ZURU Edge | Designer - NPD

ZURU; Auckland; On-site; NZD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

ZURU is seeking a Senior Designer - NPD to lead brand identity and packaging design within ZURU Edge's New Product Development team. The role builds new consumer brands from the ground up and refreshes existing brands across confectionery, toys, pet care and other categories for a global audience.

You will collaborate with marketing, R&D and production to move projects from concept to production-ready artwork.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in brand identity and packaging design for consumer goods.
• Expert proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and Figma.
• Strong understanding of print production, packaging materials and workflows.
• A portfolio of identity and packaging work showing high creative and technical standards.
• Experience translating brand strategy into design across multiple touchpoints.

Responsibilities

• Leads creation and evolution of brand identities aligned with company vision and audience.
• Defines brand guidelines, tone of voice and visual language across packaging, digital, print and retail.
• Develops packaging concepts informed by materials and consumer behavior research.
• Ensures designs are practical, compliant with industry regulations, and production-ready.
• Creates mockups and prototypes to visualize packaging concepts.
• Present concepts to internal stakeholders for review and approval.
• Oversees design lifecycle from concept to execution with production coordination.
• Manages multiple projects, timelines, and external vendors to hit deadlines.
• Mentors junior designers and freelancers, ensuring brand consistency and feasibility.
• Tracks design trends and competitive insights to improve brand experiences.

Skills

Brand identity

Packaging design

Portfolio development

Brand guidelines

Cross-functional collaboration

Creative problem solving

Design leadership

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

Figma

Job description

About ZURU

ZURU is a reimagination company. We look for categories that have stood still, then we build next-generation products and brands that set the new standard. ZURU Toys is reimagining play. ZURU Edge is reinventing everyday consumer brands. Rhodes Pet Science is reimagining pet science. ZURU Tech is leading the next building revolution.

ZURU started in 2003 with two brothers from New Zealand, and we're still founder-owned and operated today. Since then we've become the world's second-biggest privately held toy company, and nearly half of all Gen Y and Gen Z households with kids in the US own a ZURU product. Today we're 5,000 people in 34 offices, selling into more than 150 markets, backed by over 100 acres of fully automated manufacturing. And we're only getting started.

About the role

The Senior Designer - NPD leads brand identity and packaging design within ZURU Edge's New Product Development team. The role builds new consumer brands from the ground up and refreshes brands in the existing portfolio, across confectionery, toys, pet care and other consumer categories sold to a global audience. Working with marketing, R&D and production, the Senior Designer takes projects from first concept through to production-ready artwork.

Position Impact

In the first 3-6 months, the Senior Designer delivers brand identity and packaging work on live NPD projects, from concept and mockups through to production-ready files, on schedule and to the team's quality standard. Over 12+ months, they lead the creation of new brand identities and guidelines across multiple projects, strengthen the design-to-production workflow, and support the development of the junior designers and freelancers they work with.

Responsibilities

• Leads the creation and evolution of brand identities in line with the company's vision and target audience

• Works with marketing, product development and leadership to define brand guidelines, tone of voice and visual language, and applies them consistently across packaging, digital, print and retail

• Develops packaging concepts for new and existing products, informed by research on materials, packaging solutions and consumer behaviour

• Ensures packaging designs are practical, functional and compliant with industry regulations, including safety and environmental standards

• Creates mockups and prototypes to visualise packaging concepts

• Presents design concepts and strategies to internal stakeholders for review and approval

• Oversees the design lifecycle from concept to execution and coordinates with production teams for a smooth transition from design to manufacturing, ensuring quality standards are met

• Manages multiple projects in parallel, including timelines and external vendors or agencies, so that deadlines and project goals are met

• Mentors and gives feedback to junior designers and freelancers, contributes to brainstorming sessions, and works with marketing, R&D and production to keep brand consistency and product feasibility aligned

• Tracks industry trends, design innovation and consumer insights, runs competitive analysis, and identifies opportunities to improve brand experiences through packaging and design

• Carries out other agreed tasks as needed, and anything else ZURU may lawfully and reasonably require of you

Skills & Experience

• 8+ years of experience in brand identity and packaging design, preferably in consumer goods or retail

• Expert proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign) and Figma

• Strong understanding of print production, packaging materials and design-to-production workflows

• A portfolio of brand identity and packaging work executed to a high creative and technical standard

• Experience translating brand strategy into design across multiple touchpoints (packaging, digital, print and retail)

Who thrives at ZURU

This isn't a 9-to-5. We move fast, think big and set goals most companies would call impossible, then go after them. The people who thrive here are entrepreneurs at heart. They own their work, chase bold ideas and never stop raising the bar.

At ZURU, you drive your career, and we give you the platform to take it as far as you can. There are opportunities here that you won’t find anywhere else, and you'll be surrounded by talented people who make things happen. We're a true meritocracy: we reward impact, not tenure.

How we work

Big ideas happen when great people work side by side, so we're office-first by design. Being together means faster collaboration, sharper decisions and stronger teams, and it's where the real learning happens. Some flexibility may be available depending on the role, location and business needs, but most roles are office-based.

Want to see what life at ZURU really looks like? Follow @LifeatZURU on Instagram or visit www.zuru.com.

ZURU – Reimagining tomorrow

ZURU may use AI tools to help screen, assess or select applicants.