Creative Manager - Packaging at Clicks Group

Introduction

• This is an ideal opportunity for a visually talented and highly skilled Packaging Creative Manager who is able to deliver high quality, innovative and powerful packaging design solutions across our brands.
• You should have strong general management and coaching skills to lead the Clicks in-house Packaging Design and Finished Art teams to deliver their very best. The role reports into the Creative Executive.

Job description

Job Purpose

• To deliver packaging designs through the development, conceptualisation and timeous roll out aligned to the 18 month, Christmas and Unicorn plans to ensure that innovation and powerful design solutions lands within our business in support of sales and operating margin growth across the brands.
• To build and manage a sustainable, internal design studio and hub, with top talent to deliver the very best in branding and packaging design for the business and South African market

Job Objectives

• To lead, manage and mentor the Clicks packaging design team, including senior and junior creative designers, finished artists, illustrators, photographers and freelance designers in order to deliver to plan
• To develop and communicate our brand objectives, by planning, resource sourcing and multitasking workload across the internal staff and external agencies to deliver
• To ensure that all work delivered is aligned to the  brand CI’s as well as brand tiering and brand architecture
• To ensure and maintain brand consistency in-line with relevant marketing strategies and Corporate Identity guidelines thus acurate implementation across all sub-brands are key.
• To collaborate with industry leaders to foster inspiration & learnings as well as the know how of keeping up with international trends in order to continually bring an edge to Private Label design continually.
• To recruit, retain and develop the best design talent in order to deliver the best in class and invest in the future of Clicks Private Label.
• To lead and create innovative spaces by leading brainstorming sessions to promote design thinking in order to achieve the highest standard in creativity and ensuring all briefs are met
• To manage budgets and costings across all resources to ensure we remain within budget constrainst. 
• To work closely with traffic, client services and the Creative Executive to ensure smooth workflow and delivery of work, while ensuring the team’s creative brief is understood and executed within respective deadlines
• To maintain good client relationships as well as create strong partnerships with the marketing teams in order to co-create content and campaigns which complement our brand equities making a real impact with consumers
• To maintain responsibility for all freelance hiring, rate negotiation and management whilst making sure the internal design team is working as efficiently as possible 
• To perform the sourcing of and directing outside resources ie: production agency, photographer, make-up artists, stylists’ illustrators and models, while building and maintaining professional relationships with a network of resources.
• To provide a strong support base to the Creative Executive in order to create the best sustainable design agency & design hub with top South African talent. 
• Monitor and evaluate competitor packaging, category trends and market developments to identify opportunities for innovation and differentiation across the Private Label portfolio.
• Ability to translate consumer, category and competitor insights into commercially successful packaging solutions that drive sales, brand differentiation and profitability.
• Deep understanding of the competitive retail and FMCG landscape, including category trends, competitor packaging strategies, shopper behaviour and market dynamics.
• Drive the adoption of AI and digital tools to improve packaging design workflows, packaging audits, artwork management, compliance checks and speed-to-market.
• Continuously identify opportunities to automate repetitive studio and artwork processes.

Minimum requirements

Essential Skills, Abilities and Job Related Knowledge

• Strategic and creative design thinking
• Strong knowledge of packaging construction, holistic design solutions, brands CI’s and implementation thereof essential
• Strong market and trend related knowledge
• Excellent knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite CC: Illustrator, Photoshop, In-design.
• A strong understanding of design management systems and studio work flow to drive efficiencies
• Strong understanding of all printing processes
• Strong understanding of manufacturing best practices relating to quality checks and high standards of consistency
• Have strong understanding of the various brand CI’s as well as brand tiering and brand architecture
• Excellent multi-tasking skills
• Resillience under pressure
• Strong verbal and communications skills
• Budget Management skills
• Excellent working knowledge of language and copy
• Strong influencing and presentation skills
• Delivering against demanding deadlines
• Excellent knowledge of all packaging design principles, brand development, creative processes
• Excellent conceptualisation and packaging design skills
• High pressure solution solving ability

Qualifications and Experience 

• Bachelors degree in Graphic Design & Art or equivalent Graphic Design qualification
• Packaging Diploma
• At least 10 years packaging and brand design experience with an outstanding working knowledge of concept artwork, finished Art and all print & packaging processes.
• Minimum 7 years management experience in leading teams, conducting performance reviews & measurements 
• Experience of developing high performing design teams.

Competencies

• Working with People 
• Leading and Supervising
• Persuading and Influencing 
• Applying Expertise and Technology 
• Creating and Innovation 
• Delivering Results & Meeting Customer Expectations 
• Adapting and Responding to Change
• Entrepreneurial and Commercial Thinking  

Apply by: 8 July 2026