The Leicester Gazette is looking for a creative, dependable and detail-oriented person to join our team as a freelance Graphic Designer. This is a great opportunity for someone interested in graphic design, newspaper production and publishing who wants to gain hands-on professional experience or expand their existing portfolio.

About The Role

You’ll be responsible for designing our quarterly print edition, creating a high-quality publication that is visually engaging, clear and consistent with the Leicester Gazette’s voice. Working closely with our editorial team, you’ll format articles, prepare images, create page layouts and ensure all content is accurately presented and ready for print. You’ll also help support our new membership campaign and the relaunch of our newsletter.

You’ll have the opportunity to contribute creative ideas while working to deadlines and maintaining a high standard of attention to detail. The role would suit someone who is confident using design software, has a good understanding of typography and layout, and enjoys bringing written content to life through thoughtful visual design.

Previous experience in newspaper, magazine or editorial design is desirable but not essential. What matters most is your creativity, reliability and willingness to work collaboratively to produce an excellent product.

You’ll work on our Winter 2026/27 issue, published in December, and our Spring 2027 issue, published in March.

Key Information

Contract: 28 October 2026 to 26 February 2027
Hours: 20 days
Salary: £150 per day (£3,000 total)
Location: Leicester Gazette office: LCB Depot, 31 Rutland Street, Leicester, LE1 1RE (with work from home flexibility, but you will need to be able to attend the office when required)
Applications closing date: Friday, 16 October, 5pm
Interview date: Wednesday, 21 October or Friday, 23 October

Any questions? If you have any questions please email rhys@leicester.news.

We particularly encourage applications from women, people of colour, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, and people from working class backgrounds.

What You’ll Do

Print

• Design the Leicester Gazette’s quarterly print edition from start to finish
• Create clear, attractive and engaging page layouts that reflect the publication’s style
• Format articles and organise content so it’s easy and enjoyable to read
• Prepare, edit and place photographs, illustrations and other images
• Work closely with the editorial team to bring stories and ideas to life visually
• Check text, images, captions, page numbers and other details for accuracy
• Prepare final artwork and files for professional printing
• Make updates and revisions based on feedback from the editorial team
• Contribute creative ideas to improve the look and feel of the newspaper

Digital

• Create engaging graphics and artwork for our membership campaign and newsletter relaunch
• Design digital assets for use across email, social media and the website
• Adapt content for different platforms while maintaining a consistent Leicester Gazette visual identity
• Work with the team to develop clear, effective and accessible digital content.

General

• Organise your workload and meet agreed deadlines
• Keep design files clear, organised and easy for others to access
• Communicate regularly with the team and raise any issues early.

What We’re Looking For

Essential

• Experience using graphic design software such as Adobe InDesign or Affinity Publisher
• A good understanding of typography, layout, and colour
• An eye for detail and a careful approach to checking work
• Creativity and an ability to turn written content into engaging visual designs
• Strong organisation skills and the ability to manage your time effectively
• Confidence working independently and meeting deadlines
• Good communication skills and a collaborative approach
• A willingness to listen to feedback and make changes where needed
• Reliability, flexibility and a positive attitude.

Desirable

• Previous experience with Affinity Publisher, Canva and Flourish
• Previous experience in newspaper, magazine or editorial design
• Previous experience working in co-operatives and other democratically run organisations.

What We Offer

• Access to our private office space at LCB Depot, plus 10 per cent off food at Gray’s Café
• Competitive freelance rates, reflecting the experience and value you bring to the role
• Flexible working arrangements around core team hours, with a period policy to help you work when works best for you
• Reliable, timely payment with clear invoicing and payment terms
• Monthly team socials, giving you regular opportunities to connect with the wider team
• Professional development support, including access to relevant learning, resources, and opportunities to build your skills
• A meaningful role, with significant freedom to shape your work, evolve your role, and contribute to our strategy
• A values-driven team and purposeful work, with the opportunity to make a tangible contribution to something that matters.

About Us

The Leicester Gazette is a local, independent newspaper, free to access for all online and in print. We are a member-funded, community-owned news outlet about Leicestershire. We are a member-funded, community-owned news outlet about Leicestershire. We’re building on a movement of co-operative media pioneered by West Highland Free Press, the Bristol Cable, Norwich Radical, Manchester Meteor, the Ferret, and Exeter Observer.

Our mission is to hold those in power accountable, push for change, and amplify the voices of marginalised communities while finding real solutions to the challenges we face. We publish investigations, news features and human interest stories that go beyond the headlines. Our journalism is fact-based and rigorous, and we prize good writing over clickbait and sensationalism.

Local journalism has been devastated in recent years, with thousands of reporters laid off and newsrooms being stripped of their worth, leaving communities plagued by a jungle of ads and stories that have nothing to do with local issues. The Leicester Gazette is our revolution against a broken industry.

How To Apply

Apply by sending a CV, cover letter and portfolio to info@leicester.news. Applications close at 5pm on Friday, 16 October. Interviews will take place on Wednesday, 21 October or Friday, 23 October.

Successful candidates will be required to provide their own device capable of running Affinity Publisher.

We particularly encourage applications from women, people of colour, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, and people from working class backgrounds.

If you have any enquiries about the role or application process not answered above, please email rhys@leicester.news.

Your cover letter is a space for you to tell us about your experience, skills and approach to working which make you suitable for the role. Please refer closely to this job ad, providing concrete examples of where you demonstrate meeting the criteria where possible, and what you specifically achieved in those cases if relevant.