Brand Design, Packaging Project Manager

OVERVIEW:

Join a talented and agile in-house packaging and creative studio team at a Fortune200 company.

Land O’Lakes, Inc is recruiting for a Brand Design Packaging Project Manager. Reporting to the Director of Brand Design + Creative Studio, this role provides a high-level of package design leadership across an active product portfolio. The role is a key function in driving creative development through print production, to deliver on the brand strategy through the established brand design language.

This position sits within the Brand Design & Studio Team which is part of the Brand and Enterprise Marketing organization.Land O’Lakes, Inc, your future is rooted here!

Responsibilities:

Position will lead package design development for the Dairy Foods portfolio (Butter, Cheese & Refrigerated Sweet Snacks) as well as cross-train on the Animal Nutrition portfolio (Purina Brand) for packaging execution support.

Primary responsibilities include design leadership of packaging projects, management of project kick-off with core team and agency partner, timeline development and management, cross-functional team coordination (securing packaging codes, required copy, marketing copy, master data etc.) and routing/proofing for final layouts and hard copy color proofs.

This role will manage the creative and print production process and serve as the day-to-day contact to our design agencies and print partners.

Review creative briefs to ensure there is a clear understanding of the brand strategy, target audience, project scope and communications objectives.

Provide print and packaging guidance to the cross functional teams (i.e., print specifications, regulatory standards)

• Lead pre-pro meeting with print and agency partners
• Review print quality for all printed materials
• Review and approve ink draw downs

Assist in ensuring the current process and agency and print partner relationships are efficiently managed (upload final working files to DAM, first-run print samples are sent to HQ, 3D images are created and populated onto the DAM)

Responsible for OLP (on-line proofing) graphic review with the cross functional teams for approvals and sign-off of final printer proofs for color and content accuracy.

Request and review creative estimates from agency partners and vendors to Business Unit for budgeting.

Generate design and graphic timelines - coordinating cross functional efforts from start to finish. (Working with agencies for creative presentations, to coordinating with print deadlines for each packaging change.)

Support the Director on special projects (print, e-commerce, vendor transitions, etc.) where needed.

Experience-Education (Required):

• Exceptional project management skills that require multi-tasking and working with people all levels of the brand, marketing and business organization. 
• 4-year degree or equivalent work experience in a CPG, agency or in-house creative department 
• 5+ years of package design or creative experience at an agency or in-house team

Experience-Education (Preferred):

• Art Production and Prepress Print experience preferred