Art Director - Books, EdTech and Brand Design

About the role

This Art Director role owns the visual direction and design standards for the company's books, educational materials, digital products and brand. It combines book and editorial design, visual systems for EdTech and digital learning products, and the leadership of a small design team.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the design of book covers, jackets and interior layouts, making each title distinctive and true to its content and audience.
• Art-direct illustrators, designers and freelancers, briefing, reviewing and raising their work to a consistent standard.
• Design and oversee visual systems for EdTech and digital learning products, ensuring clarity and accessibility.
• Partner with editorial and product teams from concept to publication, turning manuscripts and learning goals into compelling visuals.
• Develop and steward brand guidelines across marketing, packaging, social and campaign assets.
• Manage print production: typography, colour, paper and print quality, working with printers and vendors.
• Build and mentor a small design team, giving clear creative feedback.
• Balance multiple titles and deadlines, keeping projects on schedule and within budget.
• Stay current with design, publishing and EdTech trends.

Required profile

• 16+ years of design experience, including 2+ years in an art direction or design lead role.
• A strong portfolio showing editorial, book or brand design, with cover design and layout strongly preferred.
• Proven creative leadership: able to art-direct others, give constructive feedback and raise the bar across a team.
• Strong collaboration skills across editorial, product and marketing, and excellent organisation for managing several projects at once.
• Nice to have: publishing, EdTech or educational content design experience; illustration skills or a network of illustrators; digital and UI/UX design experience; Arabic and English design and typography, including right-to-left layout; motion, video or social content design.

Required skills

• Expert command of the Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop).
• Modern design tools such as Figma.
• Typography and layout mastery, with a sharp eye for hierarchy, composition and detail.
• Print production knowledge: pre-press, colour management and working with print vendors.