Manager, Design (1-Year Maternity Leave Contract)

As our Manager, Design you will lead the creative direction and brand identity across all channels, ensuring consistent, high-impact visual representation of SmartSweets, growing our mission to Kick Sugar, Keep Candy! This role reports to the Director, Marketing and will be hybrid in Vancouver, BC. We anticipate this role will begin on December 2, 2024, and continue through January 30, 2026.

Who We Are:
SmartSweets is revolutionizing the candy industry by innovating the delicious candy you know and love with less sugar. We are passionate about growing and championing a diverse Squad of high-performing individuals and are fueled by our sweet culture. We are proudly Female-Founded and on our way to kicking 5.5 billion grams of excess sugar out of candy in a single year, what we call our Mission to Mars. 🚀

How You Will Support Our Mission (Responsibilities):  

• Manage and lead the design team, including two in-house designers and external creative contractors, ensuring they have the necessary processes and tools for smooth approvals and successful execution.
• Own the creative direction across all channels, maintaining consistency with SmartSweets’ visual tone and distinctive brand assets to ensure cohesive brand representation.
• Oversee project management for all creative requests, collaborating with stakeholders to clearly define project briefs, allocate resources, prioritize tasks, and establish timelines for seamless execution.
• Mentor and inspire team members, guiding their individual development goals and fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement.
• Oversee the timeline and execution of packaging production, collaborating with cross-functional departments to ensure all deliverables are error-free and meet deadlines.
• Handle budget management for packaging plate costs, external creative contractors, and campaign photoshoots, ensuring cost efficiency without compromising quality.
• Proactively identify and solve design-related challenges, implementing strategic decisions that enhance the brand's visual identity and impact.
• Lead the creative concepting, production, and asset management for campaigns + photoshoots, working closely with the Copywriting + Campaign Manager to deliver innovative and impactful campaigns.  Ensure visual assets align with the brand’s identity and campaign objectives, while overseeing the execution to deliver high-quality results
• Communicate the brand’s graphic vision clearly to internal stakeholders, ensuring alignment and consistent understanding across the organization.
• Research and stay ahead of design trends, incorporating emerging practices into SmartSweets’ design ethos to keep the brand fresh and relevant.
• Ensure the quality and consistency of all final deliverables, maintaining high standards across all visual assets.

 What You Bring (Qualifications & Experience):  

• 2-5 years of experience managing and leading a creative team.
• 7+ years of experience as a graphic designer, ideally with consumer packaged goods (CPG) packaging experience.
• Production design experience required.
• Proficiency in managing projects and timelines using tools like Asana.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Accustomed to working in a fast-paced, dynamic, and deadline-oriented environment.
• Expert attention to detail, with strong organizational and time management skills.
• A strong sense of personal responsibility and accountability for delivering high-quality work.

Compensation and Sweet Perks (Benefits): 
The approximate base salary range for this position is $85,000 - $100,000. The actual base salary will be based on various factors, including the candidate’s level of skills, experience and education aligned with the needs of the role, budget and market. This position is eligible for participation in a bonus program.

In addition to base salary, we offer a comprehensive benefits (Sweet Perks) package: 
🍭Bear Benefits (free candy!)
👪Extended Benefits (health, dental, life & disability, EAP) 
🥰2 Gummy Days (personal days)
💚5 Paid Restore Days (sick days)
🗓️SweetWeek (company shutdown in December)
🌞Summer FriYAYs (half days off on Friday in the summer)
🕑Life, Work, Flow Philosophy (flexible work environment) 
📞Monthly Cell Phone bill reimbursement 
📚Individual Development Program
💗Community Love (paid Volunteer Day)
🐶Puppy Friendly Office
🥳Regular Squad Social Events 

If this sounds like a sweet opportunity for you, apply directly on our Careers Page. Include your resume, cover letter, and let us know what excites you about kicking sugar out of candy!  

Our Commitment to Celebrating Individuality (DEI) 
We are committed to elevating the voices of Squad and community members on the mission to Kick Sugar, Keep Candy! We believe representing the uniqueness of all makes us stronger as a whole. We are making a difference by encouraging all Squad Members to practise allyship, educate themselves, inspire others to take action and support underrepresented communities.