Senior Manager, Packaging Creative & Production

Role overview

Senior Manager, Packaging Creative & Production at Lowes India

Education Qualification & Certifications (optional).

In close partnership with Private Brands, Merchandising, Product Development, Sourcing, Quality, Marketing, and global production teams, this role translates business objectives into scalable, brand-right, and shelf-ready solutions.

Responsibilities

• Provide strong art direction and design oversight to ensure quality, consistency, and customer relevance.
• Ensure creative intent is preserved through final production execution.
• Lead governance across print production standards, dieline accuracy, color management, materials, finishes, and vendor handoffs.
• Ensure all outputs meet quality, compliance, sustainability, and cost requirements before release to suppliers.
• Drive continuous improvement in production workflows, documentation standards, and vendor enablement.
• Manage day-to-day workflow of all packaging design and production initiatives.
• Lead capacity planning and resourcing strategies across a high-volume SKU portfolio.
• Ensure timelines, milestones, and creative standards are consistently met.
• Manage relationships with global production vendors, agencies, and print partners to ensure quality, compliance, and cost-effectiveness.
• Lead, mentor, and develop managers and senior designers; build a high-performing and production-savvy creative organization.
• Build team capability in print production, packaging engineering fundamentals, and emerging technologies.
• Drive process optimization across packaging design and print production workflows.
• Support 3D visualization capabilities as a complementary tool for product representation and digital shelf readiness (secondary priority to packaging production excellence). 12–15+ years of experience in packaging design, print production, creative operations, or related fields. 5–7+ years of people leadership experience, including leading senior designers or managers.
• Secondary Skills (desired).

Required qualifications

• Primary Skills (must have).

Preferred qualifications and skills

• Strong retail and/or Private Brand experience preferred.

Employment details

• Location: Bengaluru [Karnātaka] [India]

Additional role details

• The Packaging Operations Team is responsible for the execution of our Private Brand strategies.
• This includes managing packaging, print quality management, packaging innovation, and development.
• Provides in-house production capabilities for the Private Brands portfolio, through re-fresh and re-design of the SKUs for all Lowe’s brands.
• This team also ensures that the instruction manuals, legal and packaging copy for the Private Brands products adhere to the quality standards and brand guidelines as set by Lowe's.
• The Senior Manager, Packaging Creative & Production leads the creative direction, execution excellence, & production governance for Lowe’s Private Brands packaging portfolio.
• Operating at the intersection of creative strategy and operational leadership, this leader oversees day-to-day packaging design & print production workflows, ensuring alignment with publishing calendars, product launch milestones, and global merchandising priorities.
• The position is accountable for creative excellence, print production integrity, operational rigor, global stakeholder alignment & continuous process improvement to enable speed, quality, and consistency at scale.
• Creative & Brand Leadership.
• Evolve and uphold packaging design systems and brand standards across Private Brands.
• Ensure packaging solutions align with brand strategy, regulatory requirements, sustainability goals, and business objectives.
• Oversee end-to-end packaging production, ensuring all files are accurate, compliant, print-ready, and optimized for manufacturing.
• Partner with global packaging production and sourcing teams to mitigate risk, reduce rework, and accelerate speed-to-market.
• Serve as the escalation point for complex production challenges, balancing creative excellence with operational feasibility.
• Workflow Management & Operational Leadership.
• Co-manage publishing and launch calendars in partnership with cross-functional leaders to develop realistic timelines based on urgency, scope, and complexity.
• Oversee intake processes to ensure briefs are complete, strategic, and aligned to business priorities.
• Establish scalable operating models, standardized templates, and governance frameworks to ensure predictable and efficient delivery.
• Global Partnership & Stakeholder Management.
• Act as senior creative partner to Global Merchandising, Private Brands, Product Development, Quality, Sourcing, and Marketing leadership.
• Build strong partnerships across U.S. and India teams to ensure seamless global collaboration and alignment.
• Translate product roadmaps and merchandising strategies into clear creative and production plans.
• Confidently present creative recommendations, production strategies, and operational updates to senior leadership.
• Foster trust-based partnerships that drive accountability and shared ownership across regions.
• People Leadership & Capability Building.
• Establish clear expectations for design quality, production rigor, and execution excellence.
• Oversee hiring, onboarding, performance management, and succession planning.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous learning, and operational discipline.
• Leverage DAM systems, workflow tools, and emerging technologies to improve efficiency and reduce rework.
• Stay current on packaging materials, print technologies, sustainability regulations, and retail trends.
• Identify scalable design system opportunities that improve speed-to-market and brand consistency.
• Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design, Packaging Design, Visual Communication, or related field V.
• Key Skills: Adobe Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign & Acrobat), Excel, Storytelling, Global Stakeholder Management, People Management (5+ yrs), hands-on experience in packaging design, creative & production design, with a strong understanding of print and creative operations.
• Deep expertise in packaging design and print production, including file-ready execution, pre-press standards, color management, materials, and vendor handoff.
• Strong understanding of packaging manufacturing processes and production feasibility.
• Proven experience leading and scaling creative teams in high-volume retail environments.
• Demonstrated ability to manage workflow, publishing calendars, and cross-functional timelines.
• Strong art direction, design critique, and brand storytelling skills.
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign & Acrobat).
• Strong business acumen balancing creativity, speed, cost, and operational excellence.
• Exceptional global stakeholder management, communication, and presentation skills.
• Knowledge of 3D rendering tools to support product visualization initiatives.
• Experience with sustainable packaging strategies and regulatory compliance.
• Familiarity with DAM and workflow platforms (e.g., Workfront).
• Experience partnering with U.S.based retail stakeholders.
• Exposure to AI or emerging creative technologies to improve scalability.