Senior In-House Designer (Part-Time, Hybrid) — StoryTerrace

• Location: Hybrid (1 day/week in our London office)
• Commitment: 2 days/week
• Salary: Competitive
• Employment type: Contractor

About Us

At StoryTerrace, we believe everyone’s life story deserves to be told — and beautifully so. We’re a leading provider of custom biographies, family histories, and memoirs, transforming personal memories into professionally written and exquisitely designed books. Our mission is to make personal storytelling accessible and meaningful for all.

About the Role

We’re looking for a Senior In-House Designer to join our Editorial team on a part-time basis. Reporting to the Publishing Manager, you’ll take the lead on the visual design of our books and brand assets — bringing both creative excellence and design leadership to the table. You'll be working with us two days a week, with just one of those days spent in our London office — giving you the best of both worlds: the creative energy of in-person collaboration and the freedom of remote work. This is a flexible opportunity to do impactful, design-first work alongside a passionate, experienced team that values creativity, autonomy, and thoughtful design.

What you'll do

• Book Design: Design custom book interiors and covers — from layout to typography to illustration direction — across a variety of projects. You will incorporate feedback and make necessary revisions to designs promptly and accurately.
• Visual Asset Creation: Design other visual assets like family trees, maps, and timelines to enhance each client’s story.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with editorial, sales, and partnership teams to align design work with each project's narrative goals, technical requirements, and production needs.

• Quality Oversight: Take ownership of the design quality across all design projects — ensuring every element, from layout to cover design, meets our creative standards, brand consistency, and enhances the book’s commercial appeal.
• Lead Design Sessions: As our design expert, you’ll lead one-on-one client consultations and storyboarding sessions. These sessions are a key part of the creative process, giving you the chance to shape the visual direction of each project by blending the client’s personal vision with your design expertise.

About You

• A senior-level designer with 8+ years of proven experience in book design and book publishing
• Experience with children’s book design desired but not essential

• Experience in illustration or infographic, or experience art-directing illustrators is desirable.
• Interest in storytelling, history, or cultural heritage

• Expert in Adobe InDesign, with strong skills in Illustrator and Photoshop.
• Deep understanding of layout, typography, and visual storytelling.
• Proven experience designing for both print and digital output (including Amazon KDP and other self-publishing platforms).
• Proactive, self-directed, and detail-oriented — able to manage multiple projects while maintaining a high design standard.
• You have proven experience in client-facing roles and can confidently present your creative ideas to them and demonstrate the ability to receive collaborative feedback.
• Ideally, you have experience designing autobiographies, memoirs and nonfiction titles.
• Able to commute to our London office once per week.

️ Why Join StoryTerrace?

• Work on meaningful, legacy-driven projects that clients and their families cherish.
• Enjoy a flexible hybrid setup, combining focused remote time with collaborative in-person energy.
• Join a mission-driven, creative team that values great design and real human connection.

Interested?

We’d love to hear from you. Please apply with your portfolio and a few lines about why this role speaks to you. Let’s bring life stories to life — beautifully.