The Job

The Global Packaging Design Manager will lead a team of creative partners that will be responsible for the design direction and execution of all private label packaging across our subsidiaries including Ace US, EJD, and Ace International. Responsibilities include initiating, planning, executing, and controlling packaging design projects to deliver departmental strategic objectives.

What you’ll do

• Manage the creative development processes and consistent interpretation of creative direction across multiple brands and categories.
• Ensure execution of the brand’s promise and customer experience through packaging design and copy.
• Maintain the Packaging Style Guidelines.
• Guarantee legal and regulatory claims on packaging are accurate.
• Review packaging proofs to ensure color accuracy.
• Oversee packaging file management and sharing.
• Coordinate and manage timelines for project deliverables across numerous Merchants at the same time.
• Determine designer project scheduling between US and AGD teams based on workload and project complexities.
• Participate in category reviews that involve private label categories to determine brand validity for categories, along with developing a timeline for packaging conversion.
• Participate in store walks to understand competitor brands and packaging claims.
• Consistently benchmark brand creative vs. competitors to ensure creative treatments represent current brand positioning.
• Manage the department budget which includes design agencies, contractors, and other vendor partners in the creation of packaging for private label brand, translation services, market research and vendor conversion to new packaging.
• Ensure master data accuracy for all new and existing private label product.
• Maintain private label vendor agreements.
• Manage outside agency and contractor support i.e. MSI, RRD etc. to in order to achieve desirable outcomes for projects and negotiate to meet budget expectations.

What you need to succeed

Experience and Technical Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree and 5+ years of experience in brand marketing or related field, or MBA with 3+ years of related experience
• Experience managing packaging development projects.
• Experience leading projects that have been realized and contributed gains in the capture of market share, revenue and volume growth, and operational efficiencies
• Communication, prioritization and organization are key skills needed to accomplish this multi-tasking position
• Experience anticipating future business opportunities or problems and developing strategies to address them
• Strong marketer who understands how to leverage insights into positioning, branding, communication and innovation
• Demonstrated success defining, executing and managing the brand vision
• Experience in budget management
• Experience in create agency and vendor management
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, proficiency in Spanish or a second language preferred
• Excellent teamwork skills
• Experience managing a team
• Proven ability to influence cross-functional teams without formal authority
• Ability to multi-task and work in a fast-paced environment
• Must be able to travel 20% of the time in the US and internationally.

We want to hear from you!
When most people think of career opportunities with Ace Hardware, they often think of the helpful cashiers and sales associates at their local store. However, have you also considered the people behind the scenes who select, promote, ship and process the invoices for more than 75,000 products? Maybe you haven’t, but we’d like you to. Because together we help our customers take care of their homes. Come find out why a career with the Ace Hardware Corporation is one of America’s best-kept secrets.

Equal Opportunity Employer
Ace Hardware Corporation and its subsidiaries are committed to a policy of promoting equal employment opportunities. The company recognizes the importance of diversity and leveraging the skills and talents of all people to the mutual advantage of each individual and the organization. The company is committed to the prevention of employment discrimination related to race, religion, color, sex (including sexual harassment), gender identity, national origin, age, marital status, disability and military or veteran status, sexual orientation or any other action covered by federal or applicable state/local laws.