Senior Designer Job at Chug Inc. / GEMS in Eden Prairie

Overview

At Gems, we collaborate with top retailers to build better owned-brands. We are an agile, dynamic team dedicated to delivering innovative products that unlock new opportunities for our brand partners.

Our work spans mobile electronics, home, essentials, health and wellness, and more always with the goal of delivering stronger brands, smarter designs, and a standout shelf presence.

The Role

Were looking for a Senior Designer to lead creative execution for one of our largest retailer programs. In this high-impact role, youll guide the full design process across multiple product categories like electronics and flameless fragrance from the earliest concepts to the final in-store presence.

Youll own the end-to-end design process across multiple categories, working collectively with product, sourcing, and retail strategy teams; to bring brand-right solutions to life that resonate on shelf and across retail environments.

This is a highly visible role where your work will directly shape how products are presented to major retail partners and ultimately, how they come to life.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Direction & Design Leadership
  
  • Define and articulate the design vision across programs, aligning creative direction with business goals and client expectations.
  • Guide the design team through product definition, concept development, prototyping, and final execution.
  • Advocate for user-centered, merchant-aware design approaches, grounded in data and trend analysis.
  • Craft compelling brand narratives through packaging, merchandising, and product design that connect with consumers and elevate retail presence.
  • Confidently present design concepts to internal stakeholders and retail partners, clearly articulating strategy, rationale, and consumer appeal behind creative decisions.
  
  
• Design Operations & Process Ownership
  • Improve and standardize design processes, templates, file structures, and review protocols.
  • Help evaluate and onboard new design tools, vendors, and freelance support where needed.
  • Contribute to internal knowledge sharing and create documentation that improves design operations.
  
  
• Trend Monitoring & Concept Development
  • Stay on top of design trends, emerging materials, retail whitespace, and competitive product movements.
  • Bring fresh and relevant ideas into the studio, ensuring concepts are both future-forward and grounded in market realities.
  
  
• Retail & Consumer Product Expertise
  • Understand the unique challenges and opportunities of designing for big-box retailers and their private-label programs.
  • Integrate retail merchandising, pricing strategy, packaging compliance, and shopper insights into the design process.
  • Design with an awareness of store environments, shelf presentation, and DTC/eCommerce visuals when applicable.
  
  
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Act as the design point of contact between departments including product development, engineering, sourcing, compliance, and marketing.
  • Work closely with sales, merchant partners, and designers to translate business needs into design solutions.
  • Ensure alignment on timelines, product specs, feasibility, and compliance requirements.
  
  
• Project & Workflow Management
  • Establish design project timelines, milestones, and resourcing in coordination with project management and operations.
  • Review and approve all design outputs to ensure consistency, manufacturability, and brand/retailer compliance.
  • Ensure the team delivers on time, on budget, and at the level of quality expected by our retail partners.
  
  

Required Skills and Expertise

• Technical Proficiency
  
  • Expert-level proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop), Keyshot, and 3D modeling tools.
  • Strong ability to translate design ideas into packaging concepts and photo-realistic visualizations.
  • Comfortable leading reviews of 3D product files, renders, dielines, and vendor-ready specifications.
  
  
• Retail & Consumer Design Experience
  • Proven experience designing for big-box retail and private-label brands, with a sharp eye for shelf presence and merchandising.
  • Ability to navigate cost considerations, compliance factors, and merchant feedback while designing.
  
  
• Problem-Solving & Communication
  • Strong communicatorable to advocate for design decisions with non-design stakeholders and merchants.
  • Effective at breaking down complex problems and driving toward simple, scalable, creative solutions.
  
  
• Adaptability & Curiosity
  • Eagerness to learn new tools, adapt to shifting project scopes, and work with ambiguity.
  • Intellectual curiosity for product categories, consumer behavior, retail strategy, and emerging design methods.
  
  

Who You Are

• Strategic and versatile designer with a strong grasp of fast-paced, retail-focused environments.
• Approach projects with a balance of creativity and practicality, translating business and product requirements into design solutions.
• Comfortable owning projects and juggling competing deadlines.
• Collaborative in team settings and able to manage projects independently.
• Curious and informed about shopper behavior, brand storytelling, and what drives success in real-world retail spaces.
• Adept at working across categories and adapting design style to fit different brand aesthetic.

What You Bring

• 35 years of experience in consumer product or retail design, with a strong grasp of packaging, visual storytelling, and in-store presentation.
• A portfolio that showcases creative range, strategic thinking, and executional polish across packaging and branded materials.
• Proven ability to own projects end-to-end, flexing across categories and adapting to different brand needs.
• Experience working cross-functionally with product, sourcing, and merchandising teams to align on timelines, goals, and deliverables.
• A confident and dynamic presence who can present and give voice to products and strategies in presentations.
• A sharp eye for retail trends, category dynamics, and how to make products shine on shelf.

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