About the Role:
- We’re looking for a hands-on, results-driven leader to head up our packaging, creative and studio team. This is not a role for someone who wants to coast — we want someone who leads by example, takes ownership, holds high standards, and isn’t afraid to roll up their sleeves and get stuck in to keep projects moving.
- You’ll manage a high-volume, fast-paced studio responsible for packaging, POS, catalogues, retail design and print across a wide range of products and brands. You’ll be expected to keep the work flowing smoothly, manage a diverse team of designers, ensure best-in-class creative output, and represent the company confidently in meetings, pitches, and partner collaborations.
- If you know how to bring creative visions to life and keep a studio running like clockwork — this one’s for you.
Key Responsibilities
- Take full ownership of the packaging and creative design pipeline, from briefing to delivery
- Lead, motivate and manage a team of designers, freelancers, and DTP artists
- Partner with the Traffic Manager to ensure workflows are structured, efficient, and always moving
- Represent the creative studio confidently in internal meetings, supplier presentations and external partner briefings
- Pitch creative ideas, packaging concepts and campaign rollouts that meet both strategic and commercial goals
- Set and uphold high standards for accuracy, layout, typography, packaging spec and brand consistency
- Drive productivity and accountability across the team — you’ll know when someone’s dragging their feet
- Deliver quick turnarounds without compromising quality
- Handle disciplinary issues professionally and firmly, including issuing written warnings when needed
- Ensure the studio is delivering at a pace that matches the commercial demand, every time
- Oversee design approvals, press checks, supplier queries and mock-ups
- Keep the team aligned with production deadlines, brand guidelines, and company objectives
- Manage team KPIs, and complete monthly reporting on tasks and work out of studio.
- Liaise with Product Development teams to ensure range execution is continuous and within keeping of brand guidelines.
Must-Have Skills and Experience
- 7+ years experience in a senior design, packaging or creative production role (ideally FMCG, retail, or product-based)
- Proven leadership and team management experience — you know how to get the best out of your people
- Strong packaging and print knowledge, including layout, die-lines, substrates and spec sheets
- Excellent time management and prioritisation skills — you’re never late and never surprised by a deadline
- A portfolio that demonstrates an exceptional eye for quality and creative execution
- Clear communication skills and the confidence to represent the company at a senior level
- Tough but fair approach — you can spot nonsense a mile away and aren’t afraid to call it out constructively
- Experience working with traffic or production managers to maintain high-volume studio output
- Comfortable managing both creative and operational elements of a studio environment
To apply, please visit the following URL:https://www.myjobmag.co.za/jobs/jobs-at-smd-technologies-1→