Junior Designer, Multimedia & Animation (US, Remote or Hybrid)

Princeton University Press’s (PUP) seeks a Junior Designer, focused on multimedia and animation projects to join the award-winning book design team with the Creative Media Lab, a group responsible for Press-wide print and digital design. Reporting to the Assistant Creative Director of Marketing, the Junior Designer will be responsible for the design of marketing and advertising materials to support the Press’s global brand. The Junior Designer role is ideally suited for a collaborative and self-motivated early career creative professional with a strong typographic sense, excellent conceptual design skills, and an avid interest in books and ideas. The ability to learn on the job and to work with others toward creative solutions is essential to success in this position.

This is a full-time position with comprehensive and industry-leading benefits that include a focus on wellness. PUP is a staff choice organization when it comes to work location and flexible scheduling. The Press respects and trusts that staff can determine where and how they best function to perform their role. The selected candidate will be able to choose either 100% remote (within the US), hybrid, or full-time in our Princeton, NJ office.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Conceptualize and design multi-media marketing materials including short-form video, social media graphics, catalogs, fliers, postcards, posters, marketing emails, infographics, and original illustrations 
• Create motion graphics and other platform-specific visual content that showcases our brand’s personality and resonates with diverse audiences 
• Conceptualize and create short video trailers for scholarly books across a range of subjects. 
• Produce professional photographs of products and people 
• Create book mockups and product simulations 
• Create original book cover designs. Consider priorities of marketing, sales, publicity, acquisitions editors, and authors as conveyed at cover design meetings 
• Work closely with the Creative Director and Assistant Creative Director to refine designs, incorporate feedback, and articulate and develop the Press’s brand across a unified visual system 
• Stay current with new design trends, marketing news, technologies, and software updates 
• Participate in group brainstorms and discussions.

Position Requirements:

• Degree from a 4-year college or university, BFA preferred, and an interest in publishing.
• A minimum of 6 months minimum applied experience (e.g. internship) with animation preferred but not required.  
• Excellent design ability, including strong type design, as demonstrated in portfolio.
• An ongoing curiosity about trends in graphic design and book design generally
• Strong knowledge of Adobe Creative Cloud on a Mac platform.  
• Design proficiency using Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premier Pro, AfterEffects, and Acrobat Pro. Familiarity with databases and Microsoft Word. 
• Must be a creative problem solver, flexible in incorporating the ideas of others into layout or design while at the same time maintaining design and brand integrity.

• Comfortable interacting with a diversity of individuals, internally and externally, and by Zoom and in person, both in-house and with commercial printers and vendors. 
• Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills.

• Collaborative working style: Ability to communicate ideas clearly both verbally and in writing; ability to work well both independently and with others; ability to synthesize feedback and to respond professionally and creatively
• Comfort with databases and scheduling software.
• Generous spirit, openness, flexibility, and desire to produce excellent work.
• Demonstrable time-management and organizational skills, and the ability to manage detail-oriented projects with overlapping deadlines.
• Confidence with independent work, and as part of a larger collective with common goals. 

• Enthusiasm for collaboration, and commitment to PUP’s professional code of conduct, located at https://press.princeton.edu/about/mission-values.

• This requisition is for a position in the U.S. Candidates must have current legal authorization to work immediately in the U.S. PUP will not attempt to obtain employment sponsorship for any applicants.

PUP is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of our publishing. Individuals who are members of groups underrepresented in academic publishing (which is, according to research by Lee & Low, historically a majority white, straight, cisgender, nondisabled and neurotypical industry) are encouraged to apply. The Press provides a comprehensive and affordable benefits package.

Base Salary: $52,000/year plus extensive benefits package. Starting salary may be negotiable based on relevant skills and prior experience.

Application Instructions: Interested candidates should send a cover letter* with salary requirements, résumé and portfolio at PUP’s application website. You will be requested to provide the link to an e-portfolio during the online application process at PUP’s application website. We encourage you to submit a portfolio that demonstrates your flexibility as a designer and the range of your work across media, including graphic design for print and digital platforms, typography, 2D animation, page layout, illustration, and product photography.

*Please include in your cover letter a description of what you are currently reading and what’s on your “to read” list.  Note that the cover letter is valued and reviewed closely as a writing sample.

Due to application volume, only finalists will be contacted.

Founded in 1905, Princeton University Press is an independent, nonprofit publisher with close connections to Princeton University. The Press brings influential voices and ideas to the world stage through their academic scholarship, advancing the frontiers of scholarly knowledge, and promoting the human conversation. For more information on Princeton University Press, visit http://press.princeton.edu/.

Princeton University Press is an equal opportunity employer and employs individuals based on their abilities. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.