Associate Creative Director (Beauty)

We are seeking an innovative, highly visual Associate Creative Director to help shape the next chapter of a fast-growing beauty brand. This individual will bring a strong creative point of view, a deep understanding of consumer-facing design, and the ability to transform business objectives into distinctive brand experiences across retail, packaging, campaigns, and digital channels.

The ideal candidate combines strategic thinking with hands-on creative execution. They understand how to build a recognizable visual identity, develop ideas that connect with today's beauty consumer, and create compelling work that stands out in a competitive marketplace. Equally important, they are an inspiring team leader who can elevate creative talent, manage competing priorities, and bring ambitious concepts to life.

The Associate Creative Director will guide a team of 4–5 designers while collaborating with internal stakeholders and external creative partners to deliver cohesive, high-quality work from initial concept through final production.

What You’ll Do

• Help shape the brand's creative vision across integrated marketing campaigns, product launches, packaging, retail environments, social content, and digital experiences.
• Translate marketing objectives, consumer insights, and emerging cultural trends into original creative concepts that strengthen brand recognition and engagement.
• Establish clear visual direction for projects, providing creative guidance on layout, typography, imagery, color, composition, and overall aesthetic.
• Develop scalable design systems and creative frameworks that allow the brand to maintain a distinctive identity across multiple platforms and consumer touchpoints.
• Collaborate with the Creative Director to identify opportunities for visual innovation and continuously evolve the brand's creative expression.
• Oversee the development of creative assets from early ideation through design refinement, approvals, and final delivery.
• Guide the creation of packaging, point-of-sale materials, retail displays, print collateral, and other physical brand applications.
• Review artwork, production files, color proofs, packaging specifications, and vendor submissions to ensure accuracy, quality, and consistency.
• Partner with production teams and external suppliers to troubleshoot design challenges, resolve technical issues, and maintain the integrity of the original creative vision.
• Develop and maintain practical design resources, templates, and brand documentation that support efficient execution across projects.
• Lead and support a team of designers, providing direction, constructive feedback, and mentorship throughout the creative process.
• Set clear expectations for creative quality, project ownership, collaboration, and delivery.
• Balance team workloads and project priorities while maintaining a high standard of execution across multiple initiatives.
• Build strong working relationships with photographers, stylists, illustrators, freelancers, and other creative collaborators.
• Encourage thoughtful experimentation, fresh perspectives, and the adoption of new creative tools and techniques.
• Work closely with Marketing, Product Development, Merchandising, eCommerce, Social, and other business partners to align creative solutions with commercial priorities.
• Partner with copywriting and content teams to ensure messaging, imagery, and design work together to tell a cohesive brand story.
• Lead creative reviews and present concepts to stakeholders, articulating the thinking behind design decisions and incorporating feedback where appropriate.
• Coordinate with project managers, producers, and external agencies to establish timelines, clarify deliverables, and maintain project momentum.
• Proactively identify potential challenges and help teams navigate changing priorities without compromising creative quality.

What Success Looks Like

• A stronger, more recognizable visual identity across packaging, retail, marketing, and digital channels.
• Distinctive campaign concepts that connect with beauty consumers and translate effectively across multiple platforms.
• Consistent, high-quality creative execution from initial concept to final production.
• A collaborative, well-supported design team that delivers excellent work while continuing to develop its capabilities.
• Efficient creative workflows, productive vendor relationships, and reliable delivery against business timelines.
• A culture that values creative curiosity, thoughtful risk-taking, and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• At least 6years of professional design experience, with a strong background in beauty, cosmetics, fashion, wellness, or another consumer-focused industry.
• Demonstrated experience developing creative for physical consumer touchpoints, including packaging, retail displays, point-of-sale materials, or related CPG applications.
• Previous experience managing or directly supervising at least two creative team members.
• A bachelor's degree or associate degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communication, Fine Arts, or a related discipline.
• A compelling portfolio demonstrating strong art direction, conceptual thinking, design execution, and an understanding of brand identity.
• Advanced working knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite, particularly Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.
• Strong visual judgment, with an understanding of typography, color theory, composition, photography, and contemporary design aesthetics.