Senior Packaging Designer

Job Title: Senior Packaging Designer

Job Description

The Senior Packaging Designer leads end-to-end packaging design across a broad consumer product portfolio, owning every stage from initial concept through press-ready files. This role focuses on building scalable packaging systems for high-SKU product families, supporting new product development launches, line extensions, and packaging refreshes. You will translate brand guidelines into shelf-effective packaging that clearly communicates product benefits, application, and compatibility, while ensuring production accuracy and consistency across hundreds of SKUs.

Responsibilities

• Lead packaging design for new product development launches, line extensions, and packaging refreshes from initial concept through final production.

• Build, document, and maintain scalable packaging systems, templates, and hierarchy standards for SKU-intensive product families.

• Translate brand guidelines into clear, visually compelling packaging that effectively communicates product benefits, application, and compatibility at a glance in retail environments.

• Create, prepare, and quality-check print-ready packaging files, including dielines, trapping, color separations, barcodes, regulatory and legal copy, and multilingual layouts.

• Ensure all artwork meets prepress requirements, color management standards, and print specifications for high-volume production environments.

• Partner closely with new product development, product marketing, sourcing, and product management teams to align packaging with go-to-market timelines and product specifications.

• Manage a high volume of concurrent packaging projects, proactively flagging timeline, production, or quality risks and adjusting plans as needed.

• Support related retail work such as point-of-purchase (POP) and merchandising displays when directly tied to packaging launches.

• Organize and maintain packaging files, dieline libraries, and asset archives so they are accurate, up to date, and easily accessible to the broader team.

• Apply strong project management skills to prioritize competing launch deadlines and ensure on-time delivery of packaging assets.

• Maintain exceptional attention to detail on regulatory copy, barcodes, version control, and packaging accuracy across multiple variants and markets.

• Present and defend design recommendations to cross-functional partners, clearly explaining rationale, trade-offs, and production implications.

• Collaborate in a team-first environment, sharing expertise in packaging systems and production, and contributing to the development of other designers.

• Support packaging initiatives for consumer, retail, hardware, industrial, or CPG product lines as needed, ensuring consistency and brand alignment.

• Contribute to continuous improvement of packaging processes, tools, and workflows, including the use of automation, AI, scripting, and packaging workflow management tools.

Essential Skills

• 57+ years of professional graphic design experience, with at least 4 years focused on retail or CPG packaging design.

• Expert-level proficiency in Adobe InDesign, with advanced skills in Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop.

• Deep knowledge of packaging production, including dielines, structural files, prepress requirements, color management, and print processes.

• Proven experience creating and managing press-ready artwork for high-volume production environments.

• Track record of managing packaging for large SKU portfolios with multiple variants while maintaining a consistent, scalable system across product families.

• Strong understanding of barcodes, regulatory and legal copy requirements, and artwork version control.

• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain packaging architecture and systems that scale efficiently across hundreds of SKUs.

• Strong project management skills with the ability to handle multiple launches, tight deadlines, and competing priorities.

• Exceptional attention to detail, particularly related to packaging accuracy, regulatory copy, barcodes, and version control.

• Comfort presenting and defending design concepts and recommendations to cross-functional stakeholders.

• Ability to work independently while effectively collaborating with product marketing, product development, sourcing, manufacturing, and related teams.

• Strong communication skills, both visual and verbal, enabling clear collaboration and alignment across functions.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communications, Marketing, or a related field is preferred.

• Experience supporting consumer products, retail, hardware, industrial products, or CPG organizations.

• Experience designing packaging for power tools, hardware, or industrial products is a plus.

• Familiarity with packaging workflow tools such as Esko or other packaging workflow management systems is an advantage.

• Experience with multilingual or multi-market packaging (for example, North America and LATAM) and international packaging standards is beneficial.

• Knowledge of sustainable packaging materials and design approaches, including initiatives to reduce environmental impact, is a plus.

• Experience in product design, product development, and packaging design within consumer or retail product categories.

• Experience in visual design, product labeling, point-of-purchase (POP) display design, and merchandising for retail environments.

• Experience working within cross-functional product marketing and new product development teams.

• Interest in leveraging automation, AI, scripting, and other tools to improve packaging system efficiency and consistency.

Work Environment

This role is based on-site full-time during the initial onboarding and ramp-up period, then transitions to a hybrid schedule with one remote day per week. You will work in a collaborative, fast-paced product development and marketing environment with frequent cross-functional interaction across Packaging, Marketing, Product Management, New Product Development, and Sourcing teams. The position is highly visible, supporting multiple product launches and packaging initiatives simultaneously across large SKU portfolios. The culture emphasizes teamwork, quality, innovation, and continuous improvement, giving you the opportunity to influence brand presentation and go-to-market success while seeing your designs in major retail environments across North America.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract position based out of Atlanta, GA.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $40.00 - $42.00/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: Medical, dental & vision Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital 401(k) Retirement Plan Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) Short and long-term disability Health Spending Account (HSA) Transportation benefits Employee Assistance Program Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract position based out of Atlanta, GA.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Nov 6, 2026.

Workplace Type

This is a hybrid position in Atlanta,GA.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email View email address on click.appcast.io for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.