Associate Design Manager, Global Merchandising and Licensing

Overview

The Pepsi Co Associate Design Manager, Global Merchandise and Licensing will support the creation and execution of lifestyle product across our food and beverage portfolio. Business areas include three pillars:
Licensing, Partnerships, and Promotional Merchandise. The candidate must be skilled across graphic, fashion print, and packaging design. The ideal candidate has prior experience working with apparel, accessories, and hardgoods.

The Associate Design Manager will not just design, but also codify the visual identity of Pepsi Co branded lifestyle merchandise in partnership with internal stakeholders across Brand Design, Marketing, and Business functions. This means planning, organizing, and implementing consistent design principles and visual language to ensure strategic goals are achieved with quality and efficiency.

The Designer will use his or her experience to build new tools, map new processes, and deliver on time with quality. Relationship building and communication are key to success in this highly cross-functional role. In addition to core design capacities, this individual will be key to the full development process from briefing to final production.

• Develop graphics and prints for apparel, accessories, and packaging that reinforce brand DNA.
• Translate briefs into cohesive visual executions that meet creative and commercial objectives.
• Be up-to-speed on competitive landscape and trends to keep deliverables relevant and aspirational.
• Research trends in color, typography, print, graphics, to inform visual concepts.
• Assemble presentations that communicate design intent, storytelling, and commercial rationale.

• Create detailed sketches, CADs, print callouts, and production-ready design packages.
• Make visual mock-ups via Photoshop and AI to make designs tangible and realistic.
• Manage graphic and print development tracking revisions, approvals, timelines, and costs.
• Prepare production-ready artwork files and ensure accuracy of scale, color, and placement.
• Partner with product developers on costing related to graphic and embellishment techniques.
• Participate in sample and bulk production reviews.

• Create licensing style guides and brand tool kits for consistency across products and packaging.
• Perform style guide audits with licensing and brand teams to ensure guides are relevant.
• Lead creative kick-offs and design immersions with new licensees and collaborators.
• Maintain master artwork library for ongoing and future reference.
• Manage external design agencies as needed from initial briefing to final deliverables.

• Lead licensing product approvals, collaborating with brand design, marketing, legal, and agencies.
• Provide feedback directly to licensees within digital systems to arrive at final approvals.
• Review physical samples from licensees and provide feedback as needed.
• Ensure submissions are approved in a timely manner and within agreed upon SLAs.

• Ensure submissions are approved in a timely manner and within agreed upon SLAs.
• Create and manage calendars to hold all teams accountable to milestones.
• Ensure necessary approvals are obtained across Design, Licensing, Brand Marketing, and Legal.
• Communicate updates to stakeholders to inform decision-making and promote visibility.
• Anticipate resources needed to reach objectives and prioritize efforts accordingly.
• Identify new opportunities to enhance time and cost efficiencies.

• The expected compensation range for this position is between $89,000 - $149,000.
• Location, confirmed job-related skills, experience, and education will be considered in setting actual starting salary. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range during the hiring process.
• Bonus based on performance and eligibility target payout is 10% of annual salary paid out annually.
• Paid time off subject to eligibility, including paid parental leave, vacation, sick, and bereavement.
• In addition to salary, Pepsi Co offers a comprehensive benefits package to support our employees and their families, subject to elections and eligibility:
  Me…