Role: Senior Adaptive Designer (Packaging & Point of Sale (POS))
Reports To: Creative Director / Director of Studio Operations
Location: Chicago
Company Overview
Marks is a brand design agency constructed to meet the unique and dynamic conditions of today's market. We help clients feel empowered, inspired, and ahead of the game at every step of a brand's journey. Marks is a part of SGS&Co, a vast collective of companies with branding and marketing expertise and talent assembled to help brands own every moment - in the physical and in the digital worlds -when a consumer's desire can be converted into action.
Marks is a full-service agency that delivers the dual perspectives of both Insider and Outsider- fluid, day-to-day brand guardianship and design leadership coupled with the game-changing provocation and fresh thinking that enables brands to uncover and calculate their next move, big or small. Combining divergent perspectives and experiences into a single seamless methodology fuels their clients to move fast, move forward, and move confidently.
Its ethos of design ensures creative, human-centered solutions that move business forward.
It is dynamically structured to fluidly scale to clients' work and deliver seamlessly - no matter how big or small, for today's demands or tomorrow's vision.
Its expert talent extends across all facets of the branding spectrum: design, innovation, insights and strategy.
Role Overview
The Senior Adaptive Designer is responsible for championing a brand's design intent and master creative as it is extended and adapted across a variety of media types. The Senior Adaptive Designer has a deep understanding of brand design - ensuring brand continuity is maintained across touchpoints including packaging design, in-store activations, and trade material.
This position is located inside our client's organization, in Chicago, at a leading Fast-Moving Consumer Goods company. As an onsite Senior Adaptive Designer, you will service a diverse variety of brands within our client's portfolio - in categories ranging from candy to cookies and seasonal limited editions. While your focus will be to adapt packaging designs across all formats, line extensions, and languages - your broad range of competencies and expertise will also allow you to lead projects across packaging, in-store activations and trade material support. A skilled communicator and presenter - you will provide our clients and teams with senior level support and service, acting as a liaison between your onsite location and external Marks design studios.
Critical Skills and Behaviors
Adaptive Design
Provide "insider" knowledge and design support to our clients on projects ranging from packaging design concepting and adaptation to in-store activations including Point of Sale material (POS)
Interpret master creative and/or brand guidelines on adaptive design programs through to artwork execution (meeting legal and regulatory compliance)
Work with Marks Creative/Design Directors to develop and refine your ideas on higher-complexity design projects (comfortably working with remote partners)
Design and execute ideas with a high level of skill across a broad range of styles
Create presentation decks that showcase the excellence of your work
Communication + Collaboration
Listen to and partner with key stakeholders in our client's organization to ensure your solutions address their needs
Review client briefs for "readiness" and ask clarifying questions to ensure you can action them accurately
Present work for maximum clarity and impact with strong supporting rationales (verbal and written)
Act as a liaison between your location and the external Marks design, accounts, and project management teams
Maintain a positive and open dialogue with team members so they are fully informed throughout the project life-cycle
Foster a collaborative approach with the Marks design studios and other agencies within the SGS&Co pillar
Project + Process Management
While you will be supported by a Marks studio project management team (remote) - you will manage your own design work throughout a typical project lifecycle
Manage and filter priorities to ensure your work is completed on time
Help to enhance workflows and processes, ensuring high quality standards are maintained
Work in parallel with Marks design studios and scheduling departments when external design support is required
Ideal Candidate Will Possess
Demonstrated design expertise in Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG)
Expertise in branding, in-store activations, and trade materials
A strong understanding of packaging requirements, including dielines (folds, scores, trims), rollovers, type height and weight, line thickness and safety zones
Highly knowledgeable in print processes, finishes, and separations
An understanding of Regulatory and Legislative copy requirements for packaging (specifically food)
Experience working within an in-house studio is an asset
The ability to work independently as well as alongside a remote team
Attention to detail, well organized thought and work processes
Excellent interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills - both written and verbal
The ability to thrive in the demands of pressing deadlines and confidently managing multiple priorities
Qualifications
10+ years of experience in a graphic design and/or production role
College or University diploma in graphics, packaging design, or production is preferred
Proficient using Mac OS, Adobe Creative Suite (Expert knowledge of Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign), Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Keynote
A valid passport and ability to travel - to work in conjunction with our Marks design studios