Art Director - Romance

Art Director - Romance

Location: Naperville, IL

Job Description:

Our Romance publishing group includes Bloom Books, Bloom YA, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and Cosmo Reads—imprints dedicated to publishing unforgettable love stories and connecting readers with the authors they love. From bestselling contemporary romance and romantasy to category romance and YA romance, we publish books that build passionate reader communities and drive conversation across retail, social, and digital channels.

As an Art Director on our Romance design team, you will be a creative leader and visionary, driving the design and execution of market-competitive, innovative book covers across assigned imprints. You will take ownership of creative strategy, ensuring designs align with positioning, business goals, and consumer expectations. This role requires a growth mindset, problem-solving agility, and strong cross-functional collaboration, balancing breakthrough creative excellence with workflow efficiency and budget considerations.

This an exempt salaried position with a range of $70,000 - $80,000.  We determine starting pay based on a thorough evaluation of job-related factors, including geographic location, market conditions, relevant experience, training, and education. This process ensures a fair and competitive salary that aligns with both the company and the candidate’s qualifications.   

The location for this position can be hybrid or remote in New York or Naperville, Illinois or remote based in any of the following states: Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington D.C. and Wisconsin.   This role includes some travel with occasional meetings at the home office in Naperville, IL.

What You'll Do:

• Take ownership of creative strategies for assigned titles, ensuring strong market positioning.
• Design and art direct compelling, high-impact book covers, from concept to final production, striking the balance between breakthrough creative and commercial design that is always at the forefront of market trends.
• Be deeply collaborative, prioritizing authors and readers while working with editorial, marketing, and sales teams to align creative vision with business goals.
• Research and recruit top illustrators, artists, and designers, ensuring innovative and competitive book designs.
• Manage the cover approval process, facilitating feedback and achieving timely resolutions.
• Check the data, evaluating workflow efficiencies and refining processes to enhance team productivity.
• Maintain accurate records, organized files, and updated design archives for all projects.
• Stay curious and engaged, keeping up with market trends, emerging design innovations, and industry standards.

 What You Bring:

• 10+ years of experience in book publishing design or a related creative field.
• An exceptional portfolio demonstrating strong typography and design and proven expertise in art direction.
• High-level proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop) and strong understanding of bookmaking and printing processes including advanced printing specs.
• Exceptional organizational and project management skills, with the ability to handle multiple deadlines.
• Strategic problem-solving skills, balancing creative vision with budget, timeline, and business goals.
• Ability to be deeply collaborative, ensuring alignment across editorial, marketing, and production teams.
• Be coachable and always learning, staying engaged with evolving design trends and innovations.

Why Sourcebooks?
As Newsweek’s #2 Most Loved Workplace in 2024 and a recognized leader in innovation by Fast Company (2024 Most Innovative Companies, 2023 Best Workplaces for Innovators), we use a mission-driven, data-centered approach to drive success for our authors and their books. We’re a thriving entrepreneurial company that creates books that transcend categories and defy odds, and we’ve been honored with hundreds of national bestsellers and awards. We are passionate book lovers dedicated to connecting books to readers in innovative ways. Story by story, book by book, we have changed more than 300 million lives.  Join us as we change 300 million more!
 
Ready to Apply:

Please submit your resume, portfolio, salary requirements, and cover letter detailing your relevant experience and interest in this role. Applications without a cover letter and portfolio will not be considered.

Show us your passion and creativity — we’re looking for someone who’s as enthusiastic about this opportunity as we are! 

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 401(k), Short and Long-Term Disability Insurance, Life/AD&D Insurance, & generous paid time off.  
  
Sourcebooks 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.