Graphic Design Manager

**About us**:
Accent Group Limited is the leading digitally integrated retail and distribution business in the Apparel and Footwear performance and lifestyle market in Australia and New Zealand. With over 700+ stores, 33 brands and over 35 online platforms. Our brands include Glue, Platypus, Skechers, Hype DC, Vans, Dr. Martens, Subtype, The Athletes Foot, CAT, Merrell, The Trybe, Timberland, Stylerunner, Palladium, Stance, Saucony, EXIE & 4Workers

**About The Role**:
'The Agency’ is our internal creative team of talented graphic and motion designers, photographers and videographers which supports all digital, retail and wholesale marketing endeavours for the Accent Group of brands. They are now looking for a passionate Graphic Design Manager to lead and nurture a team of creative designers (internal and/or freelance) to develop strategically led creative solutions from concept to completion across all formats for the Accent Group of brands. This includes workflow management, finished-art delivery, and team development. This is a hands-on role that does require execution and creation of graphics assets.

The Graphic Design Manager will work with the broader marketing team and play a key part in delivering effective and innovative graphic and visual communication solutions across all touch points, including product/packaging, stores and physical spaces, campaign and marketing materials, digital content and assets and projects.

They will be comfortable and experienced working within a fast paced environment and working within the parameters of brand guidelines.

The Graphic Design Manager is an internal educator for brand vision and guidelines, design process, methodology and thinking, as well as effective mentor and coach to the design team.

**This Role Will Be Responsible For**:
Design Management
- Oversee the end-to-end design and artwork process, ensuring work is executed against the brief and of first-class standard to support brand equity elevation
- Manage internal design team and freelancers as required, overseeing creative execution and mentoring, coaching team to grow and deliver great work
- Manage design workflow and delivery of briefs to required timings - Lead daily/weekly design priority planning meetings - ensure clear process for traffic management
- Ensure consistent and reliable communication across all stakeholders to manage expectations and delivery of work
- Discuss and recommend initiatives to help facilitate new ways of working
- Establish reliable network of freelancers to manage overflow as required.

Campaign & Project Design/Artwork
- Working closely with the Marketing Team, focusing on campaign development and best in class execution across all channels and touchpoint including product packaging, signage and VM materials, digital content and assets, product catalogues
- Work closely with the broader team to maintain each brand’s identity, design guidelines, templates, and visual assets where required.
- Identify and implement innovative and creative solutions to continuously improve customer engagement
- Constantly deliver new and exciting ways to showcase our brands in contemporary and premium ways

Stakeholder Engagement
- Communicate and collaborate with in house departments (visual merchandising, retail, wholesale/corporate, marketing, digital, brand) as well as external contractors/parties to build understanding of the design process and specific design responses
- Maintain a high degree of professionalism with all stakeholders
- Clearly present and communicate benefits of design solutions.

A great fit for this role will have the following experience, skills and attributes:
Experience
- 5+ years design experience (+3 years’ experience managing an internal design team)
- Experience designing for packaging, print and digital channels
- Experience creating highly creative design solutions from briefs
- Previous exposure to and knowledge of print production processes

Skills and Attributes
- Strong design skills and highly creative
- Enjoys working 'on the tools' as well as managing the team and work
- Thrives in a fast-paced environment
- Strong attention to detail and an eye for quality
- Excellent communication, interpersonal and teamwork skills
- Values quality, takes pride in their work
- Curious about emerging design, technology, and innovation
- Expert knowledge of the Adobe Creative Suite, After Effects
- Highly organised, efficient and able to handle pressure; can manage multiple projects and deadlines.

Where you'll be working
Our creative space in the heart of Cremorne (Richmond) is a contemporary office, including a custom-built photography studio that hosts major campaign shoots and our eCommerce photography pipeline. We're close to great restaurants and coffee along Swan St and Church St. Walking distance from Richmond Station, or the city if you like a big stroll.

At Accent Group we are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and valu