Job summary
Under limited supervision, the Senior Designer collaborates with customers and sales representatives to create designs for new products, redesign packaging for existing products, and develop new uses for existing packages for the purpose of securing new business and expanding present business.
Job seniority: mid-to-senior level
Responsibilities
• Apply advanced design skills in the creation of designs for packaging and/or point of service displays for new and existing products in accordance with PCA design and safety standards.• Evaluate customer needs and expectations and translates them into drawings, designs, and prototypes within the manufacturing capabilities of the plant.• Coordinate activities related to developing graphics, prototypes and samples, including vendor negotiations, designing dies, material availability, direction, troubleshooting, reviewing samples, testing, and redirection based on feedback and results.• Coordinate multiple design projects to successful completion by effectively managing existing resources and procuring external sources as needed.• Liaise with appropriate plant departments to ensure regular communication regarding project status, resource availability, design feasibility, and scheduling.• Develop designs and recommends materials and production methods that will meet customer requirements and most efficiently utilize existing plant facilities and equipment.• Create or secure samples of designs for customer inspection, production orders and/or division operation.• Perform packaging and component testing, evaluates results, and advise sales, manufacturing, and customers of findings.• Evaluate existing customer or prospective customer packaging for possible improvement in style, function, appearance, cost and/or ease of packaging as directed by supervisor.• Conduct design reviews with customers.• Generate product cost data, including estimation of run speeds, packaging costs material usages, and scrap factors.• Provide advance technical assistance to the Sales Representatives and customer service representative regarding layouts, estimating, die making, order specifications, customer packaging procedures, and material handling techniques orders detailed artwork and printing dies, and approves printing press and die cut set-ups for initial order of new designs.• Provide training, guidance and support to designers.
Requirements
• Education equivalent to a bachelor's degree in graphic design, structural engineering, or packaging required.• Minimum of seven (7) years' previous experience with packaging and point of purchase display creation and design.• Strong working knowledge of production methods, printing methods, materials, styles, and standard design forms and retail usage of packaging and point of purchase displays required.• Strong working knowledge computer systems including experience with Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook Computer Assisted Design (CAD) software.• Previous experience in project management.• Experience in corrugated industry with a technical understanding of corrugated packaging design, cutting dies, converting machinery and printing.
Key Skills Needed
• Strong organizational skills• Able to work in a fast paced, deadline-oriented environment• Strong listening, evaluating, and problem solving skills• Strong verbal and written communication skills• Strong interpersonal skills• Solid financial and business operations analysis skills• Strong negotiation and persuasion skills• Ability to quickly grasp the customer's current situation and needs• Ability to engage in rapid experimentation of multiple design ideas• Ability to be accessible, available and responsive to the customer
