Executive Design Director Jobs (NOW HIRING)

The Director, Creator & Community Publishing is responsible for building and owning Andrews McMeel’s publishing program in emerging creator-driven and community-native categories. Reporting to the EVP & Publisher, this role owns the full publishing lifecycle for these categories — from identifying platform-native creators and community-driven opportunities, through acquisition, editorial development, and publication — while working closely with the broader books editorial team.

The role launches with two high-priority community opportunities, with latitude to identify and develop additional emerging categories over time. The Director acquires through the standard Andrews McMeel editorial process with a shared budget, building a track record that reflects the growth ambitions of the Publishing division.

This role works closely with the Executive Managing Editor on workflow and operations, the Executive Design Director on format development, and collaborates across the calendar and books editorial teams to identify crossover opportunities. The Director serves as AMU’s internal subject matter expert on platform-native content, emerging audience behavior, and creator community dynamics.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Discover & Sign

• Identify and acquire platform-native creators across digital content platforms, social communities, and creator ecosystems who have demonstrated, engaged audiences and genuine commercial potential
• Build Andrews McMeel’s acquisition pipeline in high-priority community categories — including genre fiction and maker/craft culture among others — with latitude to identify and propose additional emerging community opportunities
• Develop agent relationships and direct creator relationships that do not currently exist at AMU — expanding our network, not just working within it
• Evaluate creator projects using platform performance data, audience engagement signals, and community dynamics alongside traditional editorial criteria
• Track deeper trends in the market and bring entrepreneurial energy and speed to capture opportunities
• Evaluate P&Ls and present proposed acquisitions to the EVP & Publisher through the standard editorial acquisitions proces

Develop & Publish

• Own the creator relationship editorially from acquisition through publication — serving as their primary Andrews McMeel editorial contact
• Work with Design and Production to develop formats that serve community consumption habits, not just traditional trade expectations
• Collaborate with the calendar editorial team to identify crossover opportunities where community-driven content extends across formats
• Partner with the Executive Managing Editor on acquisition workflow, scheduling, and delivery to ensure community-native projects move efficiently through the editorial process

Build & Evangelize

• Serve as Andrews McMeel’s internal subject matter expert on emerging reader behavior, platform-native content economics, and creator community dynamics
• Maintain a visible, credible presence in target communities — attending relevant events, engaging authentically online, and building AMU’s reputation as the right publishing partner for platform-native creators
• Contribute to editorial strategy conversations at the leadership level, bringing community and audience intelligence to acquisitions discussions across the broader list
• Participate as a member of the Publishing department leadership team, contributing to division-wide strategy and cross-category editorial thinking

ESSENTIAL SKILLS

• Genuine fluency in platform-native creator communities — including web fiction platforms, creator subscription platforms, social video, and adjacent ecosystems — from the inside, not as an observer
• Direct experience acquiring or developing platform-native creators, with working relationships inside these communities
• Strong editorial judgment — the ability to tell a good book from a good social following, and to evaluate when a creator has both
• Ability to use audience data and platform performance signals as acquisition inputs alongside traditional editorial criteria
• Comfort with ambiguity and the ability to build a pipeline and category presence from scratch without established infrastructure
• Strong written communication and editorial skills, including the ability to write compelling acquisition briefs and present confidently to senior leadership
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively with Design, Production, Sales, Marketing, and Finance
• Understanding of transmedia rights and the audio, ebook, and merchandise ecosystem around community-driven IP
• Strategic thinking and an ability to foresee where creator communities and platform-native content are moving

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Four-year Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent combination of education and experience
• 5–8 years of experience in publishing, digital media, or the creator economy, with meaningful exposure to community-native content and platform-driven audiences
• Demonstrated track record of identifying commercially viable platform-native creators and converting them into published books or content programs
• Experience with community-native content categories — including genre fiction, craft and maker culture, or comparable platform-driven formats — strongly preferred
• Track record of signing creators who came with an audience, not just a manuscript