Associate Creative Director

Marks is hiring an Associate Creative Director, Packaging Design for our Marks Chicago studio!

Who are we?

Marks is a consumer experience agency creating engaging moments across the entire brand spectrum – from brand design and packaging to content and consumer connections. Rooted in a deep understanding of human behavior, we are uniquely constructed to enable brands to win in an age of constant change.

A super-charged experience powerhouse – 700 people strong, with subject matter experts working collaboratively across 12 studios and 8 countries – we have helped some of the world’s biggest brands connect to their audiences and tackle the biggest challenges and opportunities of today’s consumer landscape.

About the team

This Marks Packaging Design team is a talented agency-within-an-agency. Constructed to service an exclusive retail client engagement – this group lives and breathes packaging craft across a versatile collection of brands and categories – from food & beverages to household essentials. A multidisciplinary group of problem-solvers, you’ll work alongside creatives, project managers, copywriters, CGI artists, photographers, and production artists alike, to bring new packaging designs, extensions, adaptations, and updates to life.

This role is designated hybrid – working 3 days a week from our Chicago studio (located in the bustling Fulton Market neighborhood), as well as from home.

Location: Fulton Market Studio

Model: Hybrid

Salary: $115K-$125K

About the Role

This position calls for a highly collaborative team member with a creative spark, sophisticated design abilities, strong communication skills, passion, and self-motivation. You will be tasked with thoughtful problem-solving, that leads to high-caliber packaging executions – pushing and elevating our creative product.

As an Associate Creative Director, you will foster creative excellence within the team across the full spectrum of Packaging design. You’ll manage projects and client relationships, ensuring that the creative vision solves a business problem successfully, on budget, and on time. You will uphold the agency’s position as a collaborative subject matter expert for our clients. Associate Creative Directors are responsible for leading, presenting and defending designs and strategic solutions to clients.

On any given day you might

• Liaise with client stakeholders to intake project briefs and set the approach on new creative asks
• Lead the development overarching creative ideas and concepts on projects ranging from packaging design refreshes, new sub-brands, and category extensions
• Actively participate in brainstorming sessions and internal reviews
• Lead and mentor your team of Creative Packaging Design experts
• Work with your Design Director and their team of Adaptive Designers to ensure integrity in execution through packaging rollouts and adaptations
• Work with Project Managers and Schedulers to resource and maintain timelines across multiple projects
• Shape and craft compelling presentation narratives to support and sell through creative concepts
• Consult and provide Packaging Design subject matter expertise with clients and internal stakeholders alike
• Uphold creative integrity and ingenuity by keeping up to date with the latest Packaging trends and innovations

The ideal person

• Has experience in building and/or leading creative teams
• Can actively manage and monitor the health and blend of the creative group – proactively supporting with training and mentorship as needed
• Is a strategic problem solver with experience in Consumer Packaged Goods
• Is a strong communicator and can confidently convey the rationale behind design solutions
• Loves digging into problems and seeing beyond the “ask”
• Can guide the extended team through complex packaging executions and approaches
• Understands consumer purchase behavior and can think in design systems
• Has an excitement for their discipline that is contagious
• Has an understanding of packaging print processes and their technical limitations
• Brings a roll-up-your-sleeves-and-get-it-done attitude

You Bring

• Diploma/Degree in Communication, Graphic, or Packaging Design (or related field)
• 8+ years (minimum) working in a Packaging Design role, with Director level management experience
• Well-rounded portfolio showcasing excellent understanding of brand building and packaging solutions
• A deep understanding of Mac OS, Adobe Creative Suite (Expert knowledge of Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign), Microsoft Word, Excel, and Keynote

Marks, part of SGS & Co