Creative Project Manager

How You Will Have an Impact at Kinder's:

The Creative Project Manager role will report to the Director of Creative Services and will support the Creative/Studio Group by managing the flow of projects through Wrike and overseeing assets within Image Relay. This role ensures that projects are well-organized, timelines are monitored, and communication across cross-functional teams remains clear and consistent. By maintaining project workflows and managing the digital asset library, this role enables the creative team to focus on producing high-quality work that supports business objectives in a fast-paced environment. 

Key Responsibilities:

Packaging Artwork Management:

• Lead and manage the end-to-end packaging artwork process, ensuring all deliverables are completed on time and within scope
• Oversee the review and approval process for packaging artwork, ensuring compliance with brand guidelines, product requirements, and print quality standards. 
• Track first production samples for product imagery, ensuring products are photographed and available in Image Relay. 

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate with Production Design, Brand, Marketing, Product Development, Commercialization, Production Planning, Regulatory and Quality teams to ensure alignment and timely delivery of packaging artwork projects. 
• Coordinate with external suppliers, printers, and agencies to ensure artwork specifications are met and deadlines are adhered to. 

Asset & System Management

• Manage Image Relay (DAM), ensuring all assets and metadata are properly organized, maintained, and available for each product launch. 
• Maintain product libraries and provide additional support across creative operations as needed. 
• Manage swag program inventory when required. 

Communication & Risk Management

• Communicate project status, updates, and risks to key stakeholders on a regular basis. 
• Identify potential bottlenecks and proactively resolve any issues that may arise during the artwork development process. 
• Implement strategies to keep projects on track and in scope.

Continuous Improvement

• Continuously evaluate and improve processes to enhance efficiency, quality, and communication. 

What You Bring to the Table:

Education/Experience:

• 5+ years of hands-on project and / or creative management experience.  Experience in CPG a plus but not required. 
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment. 
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to help bring drive alignment with key internal stakeholders. 
• Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail. 
• Strong collaboration skills and ability to work in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment. 
• Experience in collaborating with external partners, such as printers, creative content producers, etc., is highly desirable. 
• Experience in project management tools (we use Wrike) a significant plus

Personal Characteristics:

• Growth mindset with an excitement to learn (and teach). 
• Passionate people-lover excited by the opportunity to build strong relationships with teammates and consumers. 
• Low ego with a strong sense of humility. 
• Thrive in a dynamic, lean, and agile environment. 
• Collaborative mindset with an ability to find creative solutions. 
• Self-starter who takes initiative and is willing to speak their mind
• Excited to be part of a fast-moving team with the ability to be a leader and a follower where required.  
• Enjoy making decisions and finding ways to say 'yes' as often as possible to impactful and important priorities. 

HOW WE WORK:

• No two days here are the same.
• We try to be good team members and good communicators, but we don't live by hierarchy and structure – everyone is a difference maker here.
• We make a lot of decisions in the face of incomplete information – our team embraces ambiguity and tries to make good decisions fast rather than great decisions slow.
• We believe our job is to take smart risk, not to eliminate risk.
• We believe in growing our skills and becoming a better company with more managerial expertise, but we are an entrepreneurial company at heart.
• We aren't trying to be average – we want to do exceptional things and we are willing to work hard to achieve them.

Location and Travel:

The position will be based onsite in Walnut Creek, CA. We strongly believe in the power of culture and community and have a hybrid work structure with 4 days in the office on a weekly basis to encourage collaboration and personal connections that will allow us to better serve our customers and consumer and to have more fun. Fridays are flex days with employees having the opportunity to choose to be either in the office or to work from home based on what makes most sense for them.

The expected starting salary range for this role is $135,000- $155,000 per year. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range based on the location of the role. The amount a particular employee will earn within the salary range will be based on factors such as relevant education, qualifications, performance and business needs.