Director of Design, Visual Merchandising

Director of Design, Visual Merchandising & Packaging Design REPORTS TO: Creative Director DEPARTMENT: Marketing OVERVIEW The Director, Visual Merchandising & Packaging Design will play a pivotal role in shaping how Summer Fridays shows up in the world across retail, packaging, events, and beyond. Reporting directly to the Creative Director, this position oversees a team of designers and collaborates closely with cross-functional partners to ensure that all creative executions are effective, disruptive, on-brand, and delivered on time. This hybrid role spans visual merchandising and packaging, making it central to how our brand connects with consumers. You will lead the design, development and execution of global merchandising displays, including in-store fixtures and animations, and brand pop-ups, while also driving packaging innovation across primary and secondary SKUs. From concept through production, you’ll work across a variety of form factors, materials and categories to bring Summer Fridays products and experiences to life. As we expand globally, you will be instrumental in establishing and executing consistent design guidelines and standards across all touchpoints—retail, packaging, and experiential—ensuring a cohesive and elevated brand presence. The right candidate has a strong background in CPG design with expertise in beauty, fashion, or wellness, and thrives at the intersection of creativity, strategy and execution. RESPONSIBILITIES Concept Development & Design Execution: Develop and iterate innovative design concepts for retail merchandising (permanent and temporary spaces), events, and packaging. Create 3D renderings, turnover drawings, and technical documentation for review and approval, ensuring feasibility within budgets and timelines. This role combines design leadership and design execution. Project Management & Cross-Functional Collaboration: Manage incoming project briefs, align with project managers and vendors, and collaborate with cross-functional teams (Founders, Creative, Marketing, NPD, Operations) to clarify requirements, share updates, and deliver high-quality outcomes. Leadership, Mentorship & Team Management: Lead and support the design team by providing clear direction, feedback, and development opportunities. Manage resources, workloads, and external partners to ensure projects are staffed and executed efficiently while fostering a collaborative, high-standards creative culture. Vendor & Production Oversight: Review vendor technical drawings, prototypes, and packaging mechanicals; redline and approve final production. Provide on-press oversight for quality and color accuracy. Maintain organized guidelines, specifications, and documentation across regions. Standards & Brand Consistency: Establish and enforce global design standards across store design, fixtures, displays and packaging, and displays. Ensure consistency of brand expression across all physical and packaging touchpoints. Innovation & Trends: Stay current with emerging design trends, materials, and technologies in beauty, fashion, and wellness to inspire forward-thinking concepts. Collaborate with the Creative Director on new strategic initiatives that push the brand aesthetic. Process & Communication: Oversee multiple concurrent projects, prioritize effectively, and manage reporting. Identify opportunities to streamline processes and improve communication across teams and vendors. Maintain a global archive of design assets, including photos, renderings, drawings, and guidelines. REQUIREMENTS 10+ years of experience in packaging, store design, and/or visual merchandising within the beauty, fashion, or wellness industry, with a strong portfolio of work. Experience developing designs for open-sell environments is a must. Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in Graphic Design, Packaging Design, Visual Communications, Architecture, or a related discipline. Proven leadership experience with the ability to manage, mentor and inspire a design team while driving projects to completion and helping to execute the work. Proven expertise managing the full design development process from concept through review, approval and execution with both internal teams and external vendors. Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign), Microsoft Office, SketchUp, PowerPoint and Keynote, Excel, Smartsheet, and 3D rendering programs (V-Ray, Keyshot, Enscape, etc.). Skilled at redlining technical drawings and reviewing vendor prototypes and construction documents. Strong communication, presentation, and organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines. Demonstrated attention to detail, adaptability and problem-solving skills, with a forward-thinking, collaborative mindset. Current knowledge of design, fashion, beauty, wellness, and digital trends; art direction experience in beauty is a plus. Must be based in Los Angeles with the ability to work in a hybrid capacity, including days in the office as defined by your manager/company. Seniority level Director Employment type Full-time Job function Design, Art/Creative, and Marketing Industries Personal Care Product Manufacturing Medical insurance Vision insurance 401(k) #J-18808-Ljbffr