Business Unit Overview Headquartered in Lakeville, Minn., Post Consumer Brands, a business unit of Post Holdings, Inc., is dedicated to providing people and their pets with delicious food choices for every taste and budget. The company’s portfolio includes beloved brands such as Honey Bunches of Oats®, PEBBLES®, Grape-Nuts® and Malt-O-Meal® cereal, and Peter Pan® peanut butter, as well as Rachael Ray® Nutrish®, Kibbles ‘n Bits® and 9Lives® dog and cat food. As a company committed to high standards of quality and to our values, we are driven by one idea: To make lives better by making delicious food accessible for all. For more information about our brands, visit www.postconsumerbrands.com and follow us on LinkedIn for the latest news. Brand Post Consumer Brands recently acquired several iconic pet food brands, venturing into a new market while remaining true to our purpose to provide delicious and accessible food that our consumers love. We’re always searching the center store for the next exciting product to add to our portfolio, and right now, we’re growing and need passionate, driven individuals with diverse perspectives to help us reach greater heights. That’s where you come in. Join a team where your voice is not only heard but valued. Make a real impact on brands enjoyed by millions of people and their pets. Location Description Post Consumer Brands corporate headquarters in Lakeville, Minn. is about 20 miles south of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Lakeville has all the benefits of smaller town living with access to everything a large metropolitan area has to offer. Join more than 400 team members collaborating on the two-building campus to help put breakfast on the tables of millions of consumers in North America. Responsibilities POSITION SUMMARY The Associate Director is a key leader on the Creative Services team, serving as Design Lead for the growing Pet business. This position oversees a team of packaging design managers, designers, copywriters, packaging production specialists, and outside agencies to lead work on brand identity, brand architecture, naming, photography, package design, and integrated marketing communications. This individual will lead our largest packaging initiatives, establishing project clarity and ensuring excellence from agencies and creative partners. They will be responsible for creating strong design briefs, executing RFPs in collaboration with Purchasing, and leading the design review process. Strong leadership skills and ability to influence are required to drive towards decisions in meetings but also has hands-on design skills to help support the team as needed. Works closely with Brand and Innovation Directors, Sr. Design Manager, Production Team Lead, and the Sr Graphic Designer to ensure design intent is carried through concept to execution on high profile initiatives. The role is also responsible for Post’s Pet Creative In-House studio team, who are an integral part of our marketing and branding efforts, creating visually appealing designs that communicate our brand message effectively and consistently across multi-channel marketing. That team develops marketing materials including but not limited to: digital advertisements, social media graphics, sales materials, and promotional materials KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Must be at an expert level in Brand Identity, Brand Architecture, Packaging Design, and Photography and have a solid understanding of production/printing to guide the design phases and production process Ensure clarity in design briefs, pushing our agency partners for the best work that meets the business objective Facilitate effective design reviews with Brand Directors, Innovation Directors, and Insights, driving decisions with an eye toward key deliverables and launch dates Manage photoshoots in collaboration with agency Art Directors, and work closely with Insights on the development of stimulus, discussion guide, and deployment of packaging research Collaborate with copywriters, photographers, videographers, and other designers on project deliverables. Partner with creative team members and internal stakeholders to understand and deliver on business objectives and effectively turn around feedback. Support/Lead/Develop compelling creative development for the Post Pet brands, following specific brand guidelines and shopper activation strategies. Qualifications Education Bachelor’s degree required Experience Minimum 8+ years creative leadership and CPG package design management experience Mentoring and leading others. Creating a positive work environment Agency experience a plus Key Other Proven expertise in CPG environment driving creative solutions and leading a team Agency management experience Photoshoot management experience Proven leadership skills Strong communication skills Creative development excellence Ability to meet fast paced deadlines Strong verbal and written communication skills Self-starter with proven ability to multi-task Good presenter Strong sense of urgency Proficiency in other Adobe creative suite Proficiency in Excel and PPT Willingness to travel, 15% Work Location In-office (Lakeville, MN) with a hybrid work schedule #LI - hybrid