Job Description

This range is provided by Podium Entertainment. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Base pay range

$85,000.00/yr - $100,000.00/yr

Job Title

Associate Creative Director (Cover Art)

Reports to

Creative Director

Company Overview

Headquartered in El Segundo, Podium is North Americas fastest growing digital publisher, driven by its mission is to change the lives of trendsetting storytellers by discovering, developing, and amplifying their work.

Why Work at Podium

We offer a world-class, competitive benefits package that includes 100% employer-paid health benefits, paid parking, paid parental leave, flexible PTO, paid holidays, a free Class Pass membership, a paid Audible subscription, and a flexible hybrid work environment.

Job Overview

The Associate Creative Director, Cover Art, will play a pivotal role in shaping the visual identity of Podiums catalog across multiple genres, including romance, fantasy, science fiction, LitRPG, and thriller. Working closely with the Creative Director, this role balances creativity with operational excellencehelping manage high-volume cover art production, delivering clear creative direction, and ensuring high-quality, market-ready designs.

This person will collaborate with freelance designers, internal stakeholders, and authors to bring cover concepts to life that meet both creative vision and commercial goals. The Associate Creative Directors work directly impacts audience engagement and Podiums brand reputation in the marketplace.

Work Location

This is an onsite position in our El Segundo, CA office. Must be available to work onsite 9am to 5pm Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday and remotely Monday and Friday.

Responsibilities

• Manage multiple cover art projects simultaneously, ensuring deadlines and quality standards are consistently met.
• Create and deliver clear, actionable creative briefs with strong references and audience insights for designers.
• Ensure all covers are on-brief, high-quality, and aligned with both author vision and market trends.
• Manage and oversee internal art directors and freelance designers, assigning projects and providing structured feedback.
• Translate feedback from internal stakeholders (editorial, marketing, executives) into actionable design direction.
• Support the Creative Director and project management team in optimizing cover art workflows for efficiency and scalability.
• Maintain strong working relationships with authors and stakeholders, balancing creative and commercial priorities.

Qualifications

Required

• 46 years of experience in art direction, design, or creative project management (publishing, entertainment, or media strongly preferred).
• Strong portfolio or track record of managing creative projects from brief through delivery.
• Proven ability to manage multiple deadlines in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to give and receive constructive feedback.
• Strong organizational and project management skills.

Preferred

• Familiarity with commercial fiction categories such as romance, fantasy, sci-fi, LitRPG, and thriller.
• Experience managing and providing feedback to creative talent.
• Knowledge of cover design best practices and trends in the publishing industry.

Physical Requirements

• Primarily office-based work setting.
• Must be able to work onsite Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays from our office in El Segundo.
• Work hours are from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Ability to walk, stand, and move around the office as needed.

Seniority level

Mid-Senior level

Employment type

Full-time

Job function

Art/Creative, Marketing, and Project Management

Industries

Entertainment Providers, Broadcast Media Production and Distribution, and Book and Periodical Publishing

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