Senior Creative Director

JOB DESCRIPTION: Senior Creative Director

Summary:

Our company is a Women Owned business in the Spirits industry, championing diversity and sustainability as a way for the industry to keep moving forward into a positive future. We pride ourselves on a clear vision of how we are going to grow this 5-year-old business into a $100 million business in 10 years, and we are hiring for a critical creative role to make this happen. To date, we have already launched new offices in Mexico, Italy and India, achieved Inc. 5000 status, achieved Enterprising Women’s 2023 award, and more.

The Leadership Team will provide you with all the information you need on our vision, our values, what we believe in, what we are the best at, and why every Bourbon, Whiskey, Rum and Vodka (and more!) brand should want to work with our company.

What we make is primary and secondary packaging. What we DO is our company’s way and it gets our clients the packaging items they need, faster and more sustainably than anyone else.

The Senior Creative Director will provide the overall creative leadership for the organization. This role is responsible for uniting the creative talent from each region to help meet the strategic objectives of HQ as a shared service. Responsible for mentoring team members and coordinating work with internal departments. Responsible for stunning produict designs on primary, secondary, VAP and more projects. Here is how we think you are going to do it and some of the essential functions of this role:

1. Manage a team of creative designers in Mexico City (about 6 people). Including evaluating each team member’s strengths and weaknesses, providing training, creating KPI’s, providing LMA (leadership, management and accountability) to aid continuous improvement of the team and their skills.
2. Work together with the Product Development team to respond to client briefs, and be present for the original client briefing (either in-person, virtual or by emails) This includes matching the required brand guidelines from our customers, creating product shapes, designs, print techniques, etc. so that our company can win business based on the excellent quality of our design work.
3. Focus equally on the soft side of brand and the creative nature of the products we are offering, as well as the industrial and technical design aspect of using materials and print graphics to achieve the winning designs.
4. Bring a potential book of business with customers in the spirits industry you are already working with.
5. Collaborate with Marketing agency and Sales lead on the brand Collateral for our company. As the Creative Lead, you will be responsible for ensuring all of our internal and external documents/presentations/marketing materials align with the core brand guidelines of our company.
6. Manage and be responsible for the Creative Budget for items such as: trade shows, prototypes, materials, IT, etc.
7. Using internal and external resources, this role is responsible for all creative presentations to clients, including prototypes and samples. This role will work collaboratively with our Product Development team. Product Development is responsible for approving final designs to be in budget and in the timing allowed from the client.
8. Create Value using the R&D Department’s developments of new and sustainable products. When presented with new materials from R&D, the Creative Lead will create designs and products using those materials, in collaboration with Sales and PD.

COMPETENCIES

• Ability to demonstrate sound business judgment.
• Detailed problem solver with real-life examples of solutions to complex packaging challenges.
• Ability to effectively present information internally and externally.
• Ability to understand, write and communicate in both technical and marketing documentation.
• Strong time management and project management skills.
• Ability to clearly articulate customer briefs and direction into a creative plan for all teams

QUALIFICATIONS

• BA/BS Degree, or equivalent work experience; or 10+ years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 10+ years managing creative teams to execute high-end structural and graphic packaging designs.
• 10+ years of manufacturing knowledge of Prepress, Printing, Die-cutting, Finishing (Stamping & Embossing/Debossing), Windowing, Laminating and Gluing.
• 10+ year experience designing glass bottles
• Proven excellence in the design and execution of world-class packaging including Paperboard, Rigid, Flexible, Corrugate, Thermo-forming, Molded Fiber / Paper-Pulp and Injection Molding
• In-depth knowledge of print decoration techniques including Offset, Flexo and Gravure printing, Silkscreen, Pad-Print, Foil Stamping and Embossing and more.
• Strong understanding of the print and packaging industry, various printing materials and technologies, packaging structures and manufacturing.
• Unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time for this role