Senior Designer

Ornua Co-operative Limited; Dublin; Hybrid; EUR 65,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Ornua's Central Marketing Team seeks a Senior Designer to lead the packaging design strategy for the Kerrygold portfolio, ensuring consistent, high‑quality execution across markets. You will balance hands‑on work with leadership, prioritise projects, and manage cross‑functional stakeholders to deliver cohesive brand experiences.

You will guide design direction, coach a team of designers, and collaborate with market teams and agencies to ensure brand standards are applied globally while

Qualifications

• Significant experience in graphic design within FMCG/consumer brands or agency environments.
• Proven ability to lead complex design and packaging projects from concept to market delivery.
• Experience managing and developing designers or creative teams.
• Strong packaging design and print production knowledge.
• Strong understanding of brand identity systems and governance.
• Experience engaging and influencing senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead packaging design projects from concept through to implementation with high‑quality, on‑brand execution.
• Provide creative direction and design oversight across packaging, retail and brand activation.
• Support strategic initiatives including packaging rollouts, brand architecture and design standardisation.
• Balance hands‑on design work with project planning, review and team leadership responsibilities.
• Coach, mentor and support members of the design team; manage performance and development.
• Represent the design function in key business projects and senior stakeholder updates.

Skills

Graphic design

Packaging design

Brand governance

Stakeholder management

Team leadership

Job description

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Location:Dublin, Ireland (Hybrid - minimum 3 days per week in office)

Ornua is a leading dairy co-operative which sells premium dairy products globally on behalf of its Member Co-operatives, Ireland's dairy processors and, in turn, Irish dairy farmers.

Ornua has revenues of €3.4 billion and is supported by a global team of approximately 2,800 employees. The Group operates as a commercial organisation across 10 business units, including 12 production facilities located in Europe, North America, the Middle East and Africa.

The commercial organisation is responsible for the marketing and sales of Ornua's consumer brands including Ireland's most successful food export: Kerrygold. Consumer markets are served by production facilities in Ireland, Germany and the UK and by in-market Sales & Marketing Teams in Asia, Germany, Ireland, MEA, Poland, Spain, rest of Europe and North and Latin America.

It also manages the procurement of Irish and non-Irish dairy products, the sale of dairy ingredients to food manufacturing and foodservice customers globally, and the implementation of de-risking and trading strategies to manage market volatility. These activities are supported by production facilities and in-market teams in Europe, North America, the Middle East and Africa.

The Role

The Senior Designer will join Ornua's Central Marketing Team, a global function responsible for building and protecting the Kerrygold brand across international markets. Working closely with market teams, agency partners and cross-functional stakeholders, the Central Marketing Team develops brand strategy, design standards and creative assets that support consistent brand execution worldwide.

Reporting to the Global Design Lead, the Senior Designer will lead the day-to-day delivery of the internal design function, combining hands‑on creative delivery with team leadership, project prioritisation and stakeholder management.

The role is primarily responsible for leading the development and delivery of packaging design across the Kerrygold portfolio, ensuring consistent, high‑quality execution from concept through to implementation across multiple markets. The role will also support retail and brand activation activity where required, helping to deliver a cohesive and effective brand experience across all consumer touchpoints.

The Senior Designer will provide leadership, coaching and development support across the design team, ensuring effective prioritisation of work, clear creative direction and consistent application of brand standards.

Working closely with internal stakeholders and agency partners, the Senior Designer will translate business requirements into effective, commercially successful design solutions that balance consumer appeal, commercial objectives and operational requirements.

The role will also support the Global Design Lead in representing the design function across the business, building strong relationships with senior stakeholders and ensuring design is considered early in strategic and operational decision‑making. As a key member of the Central Marketing Team, the Senior Designer will play an important role in shaping how the Kerrygold brand is expressed consistently across markets while supporting local business needs.

Key Areas of Responsibility

• Lead packaging design projects from concept through to implementation, ensuring high‑quality, on‑brand execution.
• Provide creative direction and design oversight across packaging, retail and brand activation projects.
• Support strategic initiatives including packaging rollouts, brand architecture and design standardisation.
• Balance hands‑on design work with project planning, review and team leadership responsibilities.
• Coach, mentor and support members of the design team.
• Manage performance, development planning and capability building.
• Foster a collaborative, high‑performing and continuously improving team culture.

Design Operations

• Plan and prioritise workloads across the design team to ensure effective delivery.
• Monitor project progress, identify risks and manage resource requirements.
• Support continuous improvement of design processes and ways of working.

Brand Governance

• Ensure consistent application of Kerrygold brand guidelines across all touchpoints.
• Act as a quality guardian for packaging design and visual identity standards.
• Support the development of global design guidelines, toolkits and best practices.

Stakeholder & Agency Management

• Partner with internal stakeholders and external agencies to deliver effective design solutions.
• Provide clear creative direction, manage feedback processes and ensure alignment with business objectives.
• Build strong relationships across Marketing, Innovation, Commercial and operational teams.

Senior Stakeholder Engagement

• Represent the design function within key business projects and initiatives.
• Present design recommendations and project updates to senior stakeholders.
• Help ensure design is considered early in decision‑making and aligned with commercial objectives.

Skills and Experience

• Significant experience in graphic design within an FMCG, consumer brand or agency environment
• Proven ability to lead complex design and packaging projects from concept through to market delivery, managing timelines, priorities and stakeholders effectively
• Experience managing and developing designers or creative teams
• Strong packaging design and print production knowledge
• Strong understanding of brand identity systems and brand governance
• Experience managing external agencies and working cross-functionally with commercial, technical and regulatory stakeholders
• Experience engaging and influencing senior stakeholders
• Ability to balance strategic thinking with hands‑on delivery
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Customer Focus: Advocates for the customer, balances customer and business needs, and spots opportunities for growth.
• Forward‑Looking: Helps others to accept change, implements change, and looks ahead to anticipate change.
• Curious: Open to asking questions and willing to learn and continuously improve.
• Working Together: Encourages co‑operation in own team and supports cross‑functional working.