Design Manager, Everyday Pantry Essentials

HOW YOU WILL MAKE HISTORY HERE…

The Design Manager, Everyday Pantry Essentials (EPE), leads design across the portfolio, ensuring on-strategy delivery across packaging, production, and asset management. Reporting to the Assoc. Design Director, Italian, Frozen, & Everyday Pantry Essentials, this role leads one direct report and provides creative leadership to deliver against business and brand priorities.

The Design Manager partners closely with cross-functional stakeholders and external agency partners to bring brands to life and support business objectives. This role plays a critical part in translating design strategy into impactful, consumer-centered creative solutions while building team capability and ensuring excellence from concept through execution.

This is a hybrid role based in Camden, NJ.

WHAT YOU WILL DO…

• Lead design initiatives across the Everyday Pantry Essentials portfolio, guiding one direct report and ensuring work aligns with brand strategy, visual standards, consumer needs, and business objectives.

• Manage, mentor, and develop designers by providing clear direction, constructive feedback, and ongoing performance coaching.

• Translate design strategies into actionable creative direction, briefs, timelines, workflows, and deliverables.

• Provide strategic and creative direction to internal designers and external agency partners, ensuring work delivers against the design brief and business objectives.

• Partner cross-functionally with Brand, Marketing, Innovation, Operations, Insights, and other key stakeholders to deliver effective design solutions on schedule and within budget.

• Lead day-to-day relationships with external design agencies, production partners, and vendors.

• Review, evaluate, and approve creative work to ensure design quality, accuracy, consistency, and adherence to brand standards.

• Oversee packaging production and pre-press activities, ensuring flawless execution from concept through final delivery.

• Support budget management, resource planning, production planning, and operational processes related to design projects.

• Identify and implement opportunities to improve design workflows, tools, processes, and team effectiveness.

• Ensure design assets and deliverables meet regulatory requirements, production specifications, and organizational standards.

WHO YOU WILL WORK WITH…

• Assoc. Design Director, Italian, Frozen, & Everyday Pantry Essentials

• Enterprise Design Team

• Brand Marketing Teams

• Innovation & Product Development Teams

• Consumer Insights

• Operations & Manufacturing Partners

• External Design Agencies

• Production and Pre-Press Vendors

• Photography and Creative Production Partners

• Cross-functional stakeholders throughout the organization

WHAT YOU BRING TO THE TABLE… (MUST HAVE)

• 7+ years of experience in Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) design, with food industry experience strongly preferred.

• Demonstrated experience leading complex packaging and brand design initiatives from concept through execution.

• Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Visual Communications, or a related field.

• Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and strong design concept development and execution capabilities.

• Proven leadership skills with the ability to provide creative direction, make design recommendations, and influence senior and cross-functional stakeholders.

• Exceptional visual storytelling abilities with a strong understanding of brand-building principles.

• Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to clearly articulate and advocate for design strategy and creative rationale.

• Deep knowledge of graphic design principles, art production, photography, packaging design, and production processes.

• Strong understanding of packaging regulations and requirements within the CPG industry.

• Working knowledge of typography, photography, print production, proofing, color management, and color separations.

• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively within a highly cross-functional organization to solve complex business challenges.

• Strong organizational and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

IT WOULD BE GREAT IF YOU HAVE… (NICE TO HAVE)

• People management experience

• Experience within the food and beverage industry.

• Experience working with nationally recognized consumer brands.

• Knowledge of packaging asset management systems and digital workflow tools.

• Experience leading external agency relationships and creative vendor partnerships.

• Exposure to innovation, product launch, and commercialization processes.

• Experience managing production budgets and forecasting project costs.

• Familiarity with sustainability-focused packaging initiatives and emerging packaging trends.

• Experience working in a highly matrixed or global organization.

• Knowledge of consumer insights and their application to packaging and design strategy.