Manager of Design Operations

Foods you love. Brands you trust. And a career that empowers you to grow.

At Nestle USA, we're all working towards the same goal - to delight and deliver for our consumers. With a rich portfolio of beloved brands, including DiGiorno, Toll House, and Coffee mate, in 97% of U.S. households, we have a unique opportunity - and responsibility - to be there for every moment in our consumers' lives.

Joining Nestle means becoming part of an inclusive workplace that inspires innovation, encourages strategic thinking and creativity, and celebrates your achievements. No matter where you work within the organization, you are empowered to challenge the status quo, embrace risk-taking, and pioneer new ideas. Our supportive and collaborative environment encourages bold ambitions and continuous learning so that everyone can grow and thrive.

This position is not eligible for Visa Sponsorship.

Join our dynamic team as the Manager of Design Operations, where you will be a brand steward and a vital partner to our marketing teams. You will drive operational excellence and consistency by executing designs for both our physical and digital shelves, ensuring they resonate with consumer relevance and choice at every touchpoint. Reporting directly to the Senior Manager of Design Operations for NUSA, you will play a key role in shaping the future of the Gerber Brand within the Nutrition Division.

As the Manager of Design Operations, you will oversee the entire Design-to-Delivery (D2D) process, ensuring that projects-from brand redesigns to new product innovations, as well as the development of POS materials, in-store displays, CGI, sell sheets, sales samples, coupons, and occasional collateral materials-are executed flawlessly. You will lead cross-functional teams, collaborating with diverse stakeholders to deliver high-quality packaging assets and marketing materials that meet our strategic objectives. Your expertise will guide the seamless transition of creative concepts into actionable designs, and you will be the vital link communicating project milestones to all partners involved.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Project Leadership: Spearhead project design brief kick-offs, collaborating with internal brand teams and external design partners to produce exceptional design assets that fulfill project objectives, stay within budget, and are delivered on time.
• Brand Stewardship: Act as a brand steward, ensuring that all design initiatives reflect the integrity and values of the Gerber Brand, maintaining consistency across both the physical and digital shelf.
• Leadership of Direct Report: Mentor and develop direct report(s), providing guidance and support to foster professional growth and enhance team performance. Set clear, measurable objectives that ladder up to broader business goals and meet regularly to review progress. Encourage culture of creativity and innovation, empowering the direct report to take ownership of their projects and contribute to the overall success of the Design Operations Team.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Serve as the primary point of contact for label design, artwork, and visual asset creation, ensuring end-to-end accountability in the design process.
• Strategic Focus: Concentrate on upstream processes for new product development, package design, and labeling content, guiding projects from briefing through to final design lock.
• Photography Art Direction: Lead the direction for food and beverage photography as needed on brand extensions, ensuring that visuals are both appetizing and representative of the product in the most appealing way. Collaborate with product development, design firms, photographers and the photo art directors.
• Implementation Excellence: Ensure a seamless transition of finalized designs to the artwork implementation phase, adhering to best practices for maximum efficiency.
• Transparent Reporting: Track project milestones and transparently communicate status updates to key business partners using high-level metrics and dashboard tools.
• Issue Resolution: Initiate formal escalation processes to address critical issues, project scope changes, or roadblocks, collaborating with the Design Operations leadership team and key stakeholders.
• Budget Oversight: In partnership with your marketing team, develop yearly Design Operations budget (design, photography, artwork adaptation, prepress, image carriers, CGI & marekting POS materials). Regularly review to align on changes, identifying areas for cost savings and process efficiencies while maintaining quality and overall launch timelines
• Continuous Improvement: Support the Design Operations team in identifying strategic initiatives, enhancing processes, and removing implementation barriers, while embracing agile methodologies and crafting globally consistent policies.

QUALIFICATIONS

• A bachelor's degree is required; a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or an MBA is a plus.
• At least 8 years of relevant experience with increasing responsibility, including 5-7 years of formal project management experience in new product development, package design, or artwork development.
• Experience in creative design, photoshoots, artwork, prepress, and various printing processes.
• Strong knowledge of the consumer product industry or relevant experience in adjacent fields is preferred.
• Proven ability to navigate complex, cross-functional projects and drive large-scale brand redesigns.
• Excellent strategic business and analytical skills, with a solid understanding of project management principles in product development.
• Exceptional communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to facilitate productive discussions across all management levels.
• A collaborative mindset, capable of leading teams and managing significant scope changes effectively.
• Comfortable managing a transparent escalation process to remove roadblocks and secure project alignments
• Prior agency or creative studio experience is a plus.

Requisition ID:343703

It is our business imperative to remain a very inclusive workplace.

To our veterans and separated service members, you're at the forefront of our minds as we recruit top talent to join Nestle. The skills you've gained while serving our country, such as flexibility, agility, and leadership, are much like the skills that will make you successful in this role. In addition, with our commitment to an inclusive work environment, we recognize the exceptional engagement and innovation displayed by individuals with disabilities. Nestle seeks such skilled and qualified individuals to share our mission where you'll join a cohort of others who have chosen to call Nestle home.

The Nestle Companies are an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer seeking diversity in qualified applicants for employment. All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, gender, gender identity, age, religion, national origin, ancestry, disability, perceived disability, medical condition, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other protected status, as defined by applicable law. Prior to the next step in the recruiting process, we welcome you to inform us confidentially if you may require any special accommodations in order to participate fully in our recruitment experience. Contact us at accommodations@nestle.com or please dial 711 and provide this number to the operator: 1-800-321-6467.

This position is not eligible for Visa Sponsorship.

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