Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is a learning technology company that delivers connected solutions for K–12 learners and educators. The Lead Product Designer will lead the visual design and development of high-quality print and digital learning experiences, establish visual identities and scalable design systems, and guide cross-functional teams through complex educational product development and production.
Responsibilities
- Lead the visual design and page development of Teacher Guides, Student Editions, workbooks, and other print instructional materials from concept through final production
- Translate complex instructional content into clear, engaging, and highly usable page layouts for teachers and students
- Apply expert knowledge of typography, grid systems, visual hierarchy, color, imagery, and information design to create cohesive and modern educational experiences
- Design print components that balance instructional clarity, visual engagement, accessibility, age appropriateness, and efficient classroom use
- Partner with editorial and instructional teams to understand content structure and recommend design approaches that improve comprehension, navigation, and engagement
- Ensure visual consistency and coherence across print components while accounting for the distinct needs of teacher-facing and student-facing materials
- Establish and evolve the visual identity of assigned programs in alignment with HMH brand standards, market expectations, and the unique instructional purpose of each solution
- Bring forward innovative design approaches that modernize print experiences and differentiate HMH programs in the market
- Use customer research, educator feedback, usability findings, and market insights to identify design opportunities and refine solutions
- Develop and present multiple design directions, clearly articulating the rationale behind visual and structural decisions
- Set a high bar for design quality and provide clear design guidance, reviews, and feedback to other designers, vendors, and cross-functional partners
- Stay current on trends and emerging practices in educational publishing, editorial design, visual communication, and print production
- Create scalable print design systems, templates, style guides, master pages, and component libraries that support consistency and efficient development
- Establish clear specifications and production standards that enable seamless handoff to production designers, vendors, and manufacturing partners
- Anticipate production needs and design materials that can be efficiently updated, versioned, and extended across grades, editions, and product configurations
- Partner with production, editorial, and operations teams to resolve design and workflow challenges before they affect quality, schedule, or budget
- Review layouts, proofs, and final files to ensure visual quality, accuracy, consistency, and adherence to established design standards
- Ensure projects are organized and documented so that internal teams and external partners can execute reliably and efficiently
- Identify opportunities to improve design and production workflows, including the responsible use of AI and automation tools
- Partner with internal designers and external vendors to ensure design execution aligns with program vision, schedule, and quality standards
- Work closely with the Senior Director of Design to establish program vision, priorities, and quality standards
- Collaborate with Learning Experience Design, Editorial, Product Management, Production, Research, and other cross-functional teams throughout the product-development process
- Translate instructional, editorial, customer, and business requirements into strong visual design solutions
- Facilitate design reviews, incorporate feedback thoughtfully, and build alignment among senior stakeholders
- Advocate for the needs of teachers and students while balancing instructional goals, production constraints, schedules, and budgets
- Serve as a trusted design partner who can navigate ambiguity, make informed decisions, and move complex projects forward
- Work independently while maintaining close collaboration with the Senior Director of Design and cross-functional partners
- Attend and actively contribute to project meetings, design reviews, customer-insight discussions, and product-planning sessions
- Develop a deep understanding of each program’s instructional model, users, market position, and brand identity
- Manage design priorities and deliverables across multiple projects while meeting quality, schedule, and production requirements
Skills
- **\*\*To be considered for this role, applicants must provide a portfolio link within their resume that demonstrates relevant work and experience\*\**
- * Bachelor's degree in graphic design, communication design, visual design, publication design, or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience
- * At least 7 years of experience in graphic design, editorial design, educational publishing, or a related field
- * Portfolio demonstrating exceptional print and editorial design, including complex, multi-page publications
- * Demonstrated experience designing Teacher Guides, Student Editions, textbooks, workbooks, or comparable educational or professional publications
- * Advanced expertise in Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, and related design and production tools
- * Deep knowledge of typography, page composition, grid systems, information hierarchy, image selection, and visual storytelling
- * Experience developing scalable design systems, templates, master pages, style guides, and production specifications for complex print programs
- * Strong understanding of print production, prepress requirements, file preparation, proofing, and vendor handoff
- * Experience leading design work independently and providing creative direction or guidance to other designers
- * Demonstrated ability to use customer insights, research, and feedback to improve design solutions
- * Strong presentation, communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills
- * Ability to manage multiple complex workstreams while maintaining attention to detail and design quality
- * Experience designing K–12 curriculum or intervention products for teachers and students
- * Experience evolving the visual identity of established product lines or creating distinct identities across a portfolio of programs
- * Experience working with large-scale publishing workflows, content-management systems, or automated page-production processes
- * Knowledge of accessibility and inclusive-design practices for print instructional materials
- * Experience directing illustrators, photographers, agencies, freelancers, or external production vendors
- * Familiarity with digital product design and the ability to support visual coherence between print and digital experiences
Benefits
- Remote (US)
Company Overview
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