Senior Manager, Packaging Design – Hard & Soft Home
About The Position
American Exchange Group is seeking a highly creative, strategic, and hands-on Senior Manager, Packaging & Design – Hard & Soft Home to lead the packaging design and development process across a diverse portfolio of home products. This role will oversee packaging for both soft home categories, including bedding, bath, and pet, as well as hard home categories, including home décor, tabletop, storage, and other consumer home products. The Senior Manager will lead the packaging design vision from concept through production, ensuring packaging is innovative, commercially compelling, brand-right, cost-effective, and production-ready. This role will manage and mentor one Senior Packaging Designer while partnering closely with Product Development, Merchandising, Marketing, Sourcing, Sales, and overseas factories and vendors. The ideal candidate combines exceptional packaging and graphic design expertise with strong leadership, project management, and commercial instincts, and understands how to create packaging that stands out in both off-price and retail environments.
Requirements
- 7+ years of progressive packaging design experience, with experience leading projects and/or managing designers.
- Strong background designing packaging for home goods, with experience across both hard and soft home preferred. Experience with bedding, bath, rugs, window coverings, décor, tabletop, storage, or pet products is highly valued.
- Expert knowledge of packaging structures, components, dielines, print production, materials, and vendor/factory processes.
- Demonstrated experience developing packaging specifically for the off-price, mass, department store, or specialty retail markets.
- Expert proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, particularly Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign.
- Strong portfolio demonstrating the ability to conceptualize, develop, and execute contemporary packaging from concept through production.
- Proven ability to lead, mentor, and manage creative talent while maintaining high design standards.
- Strong understanding of branding, typography, color, hierarchy, and visual storytelling.
- Excellent project management and organizational skills, with the ability to prioritize multiple projects and meet tight deadlines.
- Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to clearly articulate creative concepts and recommendations to leadership and cross-functional partners.
- Highly collaborative, solutions-oriented, and comfortable working in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.
- Demonstrated ability to embrace change, identify opportunities, and make recommendations that improve products, processes, and packaging execution.
- Strong attention to detail with a high level of ownership and accountability from concept through final production.
Nice To Haves
- Experience with 3D packaging/rendering programs is a plus.
Responsibilities
- Lead the overall packaging design strategy and creative direction across hard and soft home product categories.
- Manage, mentor, and provide creative direction to one Senior Packaging Designer, overseeing priorities, workload, quality, and professional development.
- Develop innovative, commercially viable packaging concepts that effectively communicate product benefits, features, quality, and value.
- Oversee the complete packaging process from initial concept and structural development through final production and delivery.
- Create and review package dielines, digital and physical mockups, print files, and 3D renderings.
- Ensure packaging is optimized for the off-price market, while maintaining a premium and compelling visual presentation.
- Partner with Product Development and Merchandising teams to translate product concepts and key selling points into effective packaging.
- Develop and maintain packaging technical specifications, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and compliance with production requirements.
- Review and approve final packaging artwork and factory-ready print files, ensuring all design, copy, dimensions, and production details are accurate.
- Collaborate directly with factories, printers, packaging vendors, and overseas partners to troubleshoot production issues and maintain design integrity.
- Research packaging, graphic, color, material, and consumer trends to continuously evolve the company's packaging aesthetic and approach.
- Establish and maintain packaging standards, templates, guidelines, and best practices across categories and brands.
- Ensure consistency in branding and visual communication across packaging, while tailoring design appropriately to each product and customer.
- Support the development of graphics and visual assets for marketing, catalogs, presentations, digital, social media, and e-commerce as needed.
- Manage multiple packaging projects and seasonal development calendars simultaneously, ensuring projects remain on schedule and within budget.
- Review work produced by internal designers and external partners, providing clear and constructive creative direction.
- Identify opportunities to improve packaging processes, efficiencies, cost, sustainability, and overall design quality.
- Present concepts and recommendations to senior leadership and cross-functional teams.
- Perform other related responsibilities as assigned by management.
Benefits
- Comprehensive Health & Wellness Benefits, including medical, dental, vision, and supplemental insurance
- 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan with company match
- Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) and paid holidays
- Half Day Fridays with shortened hours during both Summer and Winter seasons
- Health Savings Account (HSA)
- Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
- Tax-free commuter benefits
- Exclusive employee merchandise discounts
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
Education Level
No Education Listed
