Reports to: Senior Design Director | Status: Non-Exempt, Hourly | Department: Studio | Pay range: $22–$26 per hour
San Diego Magazine is looking for a Production Designer to be the engine behind our custom publications, monthly magazine and studio design work. You’ll own the build of multi-page editorial projects from layout through press-ready files, create and maintain the templates our teams rely on every day, and keep a high volume of print and digital work moving accurately and on deadline. Our magazine’s content takes many forms: reported articles, photo essays, videos, social media, events, branded content, advertorials, marketing, and brand partnerships. This role sits at the intersection of editorial craft and production precision, and it’s ideal for someone who loves typography and grids as much as a clean, well-organized file.
Job Duties:
Custom Publications & Editorial Design
- Lead the design and production of custom publications (branded magazines, special sections, and client-owned titles) from plan through final files.
- Build page layouts that balance brand standards with fresh editorial design, including features, departments, photo spreads, and advertorials.
- Flow copy, place and crop images, and manage revisions across multiple rounds of review from editors, clients, and the Senior Design Director and Executive Creative Director.
- Maintain consistency across long-form documents using paragraph, character, and object styles, master pages, and shared libraries.
- Prepare print-ready files: preflight, package, and export to printer specifications; manage color, image resolution, bleed, and trim.
- Review printer proofs, flag issues, and coordinate corrections with the production and print vendors.
- Track pagination, ad placement, and deadlines for each custom project in partnership with editorial and sales.
Templates & Studio Production
- Design, build, and maintain templates for recurring studio deliverables, including social posts and stories, newsletters, one-sheets, sales decks, event collateral, and client assets.
- Create template systems that non-designers can use correctly (Canva and InDesign), with clear locked elements, style guides, and usage notes.
- Adapt existing brand systems across formats and sizes, and resize and version campaigns efficiently.
- Keep template libraries and brand assets current, organized, and easy to find.
Magazine, Advertising & Digital Support
- Assist the print design team on editorial layouts, advertorials, and paid profiles for the magazine.
- Build ads on behalf of advertisers and check all incoming ads for print fidelity and spec compliance.
- Produce social media stories and posts for the San Diego Magazine brand, paid partnerships, and custom clients.
- Build branded newsletters and translate newsletter content into web landing pages.
- Extend event and marketing branding across print and digital assets.
- Other duties as assigned.
Skills Needed:
- Expert-level Adobe InDesign for magazine and custom publication design, including styles, master pages, long-document workflows, preflight, and packaging. Strong Photoshop and Illustrator.
- Expert-level Figma for all other design projects.
- Solid working knowledge of print production: CMYK and color management, image resolution, bleed and trim, paper and finishing basics, and printer specs.
- A sharp eye for typography, hierarchy, and grid-based editorial layout.
- Obsessive attention to detail: you catch the widow, the RGB image, and the missing bleed before anyone else does.
- Excellent time management; able to juggle multiple projects, respond to several rounds of feedback, and hit deadlines consistently.
- Able to take direction from the Senior Design Director and Executive Creative Director, and execute across a wide range of projects, while bringing your own ideas to the table.
- Disciplined file management: follow naming conventions and server organization so anyone on the team can pick up your files.
- Working knowledge of Canva, Mailchimp, and WordPress
- Animation or motion experience (After Effects or similar), or interest in learning, is a plus.
- 2+ years of design experience, ideally in magazine, publishing, agency, or in-house production.
- Degree in Graphic Design or a related field, or equivalent professional experience. Please include a portfolio showing editorial and production work.
About Us
San Diego Magazine is a modern media company focused on telling meaningful stories about the people, culture, food, ideas, and communities shaping San Diego.
Here We Are Studios is our creative studio, helping brands tell better stories through strategy, content, and creative work that connects with real people.
Together, we’re building a more dynamic, community-driven business that blends media, storytelling, audience, and brand services in ways that feel useful, original, and human.
Equal Opportunity Employer
San Diego Magazine and Here We Are Studios are equal opportunity employers. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace and welcome applicants of all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.
To Apply: Send a resume and portfolio to [email protected]
Application period closes: Friday, October 30, 2026
