliers are communicated with so as to provide for the smooth transfer of products from us to them, in accordance with the production schedule; ensure phone calls or emails from suppliers to resolve technical queries are dealt with effectively and promptly
* Set and agree fees in advance with internal/external freelance art editors, in accordance with the budget set
* When new products are proposed, make recommendations as to the art resources required
* Develop and maintain systems for assessing overall output quality and quantity, and individual workloads and abilities
* Work with other managers to implement the company's policies and goals
ESSENTIAL SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES
* Passionate, enthusiastic and knowledgeable about effective design
* Experience leading and developing a team
* Experience in either the magazine industry or in retail packaging design
* Technical print knowledge, and highly competent in Quark/InDesign, Photoshop etc
* Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, with team members, other departments and external contacts
* Ability to make informed decisions and recommend courses of action
* Ability to predict and identify potential problems and formulate practical solutions
* Excellent interpersonal skills — approachable, open and friendly, and able to gain the trust and confidence of others
To apply:
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