Design Associate Manager - Design Innovation

PepsiCo • New York, NY

7h

About The Position

The Opportunity
Design thinking, applied everywhere. The Brand Experience Design AFH Design Innovation team supports innovation-led brands across the portfolio ecosystem. Every physical, digital, or virtual experience relies on bold graphic design storytelling- from vibrant color treatments and kinetic typography to dynamic animations and the creation of entirely new sub-brands and brand extensions. Our graphic narratives are dynamic, electric, and iconic - it's these narratives that make every interaction meaningful and have the power to unlock new layers of consumer engagement.
As the Brand Design Associate Manager for AFH Design Innovation, you will be responsible for delivering outstanding 360-degree creative work, crafting immersive brands and brand extensions that engage consumers across every platform. You are a visionary across all your creative workstreams—leading, managing, and mentoring designers while liaising with leadership, team members, and partners to deliver world-class creative work every single day.
Why PepsiCo?
PepsiCo is a playground for curious people. We invite thinkers, doers, and changemakers to champion innovation, take calculated risks, and challenge the status quo. From executives to leaders on the frontline, we’re excited about the future. We take chances. Together, we dare to make the world a better place.

Our associates are the magic ingredient. Each of them plays an integral role in helping create deep connections between people and our products. Think about your last group celebration: Chances are, one of our iconic brands was by your side. At PepsiCo, you’re invited to be a part of a global team of innovators who make, move, and sell these products—which are enjoyed by more than 1 billion people a day.

A career at PepsiCo means working in a culture where everyone’s invited. Here, you can dare to be yourself. No matter who you are or where you’re from, you can influence the people around you and the world at large. By showing up, you’ll have the opportunity learn, develop, and grow our unique skill sets at work. Our supportive teams can fuel your professional goals to make a global impact.

Join us. Dare for Better.

Why PepsiCo Design?
At PepsiCo design, we have a saying: “We’re crazy enough to think we can inspire the future.” This is what drives us, in everything we imagine, develop and execute.

Design is a strategic global function for PepsiCo that drives business value by leading innovation, creating experiences, and brand engagements. We are one of the first major food & beverage companies to integrate multiple design disciplines—brand design, design thinking, industrial design, design strategy, front-end innovation—into a single group.

Our goal is clear: to connect PepsiCo’s food & beverage portfolios, with today’s hyper-connected, networked users and consumers hungry for meaningful, authentic, and relevant brand experiences across multiple touchpoints and regions of the world.
Why Experience Design?
Experience Design creates transformative, dimensional spaces that manifest a brand’s story in an immersive yet expansive way, forging bold new connections with consumers. We inspire the future!

Requirements

• A Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communication, or a related discipline or equivalent experience required.
• Proven work experience as a Brand Designer or in a similar role at an agency or in-house design team. Should have a strong portfolio showcasing a variety of branding projects and design work for both Print and Digital. Preferably within the Experiential Design category.
• Proficient in industry-standard design software such as Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign). Should have a strong understanding of design principles, typography, color theory, and layout techniques. Ability to create visually appealing and cohesive designs that align with brand guidelines.
• Familiar with digital design, including social media graphics, web design, and other online platforms. Should have knowledge of user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design principles.
• Basic to advanced skills in AI image generation.
• Ability to visualize how a brand's identity translates onto various packaging formats and shapes.
• Familiar with print production processes, color management, and pre-press procedures specific to packaging design.
• Experience collaborating with print vendors to ensure the accurate and high-quality execution of packaging materials.

Nice To Haves

• Additional certifications or courses in branding and marketing would be considered a plus.
• Knowledge of 3D rendering or prototyping tools for presenting and mocking up packaging designs.

Responsibilities

• Lead, manage, and mentor designers across diverse workstreams, always emphasizing transformative and immersive experiences.
• Collaborate closely with partners to understand and harness the synergy between brands, customers, and consumers.
• Demonstrate outstanding graphic design skills and extensive experience in brand design.
• Develop immersive, end-to-end sub-brands, brand extensions, LTOs, and collaborations that captivate consumers on every platform.
• Design purpose-built creative toolkits that establish clear brand throughlines, adaptable for each platform.
• Advance excellence in Design Thinking—guiding projects from inspiration and vision through concept, narrative, and the consumer journey.
• Facilitate cross-functional creative brainstorms, leveraging design thinking to spark innovative brand activations.
• Partner with brand teams to define and codify experiential brand language through unique materials, finishes, colors, lighting, sounds, scents, and more.
• Communicate ideas clearly through compelling visualizations and effective presentations to both internal and external stakeholders.
• Oversee and execute the creative process from briefing to execution, with a focus on concept visualization.
• Demonstrate vision and expertise in defining all design elements, including visual identity systems, typography, iconography, illustration, animation, and more.
• Exhibit mastery in specifying design materials such as textures, fabrications, and other tangible components.
• Build a reputation for leadership, reliability, and excellence—empowering others to achieve their best.
• Balance visionary thinking with effective project management, delivering world-class executions while ensuring smooth implementation.
• Expand your network by engaging the right freelancers and agency partners to enhance creative output.

Benefits

• Bonus based on performance and eligibility target payout is 10% of annual salary paid out annually.
• Paid time off subject to eligibility, including paid parental leave, vacation, sick, and bereavement.
• Medical, Dental, Vision, Disability, Health, and Dependent Care Reimbursement Accounts, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Insurance (Accident, Group Legal, Life), Defined Contribution Retirement Plan.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level