Junior Packaging Artwork Project Manager at Shoprite Group of Companies

Job Objectives

Operational project delivery

• Support teams with managing the launch of new Private Label brands and products from concept to launch into store.
• Act as a brand custodian, ensure products launch in line with the brand principles and style guidesto deliver on brand IP.
• Research local and international markets, competitor brands, new product categories, trends and gaps for all new projects.
• Schedule and attend regular in-store visits, including competitors, to keep abreast of the market.
• Provide thorough packaging artwork briefs for the designer to create new packaging artwork.
• Support and understand the Concept Design process on new concept designs, range extensions and design master layouts.
• Create and maintain all projects and products on excel and the online PLM tool and invite relevant stakeholders.
• Maintain the online PLM tool to manage, track and report on projects.
• Co-ordinate and drive the artwork approval process, ensuring that all stakeholders are informed and involved in the process.

Service excellence

• Ensure that all packaging artwork is developed as per the brand style guide and in line with the brand principles.
• Ensure that all artwork is reviewed and approved by cross-functional teams before it is released for printing.
• Maintain the artwork library and archiving to ensure that all artwork is created in accordance with the to the brand style guide.
• Ensure quality control so that all artwork meets the highest quality standards.
• Provide regular reports to management on artwork-related activities.
• Maintain and track records of all artwork development and approval processes.
• Provide support to internal teams to ensure that their artwork needs are met.
• Provide support on artwork best practices and regulatory requirements.
• Support the team in buying in-store samples for benchmarking and mock-up completion.

Collaboration

• Collaborate closely with stakeholders, to ensure that artwork is produced to the required standards and delivered on time.
• Take ownership of all project documentation and engagements ensuring that discussions points and stakeholder inputs are captured and incorporated into decision making.
• Coordinating, assigning and driving project team activities to ensure project objectives are met. 
• Where possible, create efficiencies across the business by identifying cross-functional impacts and handover points that could potentially be consolidated or simplified.

Reporting

• Create project status reports and ongoing status updates to appropriate stakeholders. 
• Provide input for cross-functional teams to address issues through data and reports.
• Continuously create efficiencies by making use of data to drive quality, accuracy and timing of information to relevant stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Diploma, degree in Marketing, Packaging Technology/ Science, Customer Science, Quality Assurance, Project Management (preferred).

Experience

• +2 years’ artwork project management experience within a product development environment (essential).
•  Retail environment, Private Label brand experience and an understanding of the market and competitors (preferable).
•  Experience in Artwork Coordination within a New Product Development space related to products as well as packaging, artwork and development from ideation to implementation (advantageous).