Design Director (Branding & Packaging)

Markage; Canada; Hybrid; CAD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Markage in Canada seeks a Design Director (Branding & Packaging) to lead branding and packaging design across strategy, concept development, systems, and execution. You will set creative direction for branding and packaging assignments, guiding teams through development and ensuring work is distinctive, useful, and producible.

The role requires senior creative judgment and practical packaging systems knowledge, with collaboration across strategy leaders, artwork teams, producers, and client

Qualifications

• Senior design experience with leadership of major work.
• Experience setting creative direction and guiding multidisciplinary designers.
• Strong presentation, critique, decision-making, and client-facing communication.
• Ability to balance creative ambition with scope, timing, production, and business constraints.
• Holds a valid Dex Management Area Director Certification (DEX-MAD).

Responsibilities

• Set creative direction for major branding and packaging projects.
• Translate strategic objectives into clear visual territories, concepts, and design systems.
• Lead concept reviews and guide senior and mid-level designers through development.
• Oversee identity, packaging architecture, pack design, range extensions, and brand applications.
• Present creative direction and key decisions to senior client stakeholders.
• Review work for distinctiveness, consistency, hierarchy, production feasibility, and brand integrity.
• Coordinate with artwork and production teams through detailed refinement and final handoff.
• Make decisions when creative, commercial, regulatory, or production requirements conflict.
• Support scoping, resourcing, timing, and quality planning for significant design workstreams.
• Maintain clear creative standards and help strengthen the capability of the design team.

Skills

Brand leadership

Packaging design

Creative direction

Design systems

Presentations

Client-facing

Team leadership

Education

DEX-MAD certification

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

Job description

Markage is looking for a Design Director (Branding & Packaging) to join our Canadian team in an on-site role based in Calgary, Vancouver, or Toronto.

This role focuses on leading brand and packaging design across strategy, concept development, systems, and final execution. You will set creative direction for branding and packaging assignments, guide teams through concept and refinement, and ensure that the final work remains distinctive, useful, and producible. The role requires both senior creative judgment and practical understanding of packaging systems.

You will work with strategy leaders, senior designers, artwork teams, producers, client directors, and senior client stakeholders. Clear communication, reliable follow-through, and careful work are expected.

AI-assisted tools may be used for research synthesis, concept exploration, presentation development, quality review, and production documentation. All AI-assisted work must be reviewed for accuracy, relevance, confidentiality, and fit before it is shared or used.

One in-house opening. This role may be based in Calgary, Vancouver, or Toronto. These are alternative work locations for the same position, not separate vacancies.

Essential duties:

• Set creative direction for major branding and packaging projects.
• Translate strategic objectives into clear visual territories, concepts, and design systems.
• Lead concept reviews and guide senior and mid-level designers through development.
• Oversee identity, packaging architecture, pack design, range extensions, and related brand applications.
• Present creative direction and key decisions to senior client stakeholders.
• Review work for distinctiveness, consistency, hierarchy, production feasibility, and brand integrity.
• Coordinate with artwork and production teams through detailed refinement and final handoff.
• Make decisions when creative, commercial, regulatory, or production requirements conflict.
• Support scoping, resourcing, timing, and quality planning for significant design workstreams.
• Maintain clear creative standards and help strengthen the capability of the design team.

Essential requirements:

• Substantial senior design experience with a portfolio showing leadership of major work.
• Experience setting creative direction and guiding multidisciplinary designers through delivery.
• Strong presentation, critique, decision-making, and client-facing communication skills.
• Ability to balance creative ambition with scope, timing, production, and business constraints.
• Holds a valid Dex Management Area Director Certification (DEX-MAD) in the Arts, Media & Creative Production domain.

Preferred qualifications:

• Agency, studio, or multi-client leadership experience.
• Experience developing senior designers and building consistent creative standards.
• Experience leading complex programs across several deliverables or markets.