Packaging Design Manager

Summary of Role:

Are you ready to work for a brand you can believe in? Do you want to turn your creativity loose for an inspirational organization? Organic Valley is looking for a passionate, creative leader to oversee packaging design for our cooperative. The Packaging Design Manager is the Cooperative’s go-to for all matters involving branded package design, responsible directing and managing the process from brief through approvals and printing. This role carries out design and production tasks while managing a team of designers and reports to the Senior Director of Creative. Responsibilities include art direction, assigning tasks, coordinating rollout of new and renovated products, managing team priorities and budget. The Packaging Design Manager is also responsible for ensuring package design resources are supplied to other departments, including packaging image assets, mockups, and prototypes.

You are:

A highly collaborative, proactive, detail-oriented, problem-solver with the ability to pivot according to changing priorities who is excited to work for a mission-based company.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Support Organic Valley brand with packaging design updates, mock-ups, and assets, print and plant coordination.
• Manage workflow of all packaging projects to ensure projects follow process guidelines, stay on time and pivot as necessary with changing circumstances.
• Manage entire package design process from the creative side including consulting on initial briefs and concept needs, managing and/or designing packages, leading creative review, and coordinating approvals.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders across the approval process to facilitate timely response to regulatory or legal changes.
• Ensure all designs meet brand guideline standards and are executed accurately.
• Collaborate with Integrated Production Management team to assign work to internal and external resources.
• Coordinate packaging design projects with agencies and freelance artists.
• Oversee packaging asset management and archiving
• Coordinate and collaborate with Commercialization Teams regarding packaging changes, legal considerations, timelines, and print processes and limitations.

Additional Duties and Responsibilities:

• Identify software needs and work with Marketing Operations to evaluate and procure.
• Stay abreast of packaging design trends and innovations.
• ttend Commercialization Team Meetings as required.
• Attend on-press viewing on new packages as needed.
• Other duties as assigned by supervisor.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Professional degree in graphic design or a related field is preferred.
• Proven ability to effectively define and lead creative processes and projects to meet goals.
• 5+ years’ experience in packaging design role.
• 2+ years supervisory experience – managing creative team and process.
• Strong color sense and typography and composition skills.
• Strong project management and organizational skills are necessary.
• Experience with food packaging a plus.
• Expert-level knowledge of Adobe Creative Cloud, and proficiency with Microsoft Office tools.
• Experience with Workamajig or other project management software preferred.
• Positivity and the ability to keep teams motivated to do their best work.
• Excellent time management skills.
• Ability to handle multiple assignments, self-manage and meet deadlines.
• Drive to never be satisfied with the status quo and always looking to make things better.
• Ability to build relationships and collaborate effectively with various individuals at various levels of the business.
• Proactive problem solving.
• Able to communicate clear directions to designers, product managers and internal stake holders
• Extensive knowledge of packaging substrates, materials, printing, and comping
• Expert level understanding of file setup for production
• Must have portfolio to share with related work.