ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION
 

Sun Chemical, a member of the DIC Group, is a leading producer of packaging and graphic solutions, color and display technologies, functional products, electronic materials, and products for the automotive and healthcare industries. Together with DIC, Sun Chemical is continuously working to promote and develop sustainable solutions to exceed customer expectations and better the world around us. With combined annual sales of more than $8.5 billion and 22,000+ employees worldwide, the DIC Group companies support a diverse collection of global customers.
 

Sun Chemical Corporation is a subsidiary of Sun Chemical Group Coöperatief U.A., the Netherlands, and is headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey, U.S.A. For more information, please visit our website at www.sunchemical.com or connect with us on LinkedIn or Twitter
 

Job Title: Senior Design Manager

 

Work Location: Bentonville, Arkansas

 

About the Role:

 

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Senior Design Manager to lead and oversee the creation of exceptional creative briefs and design execution for our Brand and Design clients, specifically focusing on a key relationship with Walmart private brand across food and consumables. You will collaborate closely with our talented UK Creative teams, ensuring all deliverables are accurate, on-brand, on-brief, and delivered to the highest standard, on time. This role requires a strong leader who can effectively manage client relationships at a leadership level, collaborate seamlessly across global workstreams, and work in partnership with our Design Director to provide best-in-class service.

 

Responsibilities:

 

Client & Creative Management: Cultivate and manage key relationships with Brand and Marketing leaders at Walmart. Lead the development of compelling creative briefs, ensuring alignment with client objectives and brand guidelines. Oversee the execution of design projects, collaborating with UK creative and production teams to guarantee high-quality deliverables. Serve as the primary point of contact and subject matter expert for brand design and execution on Walmart private brand. Design Quality & Production: Champion design quality, ensuring seamless collaboration with the photographic team, adherence to brand guidelines, and flawless production handovers. Manage illustration briefings across a roster of illustrators and oversee copywriting for romance copy, demonstrating experience managing creatives. Ensure all assets are quality controlled before, during, and after photo briefs, creative decks, and artworks. Manage the organization of photography schedules, supplier product shipments, and maintain an image library. Be prepared to manage high-priority, high-profile amends as needed. Financial & Project Management: Manage project costs and percentage completion within the creative design finance system. Collaborate with the Client Director and Design Directors on AOP targets and efficiencies. Work closely with partner photography studios to ensure projects stay on target and within budget. Manage stock photography and illustration searches to maintain budget. Continuously review project burn downs to ensure projects are delivered within budget and timeframe. Communication & Collaboration: Facilitate regular touch bases with UK Creative and Production studios to ensure efficient and consistent delivery. Work with the UK Creative Studio Manager and Design Leads to manage volume and schedule. Attend cadences with Walmart teams to understand their priorities and workload. Provide regular updates to the Design Director on business volumes, team performance, successes, and challenges. Instruct US Design Managers on photography review processes for Walmart approval. Forge and maintain relationships with photographers, illustrators, and mock-up agencies. Continuously seek new talent to keep our offering fresh and on-trend. Brand Guardianship: Act as a guardian of creative guidelines, ensuring consistent brand application across all projects. Keep the Bentonville team informed of guideline updates. Ensure both US and UK teams have access to and understand the latest master boards, brand guidelines, and private brand standards. Conduct range reviews to ensure quality and consistency of design files. Lead US Design Managers in cadences and design clinic briefings. Ensure all jobs are print managed effectively with pre-handover meetings.

Qualifications:

 

Proven experience in a senior design management role, preferably with experience managing major client relationships (Walmart experience a plus). Strong understanding of creative development processes, from brief to execution. Excellent communication, interpersonal, and presentation skills. Ability to lead and motivate creative teams. Exceptional organizational and project management skills. Financial acumen and experience managing budgets. Deep understanding of brand guidelines and design principles. Experience working with photography, illustration, and copywriting teams. Proficiency in relevant design software and project management tools.

Values:

 

We embrace the following values: Pioneering, Achievers, Responsible, and Trustworthy. We seek candidates who embody these values and are committed to delivering exceptional results for our clients.

 

Behaviors:

Proactive and solution-oriented. Collaborative and supportive team player. Ability to provide constructive feedback and direction. Client-focused with a passion for exceeding expectations. Strong work ethic and commitment to quality.

 

BENEFITS

We offer a range of market-competitive total rewards that include merit increases, paid holidays, Paid Time Off, medical, dental, vision, short and long term disability benefits, 401(k)+match and life insurance. Eligibility of benefit timing may vary.

 

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
 

It is Sun’s policy that applicants for employment are recruited, selected, and hired on the basis of individual merit and ability with respect to the position being filled. Sun prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law.
 

Employment agencies are an important component of our talent acquisition strategy, and we value the partnerships we have built with our preferred vendors. We will not accept unsolicited resumes from employment agencies for any employment opportunity. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at Sun Chemical or directly to hiring managers in any form without a signed contract on file, and search engagement for that position, will be deemed unsolicited in nature, and no fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired as a result of the referral or through other means. Additionally, any resume submitted without a contract in place will be considered property of Sun Chemical and no fees will be paid to the agency if the candidate is hired. #ID23