Senior Adaptive Designer

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 sgsco, 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-centred 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 sgsco 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