Brand Designer

The Ziegenfelder Company is one of the largest manufacturers of frozen novelties in the U.S., with a portfolio that includes owned brands, licensed brands and private label offerings. On an annualized basis, Ziegenfelder produces over 700 million frozen treats across four production facilities. Ziegenfelder is seeking a talented, creative Brand Designer to lead overall design activities across our full business portfolio.

This is a critical role within our marketing organization, and responsibilities for this role include leadership of both strategic and tactical design initiatives. While the majority of the work will be consumer and customer facing, the work will also include support for internal company communications. We are seeking an individual with a strong design point of view and the ability to consistently create compelling visual experiences, while also being able to think strategically about brand equity and the impact of design on consumer perceptions.

The Brand Designer is responsible for turning business, customer, and product opportunities into clear, compelling, commercially-ready visual work. This person will help shape how The Ziegenfelder Company and our consumer brands are understood by customers, consumers, employees, licensors, suppliers, and the broader marketplace. The role will have meaningful influence on how our products and company are understood, remembered, and valued.

• Translate marketing objectives, insights and briefing materials into compelling designs for product packaging, consumer communications, sales materials, web site and social media content and a diverse range of other deliverables.
• Own packaging design and artwork across Budget Saver®, Twin Pops, Monster Pops®, private-label, licensed, and co-manufactured products.
• Critical evaluation of all design elements against brand equity and visual brand standards to create a consistent, compelling and differentiated voice for each brand.
• Support and maintain consistent internal and external branding for The Ziegenfelder Company across presentations, communications, recruiting, facilities, events, trade shows, and other corporate touchpoints.
• Create customer-ready concepts for retailer presentations, line reviews, innovation meetings, private-label discussions, licensing conversations, and new business opportunities.
• Develop product sell sheets, sales sheets, catalogs, brochures, one-pagers, capability decks, promotional materials, retailer materials, and other sales tools.
• Lead all design processes from initial creative brief through concept, review, refinement, final design delivery and production.
• Manage multiple assignments and deadlines while communicating status, risks, questions and next steps proactively.
• Collaborate productively with internal teams and external agencies and vendors on design-related initiatives.
• Manage outside creative resources when specialized expertise, additional capacity, or production support is needed, building productive relationships with printers, packaging suppliers, photographers, agencies, and other creative partners.
• Perform detailed quality-control reviews for copy, dimensions, color, brand consistency and production feasibility.
• Maintain an organized and accessible library of source files, templates, brand assets and documentation.

• Bachelor’s degree in graphic design, visual communication or a related field.
• 3+ years of professional design experience in retail, agency or in-house environments, with strong preference for a focus on consumer-facings design work.
• Thorough knowledge of and experience with Adobe CC applications (Illustrator, InDesign and Photoshop).
• Knowledge of packaging production processes, print specifications and materials, including experience working with packaging dielines and production-ready artwork.
• Understanding of commercial printing, prepress, color management, typography, layout, file preparation, and packaging production.
• Strong communication and presentation skills, including the ability to explain design decisions and incorporate constructive feedback.
• Project management capabilities, attention to detail, and the ability to reliably and effectively manage a project portfolio in a dynamic industry.
• Experience working with brand standards and the demonstrated ability to create designs that bring brands to life with a consistent visual identity.
• Adaptability and accountability in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.
• Proficiency with…