Design Director - Maternity Cover

We are looking for a design director to join our team for 12 months on a maternity cover from November 2026 - November 2027.

Tjarks and Tjarks has 30 years-experience of designing and producing brands that win at the retail shelf. Our clients trust us time and again, over decades, to lead them through the changing dynamics of the shopper world and to design packaging that ensures their brands are picked first. We deliver our 360 design to artwork philosophy efficiently, faithfully, and accurately, across the globe.

We create and produce as one seamless, joined up team of experts, all under one roof.

As a Design Director, you will manage and drive design projects from initial briefing through to final presentation and delivery. You will be passionate, highly experienced in conceptual design, and a specialist in the packaging industry.

You will be proactive and able to lead, inspire and mentor your own team, using your experience to drive the standards of design within the department, ensuring that work is commercial and to the highest quality. You will be keen to lead on change and drive new ideas, helping to cultivate an innovative culture.

• Design direction of your team on a daily basis to ensure all creative work is hitting the brief and executed to a top level.
• Ensure your team and projects are scheduled, driven commercially, and are delivered to the Head of Creative for sign-off.
• To have a thorough understanding of the client’s core brands.
• Take complete ownership of all assigned design projects from initial briefing through to final presentation to Head of Creative, overseeing the development and creative excellence throughout the design process.
• Provide thought leadership on all brands thinking beyond the brief and asking questions to challenge account managers and designers.
• Thorough understanding of the required brand guidelines to ensure consistency across all SKUs.
• Elevate current processes and suggest new workflows.
• Guiding the design team in the right strategic direction for the brands and presentations.
• Work collaboratively with both the artwork and creative team to create, shape and evolve brands ensuring the design is accurately represented in the final artwork.
• Check designs to ensure a high level of precision and accuracy.
• Work with style guides and brand guidelines to ensure brand compliance.
• Ability to work on conceptual briefs offering creative, innovative solutions to help drive the business forward.
• Attend all briefings and have necessary research beforehand.
• Be available to assist account management and artwork with questions and queries with regards to design jobs and ensure full understanding of the client’s brief.
• Present designs to Head of Creative on a daily basis ready for approval. Take on-board feedback and delegate to the team accordingly to get the best results.
• Present designs on brief, on time, in budget, in line with the company’s values and to client satisfaction in a fast-paced environment.
• Ensure all deadlines are met within project budgets.
• Champion the company’s high standards.

• To manage your team of designer(s) and be responsible for onboarding, training, and developing, inspiring and motivating team members.
• Organise 1-2-1 meetings and be responsible for general day to day line management, ensuring there is adequate cover during absences.
• Responsible to make sure all team members conduct their work profitably and efficiently.
• Ensure you team are scheduled correctly and prepare tasks for when jobs drop out of the schedule or finish early. This needs to be managed efficiently to prevent downtime.
• Train and oversee members of the design team to make sure that designs are presented on brief, on time and in line with the company’s values.
• Ensure designers are aware of their jobs and deadlines and assist department heads with wider workflow.
• Ensure the Head of Creative is aware when team members are not delivering offering strategic solutions of how to best shape the team.

• To deputise for the Head of Creative and/or Design Director as required.
• Aid the Head of…