Design Studio Lead: Brand & Merch Sprint Master

Mello; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 85,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PTO

Paid holidays

Health insurance

Performance bonuses

Commission

Job summary

Mello is a premium custom merchandise company for modern brands. We handle the whole thing: creative strategy, design, product development, production, and fulfillment. Our clients span food, beverage, hospitality, lifestyle, and consumer brands.

As Design Manager, you’ll lead in-house and freelance designers, set the creative direction for each sprint, and ensure every deliverable bears Mello’s high-quality signature before production.

Qualifications

• 4–5+ years in graphic design, brand design, or apparel/merchandise design
• 2+ years leading designers, directing freelancers, or running creative projects
• A strong portfolio showing brand work and physical product (apparel, accessories, packaging, or merchandise)
• A sharp eye for detail. You catch the things other people miss.
• Organized and calm with several projects, deadlines, and feedback rounds going at once
• Comfortable presenting work and explaining the reasoning behind it
• Fluent in Adobe Creative Suite; Figma and AI design tools are a plus
• Bonus: knowledge of decoration methods (screen print, embroidery), apparel manufacturing, garment construction, or tech packs

Responsibilities

• Lead the creative side of Design Sprints: direction, concepts, product mix, and final presentation
• Manage and assign work to our in-house designers and a rotating group of 8–10 freelance designers
• Keep sprints on schedule: plan workloads, track deadlines, and clear blockers
• Be the final quality check. Review every deliverable before it reaches a client or goes to production
• Give designers clear, direct feedback that raises the level of their work
• Build and maintain our design standards: templates, presentation formats, mockup quality, and file prep
• Work with Creative Operations, Sales, Product Development, and Pre-Production so designs are on-brand, feasible, and on budget
• Improve how sprints run so we can take on more without losing quality

Skills

Design leadership

Portfolio development

Adobe Creative Suite

Figma & AI tools

Project management

Presentation skills

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

Figma

AI design tools

Job description

Mello is a premium custom merchandise company for modern brands. We handle the whole thing: creative strategy, design, product development, production, and fulfillment. Our clients span food, beverage, hospitality, lifestyle, and consumer brands.

As Design Manager, you’ll lead in-house and freelance designers, set the creative direction for each sprint, and ensure every deliverable bears Mello’s high-quality signature before production.