What are the responsibilities and job description for the Senior Designer (Graphic Novels) position at Harry N Abrams Inc?
**This position is a union role represented by UAW Local 2110 and is subject to the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.**
OVERVIEW:
If you're looking to grow your career at a company where creativity meets legacy, ABRAMS is the place for you. As a trailblazer in illustrated publishing since 1949, ABRAMS continues to set the standard for beautifully crafted books across art, design, culture, and children’s literature. As we continue to bring exceptional books to readers around the world, we're seeking a Senior Designer of Graphic Novels to join our Design Team!
In this role, you’ll develop graphic novels across multiple imprints, with a primary focus on Fanfare and additional support for ComicArts and Kana. We’re looking for a highly creative, technically accomplished, and organized senior designer who will work closely with the Art Directors and partner with editors, creators, illustrators, production managers, and freelancers to shape visually compelling books from early concept through final files for print.
The ideal candidate brings strong graphic novel design experience, including sequential art, page flow, lettering, typography, and prepress workflows. This role requires a collaborative designer who can balance creative vision with production accuracy while effectively managing timelines and guiding projects through to successful publication.
What you’d be doing:
- Provide design leadership, design, and art direction on assigned graphic novel projects, partnering with the Art Directors from concept through production.
- Design and manage approximately 15-20 graphic novel titles annually, balancing creative development, schedules, revisions, and production deadlines.
- Oversee freelance designers and letterers, providing creative direction, feedback, and guidance throughout the design process.
- Design graphic novel covers and collaborate with creators, illustrators, editors, and sales teams to develop market-savvy concepts that connect with target audiences.
- Guide creators and illustrators in preparing final artwork that meets design, production, and printer specifications.
- Design interior pages, prepare mechanicals, incorporate corrections, and release approved files to production.
- Review proofs and troubleshoot design, artwork, production, and prepress issues.
- Package, archive, and deliver final files in accordance with internal standards and printer requirements.
- Help to keep graphic novel guidelines up to date
We’re looking for someone who has:
- 5–7 years of professional book design experience, including at least 2–3 years focused on graphic novels, comics, manga, or other illustrated narratives.
- A portfolio demonstrating excellence in cover design, typography, page layout, and print production is REQUIRED. (Applicants who do not submit a portfolio will not be screened.)
- Excellent project leadership and organizational skills, with the ability to lead the execution of multiple high-profile titles simultaneously, manage schedules, asset routing, and deliverables with exceptional attention to detail, and ensure quality, on-time delivery and adherence to production and printer deadlines.
- Highly organized, self-starting approach, with the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment, drive complex projects with minimal oversight, and collaborate effectively across creative, editorial, production, sales, and marketing teams, as well as with authors and illustrators.
- Creative, curious, and collaborative mindset, with a willingness to mentor others and contribute to a strong design culture.
- Deep understanding of the graphic novel, comics, manga, and illustrated-book markets, including audience expectations and design trends.
- Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, including InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Acrobat, on Mac, with strong knowledge of print production workflows.
- Knowledge of children’s publishing, including middle grade, young adult, and crossover audiences.
- Understanding of accessible, inclusive, and age-appropriate design practices.
Highly preferred candidates also have:
- Established relationships within the comics or graphic novel community.
- Comic lettering skills or experience collaborating with letterers.
This position is in New York, NY, and follows a hybrid work schedule, requiring in-office presence three days per week.
The base salary range for this position is ($70,000 - $76,000) per year. The final offer will be determined based on factors such as experience, skills, and qualifications.
What We Offer:
- Generous paid holidays and Summer Fridays.
- Company-paid year-end office closure between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day each year
- Comprehensive health benefits, including short-term and long-term disability.
- Retirement savings (401k) and life insurance.
- Vacation, Personal, and Sick time off.
About ABRAMS
Founded in 1949 as the first U.S. publisher to specialize in art and illustrated books, ABRAMS has a long-standing reputation for publishing visually stunning, critically acclaimed, and bestselling works. Today, ABRAMS continues to lead in the creation and distribution of high-quality books across a wide range of categories—including art, photography, design, fashion, entertainment, cooking, craft, and popular culture—as well as award-winning children’s and young adult titles under imprints such as Abrams Books for Young Readers, Amulet Books, and Abrams Appleseed.
Headquartered in the creative heart of New York City, ABRAMS is home to a passionate team of editors, designers, marketers, and publishing professionals who bring bold ideas to life in collaboration with celebrated authors, artists, chefs, photographers, and cultural icons. Our books are distributed globally and have helped shape conversations in classrooms, kitchens, museums, and living rooms around the world.
ABRAMS is deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion—both in the stories we publish and in the culture we foster. Through programs like the ABRAMS Amplify Award, we uplift and support underrepresented voices in children’s publishing. Internally, we promote inclusive hiring practices and an environment where employees of all identities, backgrounds, and lived experiences are encouraged to bring their full selves to work.
At ABRAMS, creativity, integrity, and collaboration are the foundation of everything we do. If you’re inspired by books that make a difference and want to be part of a team that values art, impact, and inclusion, we invite you to join us. Learn more at abramsbooks.com.
Salary : $70,000 - $76,000