Design Director, Personal Care Packaging

Permanent employee, Full or part-time · Tunbridge Wells, London

Job Description
We’re looking for a design leader with undeniable charisma, deep creative instincts and hands-on experience in personal care packaging.

You bring the energy and standards to elevate a team, the emotional intelligence to mentor and inspire, and the creative depth to solve problems quickly with clarity, relevance and originality.

You’ll work closely with a Creative Director, our client, strategists, production and client partnership leads to translate insight and strategy into standout design. You’ll have a clear eye for detail, a belief in beautifully-made work and an instinct for how to move projects and brands forward. Your ideas won’t just sit on a shelf – they’ll help shape a partnership that’s both creatively ambitious and central to our business.

We’re proud to work with some of the biggest and most meaningful brands in the world. This one is fundamental to our business, and we’re looking for the best to help us push it further.
WHO YOU ARE
You’re a natural leader: strategic, insightful and creatively driven. You see the potential in every brief and the opportunity in every constraint. You bring calm confidence to the room, balancing clarity with care and guiding the team to deliver their best work. You inspire belief – in the work, in the process and in the people around you. Your vision is sharp, your instincts are trusted and your leadership lifts everything it touches.

RESPONSIBILITIES
Creative thinking & crafting excellence You set the creative standard for your team, guiding and shaping the work to meet JDO’s high bar for originality, relevance and beauty. You push for design that provokes emotion, inspires belief and holds true to the brand’s purpose. You inspire confident, strategic use of AI across the team, knowing where it adds value and where human creativity must lead.

Strategic & brand alignment You connect the creative to the bigger picture. You understand your client’s business, the audience’s mindset and the brief’s intent, and you use that knowledge to shape bold, brand-right solutions. You challenge assumptions thoughtfully and champion clarity throughout.

Studio process & project delivery You lead multiple workstreams with confidence and care.
You make informed choices around project structure and resource allocation, based on clear understanding of brief complexity, timings and budgets. You work closely with account and production teams to keep work flowing and teams supported.

Team collaboration & contribution You help create a studio environment that fosters bravery, clarity and growth. You contribute with presence, guide with generosity and ensure conversations stay constructive and focused. You help your teams feel energised, empowered and part of something bigger.

Leadership & mentoring You coach and support others by modelling high standards and holding space for learning. You give clear, thoughtful feedback and help people grow through clarity, care and stretch. Your presence brings confidence to clients, teams and peers alike.

Commercial acumen You take ownership of project scope, creative viability and team resourcing. You balance creative ambition with sustainable delivery: ensuring time is tracked, hours are respected and decisions support long-term value. You guide others in understanding how commercial clarity empowers creative freedom.

LOCATION AND FLEXIBILITY
  • Role is based in Tunbridge Wells (ideally) or London
  • Flexible working can be discussed, but studio time is important to team success
  • Minimum 32 hours per week with at least 2 days in either UK studio
  • Ideally full-time (40 hours), which would be 3 days per week in either studio
EXPERIENCE
You’ll need to:
  • Have significant experience in and a passion for personal care packaging design
  • Be confident presenting directly to clients, with or without CD support
  • Have a strong portfolio across global FMCG and personal care
  • Be a team builder, able to mentor more junior team members and bring clarity to others
  • Work with pace without losing sight of the bigger picture
  • Have 6+ years in agency environments delivering across categories and multiple workstreams
SOUNDS LIKE A FIT? LETS TALK.
We want to work with the best – especially those who understand personal care and know how to make it meaningful, fresh and truly well-crafted. Please complete the application form and we'll be in touch.

Please note: Previous applicants need not reapply. No recruiters please. Regretfully, we can't always respond to every applicant, but we do try.
JDO UK
JDO UK is home to two creative hubs: our headquarters in the historic heart of Royal Tunbridge Wells and our central London studio. Each of us is based at one location, but we work as one team; sharing ideas, collaborating across disciplines and supporting each other to deliver our strongest work.

Moving between the two studios gives us fresh perspectives and new energy, while helping ideas cross-pollinate.

We’re part of JDO’s international network of designers, brand strategists and client partnership experts, partnering with some of the world’s most loved and influential brands. Our work spans brand and creative strategy, packaging and product design, innovation and sustainability, and experiential and campaign activation.

Whatever the brief, we create brand worlds that connect, inspire and stay relevant in an ever-changing landscape.
About us
Independent. International. Indispensable.

JDO is an award-winning design agency, expertly helping brands deliver on their promises by creating experiences people can see, feel, and believe.

With boundless creativity and craftsmanship, we craft identities and brand worlds that drive success. Partnering with visionaries and disruptors alike, we turn brand promises into powerful belief.

Our promise to every member of our team is a career that matters. One where your talent is recognised, your growth is supported, and your individuality is celebrated.

Be part of a team that brings energy, generosity and craft into every room – and shows up for each other, every single day. Together, we design for distinction, push boundaries and stay curious, always seeking a better way.

We believe creativity thrives on diversity – of background, identity, experience and thought. We’re committed to building a workplace where everyone feels safe, seen and supported to grow.

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