Packaging & Design Lead

Senior Packaging & Design Lead

Dubai, UAE – Full Time

About the Role

We are hiring a Senior Packaging & Design Lead who will spearhead all packaging design across the company and act as the bridge between design, procurement, QC, and compliance.

This is a packaging-first role — the candidate must lead the packaging function end-to-end, ensuring country-specific regulatory accuracy, flawless artwork execution, and high creative standards.

They will also guide the design team, maintain brand identity, and support digital content where needed.

This role is for someone fast, detail-obsessed, highly technical, and comfortable owning multiple SKUs across multiple brands.

Key Responsibilities

⭐ Packaging Design & Artwork (Primary Responsibility)

• Own the complete packaging lifecycle for all products:
• Create packaging concepts and final artworks for all food categories (frozen, ambient, QSR, sauces, snacks, FMCG).
• Develop layouts that balance branding, readability, and regulatory content.
• Manage dielines, print files, templates, and version control for all SKUs.
• Adapt artworks for UAE, KSA, India, and GCC with accurate multilingual content.
• Ensure compliance with ESMA, SFDA, and GCC regulations (ingredients, allergens, nutrition tables, warnings, barcodes, claims).
• QC will provide all product information (ingredients, allergens, nutrition data, regulatory text). The Senior Packaging & Design Lead must ensure this information is correctly placed on the label and fully compliant with each country’s rules before print.
• Lead the artwork-to-print process:
• colour matching & print optimisation
• material and finishing understanding
• vendor communication
• proof approvals & final pre-press checks
• Troubleshoot technical issues (bleed, resolution, barcode readability, ink limits, finishes).
• Build and maintain a structured internal packaging system for speed, accuracy, and consistency.

Packaging Compliance & Cross-Functional Coordination

• Lead end-to-end packaging development for all SKUs in UAE and KSA.
• Ensure 100% compliance with market-specific labeling regulations.
• Work with QC and procurement to receive accurate product data, BOM, and regulatory content.
• Collaborate with marketing, product, and operations for launches and packaging updates.

Creative Leadership

• Lead and mentor internal designers; manage freelancers and agencies.
• Maintain a cohesive visual identity across packaging, retail, digital, social, and internal assets.
• Translate briefs into strong, consumer-focused design solutions.
• Bring trend awareness, innovation, and high creative standards.

Digital & 3D

• Create high-quality 3D renders, animations, and motion visuals.
• Produce digital assets (social media content, website graphics, marketing visuals).
• Project & Workflow Management
• Manage multiple design projects simultaneously.
• Maintain organised files, artwork libraries, and naming conventions.
• Ensure efficient cross-team workflow and timely delivery.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design or related field.
• 5+ years experience in FMCG food packaging (GCC experience strongly preferred).
• Proven ability to handle packaging compliance and work with QC/procurement.
• Strong portfolio showcasing packaging systems and regulatory accuracy.
• Expert in Adobe Creative Suite; experience with 3D tools preferred.
• Strong skills in typography, layout, colour management, and hierarchy.
• Arabic speaking preferred.
• Strong communication, leadership, and project management capabilities.
• Thrives in a fast-paced, multi-brand environment.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: From AED10,000.00 per month

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Dubai: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Preferred)

Application Question(s):

• Do you have proven experience designing FMCG food packaging for GCC markets (UAE/KSA)?
• Can you independently prepare print-ready packaging artworks, including dielines, pre-press files, and final proof checks?

Education:

• Bachelor's (Preferred)

Experience:

• Packaging Design : 3 years (Required)

Language:

• English, Arabic (Preferred)

Location:

• Dubai (Preferred)