Creative Project Manager

Overview

With our team located in Los Angeles, CA, Karuna Skin LLC operates two brands, Karuna Skin and Avatara. Karuna has been leading beautiful breakthroughs for over a decade, from our launch as the first US sheet mask brand in 2009 to a comprehensive daily skincare line sold nationwide in Whole Foods Market and globally in select hotels, spas and beauty retailers like Mecca.

Karuna's sister brand, Avatara, was created in 2017 to bring safe, fun, and effective skincare solutions appropriate for tween, teen, and young skin needs and can be found in Target, Walmart, CVS, Whole Foods Market and select grocery locations nationwide.

A career with Karuna is an opportunity to join a collaborative, upbeat, open floor-plan office that welcomes idea-sharing, communication, and teamwork. We offer a competitive benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, and much more.

The role below outlines the responsibilities and qualifications for the Creative Project Manager position within our cosmetics portfolio.

End-to-End Project & Launch Management

• Own and maintain comprehensive project timelines, guiding products from concept through final shelf delivery.
• Manage multiple concurrent projects across product launches, packaging, campaigns, and marketing initiatives.
• Track dependencies, mitigate risks, and ensure on-time delivery across all milestones.
• Manage the full lifecycle of marketing assets and special projects, including PR boxes, ad-hoc variety sets, special collections, and coordinating samples for photo shoots, PR, and influencers.

Packaging & Product Development Oversight

• Partner closely with Product Development to source packaging components and obtain accurate cost and timeline estimates from suppliers.
• Define scope and manage artwork execution for all primary and secondary packaging, ensuring alignment with brand, copy, and safety standards.
• Oversee packaging development workflows within stage-gate / NPD processes.
• Act as the primary liaison between creative teams and cross-functional partners (Product Development, Sales, Marketing, Operations).
• Translate business objectives into clear, creative briefs and actionable timelines.
• Lead weekly cross-functional meetings to proactively remove roadblocks.
• Partner and collaborate with all cross-functional teams (PD, Packaging, and Design) to ensure development is on time and maintains a visually and verbally cohesive brand voice at every touchpoint.
• Serve as the main point of contact for packaging and manufacturing suppliers.
• Track samples, lead times, approvals, and first production runs.
• Maintain clear communication to ensure timelines, costs, and quality standards are met.
• Coordinate sourcing of samples, vendor production, and logistics in partnership with Marketing.

Risk Mitigation & Process Improvement

• Proactively identify and address risks (e.g., packaging compatibility, formula stability, supplier delays) and develop contingency plans to protect launch dates and business objectives.
• Drive process efficiency by identifying ways to streamline workflows while maintaining high-quality output.
• Thrive in ambiguity with a solution-oriented, startup-style mindset.
• Roll up your sleeves and lead by example, contributing to hands-on problem solving and creative solutions while inspiring the team.

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Packaging Engineering, or a related field
• 2–5+ years of project management experience within beauty, cosmetics, or CPG
• Hands-on experience managing stage-gate or NPD workflows
• Strong understanding of creative processes, packaging development, and production timelines
• Excellent organizational, communication, and stakeholder management skills
• Knowledge of cosmetic regulations and manufacturing processes (e.g., injection molding)
• Experience working directly with domestic and international suppliers
• Familiarity with packaging innovation trends and sustainability considerations
• Passion for beauty, design, and product storytelling
• Project management platforms (Asana, or similar)
• Requires strong technical, organizational, and exceptional written/verbal communication skills
• Strong attention to detail with the ability to zoom between big-picture strategy and execution
• Proven ability to take initiative, manage multiple, changing projects simultaneously with meticulous attention to detail, and work effectively in diverse teams.
• Must be resourceful, strategic, creative, analytical, and possess the flexibility to be hands-on and wear many hats in an ever-changing environment.
• Thrive on building business relationships and strong follow-up.
• Must be a self-motivator, identify gaps, drive solutions, take ownership, and help build a growth-focused culture.
• Strong presentation skills and proficiency in G Suite, Asana, Adobe, Slack, Box, and Microsoft Office (including basic to intermediate Excel) are required, with the ability to learn new tools quickly.