Associate Art Director

$100,524 - $165,851/Yr

Krusteaz - Tukwila, WA

Full-time - Senior

Hybrid - Tukwila, WA

11-50 employees

About the position

The Associate Art Director at The Krusteaz Company is a strategic design role focused on leading creative initiatives within the Brand Creative team. This position emphasizes collaboration and aims to develop innovative design solutions for consumer-facing packaging, digital campaigns, and corporate communications. The ideal candidate will possess a consumer-first mindset and a strong understanding of branding and packaging, driving creative excellence while managing multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Translate business objectives and consumer insights into high-performing design outcomes for complex packaging and brand initiatives.
• Work collaboratively with designers, freelancers, and agency partners.
• Invite diverse inputs to inform human-centered, data-driven solutions.
• Champion the consumer and brand to drive creative work.
• Present to stakeholders and leaders with confidence, articulating design rationale and POV.
• Develop engaging materials across print and digital mediums.
• Manage multiple projects in a fast-paced, deadline-oriented environment.
• Direct the approach, treatments, talent, and styling for photo shoots.
• Create on-brand food visuals with studios and stylists.
• Create 3-D renders, evaluate color proofs, and attend press checks as needed.
• Ensure consistent application of brand and quality standards.
• Evolve brand books and style guidelines to keep them current and relevant.
• Lead creative projects with external design partners, providing strategic direction.

Requirements

• Bachelor's or Graphic Design Degree/Certification or equivalent experience/training.
• Minimum 8 years of experience in a design role within a creative team, demonstrating increased responsibility and leadership.
• Minimum 2 years of experience working on CPG or food & beverage brands.
• In-depth understanding of branding and design systems and packaging best practices.
• Portfolio demonstrating expertise in packaging design, image styling/direction, digital campaigns, and brand systems.
• Mastery of Adobe Creative Suite and experience with Microsoft 365, particularly Teams, Outlook, and PPT.
• Skilled in color correction, compositing images, and manipulation of digital imagery.
• Knowledgeable about print methods, substrates, and optimizing files for various outputs.

Nice-to-haves

• Motion graphics
• Brand architecture
• Product naming
• Digital design
• Illustration
• Copywriting
• Presentation design
• Environmental design

Benefits

• Paid holidays
• Disability insurance
• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Flexible spending account
• Tuition reimbursement
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance
• 401(k) matching
• Life insurance