Design Execution Lead

Foods you love. Brands you trust. And a career that empowers you to grow.

At Nestle USA, we're all working towards the same goal - to delight and deliver for our consumers. With a rich portfolio of beloved brands, including DiGiorno, Toll House, and Coffee mate, in 97% of U.S. households, we have a unique opportunity - and responsibility - to be there for every moment in our consumers' lives.

Joining Nestle means becoming part of an inclusive workplace that inspires innovation, encourages strategic thinking and creativity, and celebrates your achievements. No matter where you work within the organization, you are empowered to challenge the status quo, embrace risk-taking, and pioneer new ideas. Our supportive and collaborative environment encourages bold ambitions and continuous learning so that everyone can grow and thrive.

This position is not eligible for Visa Sponsorship.

As the Lead of Design Operations, you will be a brand steward and a vital partner to our marketing teams. You will drive operational excellence and consistency by executing designs for both our physical and digital shelves, ensuring they resonate with consumer relevance and choice at every touchpoint. Reporting directly to the Manager of Design Operations for NUSA Coffee & Beverage, you will play a key role in shaping the future of the Coffee mate and Natural Bliss brands within the C&B Division.

The Lead of Design Operations will oversee the entire Design-to-Delivery (D2D) process, ensuring that projects-from brand redesigns to new product innovations, renovations, CGI, and occasionally point of sale materials (displays, sell sheets, sale samples, coupons) are executed flawlessly. You will lead cross-functional teams, collaborating with diverse stakeholders to deliver high-quality packaging assets and marketing materials that meet our strategic objectives. Your expertise will guide the seamless transition of creative concepts into actionable designs, and you will be the vital link communicating project milestones to all partners involved.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Project Leadership:

• The Lead is responsible for establishing design execution timelines, collaboratively defining project design scopes, end-to-end packaging budgets, while driving feedback clarity, and cross-functional stakeholder alignment.
• Manage project design brief kick-off(s) between internal brand teams and external agency partners to ensure the development of high-quality design assets that deliver against brief objectives, are on budget, and delivered on time.
• Must be able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced dynamic environment and prioritize workload accordingly.
• Collaborate with the Brand Identity Design Manger on the development of strategic new package designs, label content, and visual assets creation, working from creative brief, through design discovery, and final design intent approval.
• Drive the executional phases (adaptation, artwork, and pre-press) of Nestle's Design to Delivery (D2D) process to maximize end-to-end efficiency and ensure successful implementation.
• Ensure a seamless transition from approved design intent through design adaptation, artwork and prepress processes.
• Manage press approvals with print vendors for new packaging designs.
• Must be a strong group facilitator, communicator, and needs to possess excellent Project Management Skills in the Product Innovation and New Packaging Development spaces.
• Able to initiate escalation processes to address critical issues, project scope changes, or roadblocks as needed with the MSBX leadership team and key business partners to drive decision making.
• Identify areas for process and performance improvements, and elimination of implementation barriers, embraces new ways of working, management tools, and crafting globally consistent policies across all businesses.
• Demonstrate flexibility to support any Nestle brand design project type or special assignments as needed.
• Onboard and train new team members (internal stakeholders, external partners & new team Design Operations Team members) on process, ways of working, and system tools.

Cross- Functional Collaboration

• Act as a cross-functional process driver, and single point of contact for packaging label design, artwork and visual assets creation with end-to-end accountability.
• Engage with business partners including Marketing, Project Management Organization (PMO), Tech Pack, Legal, Regulatory, R&D, Procurement, Label Development Owners, Design Agencies, Artwork vendors, Pre-press teams, and print suppliers on a regular basis.
• Track and transparently report to key business partners on project milestone status via high level metrics and Nestle systems (Content Hub).
• Engage with external agencies (prepress suppliers and print vendors) to ensure flawless execution of all new packaging.
• Able to engage with internal stakeholders (e.g. Procurement, Marketing) to effectively drive projects forward.
• Regularly attend scheduled project meetings to provide technical expertise and status updates to cross functional team members.

Brand Stewardship:

• Act as a brand steward, ensuring that all design initiatives reflect the integrity and values of Nestle brands while establishing consistency across both the physical and digital shelf.
• Collaborate with marketing partners, design firms, photographers and photo art directors.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Minimum of a bachelor's degree is required. A Project Management Professional (PMP) certification and/or similar industry certification, formal Process Excellence Training, or an MBA is a plus.
• Minimum 8 years of relevant business experience with increasing responsibility is required, including 5-7 years of formal project management experience in new product development, package design, labeling artwork or copy development areas.
• Experience in creative design, photoshoot, artwork, prepress and different printing processes.
• A thorough knowledge of the consumer product industry or relevant experience in adjacent industries is preferred.
• Proven ability to drive process within complex, cross-functional new product development and large-scale brand redesign projects is required.
• Demonstrated strategic business and analytical skills; including understanding of key project management principles in the product development space (Time, Cost, Compliance, Feasibility, Risk Assessment, Design Goals, Problem Solving, Metrics, Formal Alignment) and how to leverage this knowledge to make sound business recommendations in a fluid strategic environment is required.
• Ability to interact with all levels of management and lead productive discussions without line authority to create alignment between senior cross-functional stakeholders.
• Experience supporting business leadership via accurate and timely reporting on project status, vendor spend, and KPI data.
• Excellent communication (verbal & written) and strong interpersonal skills are required.
• An ability to drive a team forward, stay on track and reconfigure project delivery process if significant scope changes are required.
• Comfortable in facilitating a professional, fact-based, and transparent escalation process when necessary, removing roadblocks and securing project alignment on time as required.
• Prior agency or creative studio experience a plus.
• Locations for the position: Solon, OH, Arlington, VA and/or Seattle, WA with potential for business travel.

It is our business imperative to remain a very inclusive workplace.

To our veterans and separated service members, you're at the forefront of our minds as we recruit top talent to join Nestle. The skills you've gained while serving our country, such as flexibility, agility, and leadership, are much like the skills that will make you successful in this role. In addition, with our commitment to an inclusive work environment, we recognize the exceptional engagement and innovation displayed by individuals with disabilities. Nestle seeks such skilled and qualified individuals to share our mission where you'll join a cohort of others who have chosen to call Nestle home.

The Nestle Companies are equal employment opportunity employers. All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Prior to the next step in the recruiting process, we welcome you to inform us confidentially if you may require any special accommodations in order to participate fully in our recruitment experience. Contact us at accommodations@nestle.com or please dial 711 and provide this number to the operator: 1-800-321-6467.

This position is not eligible for Visa Sponsorship.

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Job Requisition:370809