Middleweight Designer

About the role

Are you a creative thinker ready for your next big opportunity? We're looking for a talented Middleweight Designer to join our team across the Speciality team! You'll work on a variety of exciting projects for major clients in Retail Marketing and POS design as well as supporting special projects across Speciality bringing ideas to life in a fast-moving, dynamic environment.

You'll report and support the Design team lead and the Head of Creative and Innovation and be part of a passionate team that thrives on creative challenges and innovation.

As a Middleweight Designer, you will create and deliver original concepts for retail marketing, displays, and POS, ensuring alignment with brand and retailer guidelines. You will have an eye for the shopping and buying habits of consumers and bring that knowledge to new business tenders, marketing and agency days as well as day to day concepts. You’ll review teamwork, support budgeting and timelines, and collaborate across departments to deliver high-quality service that drives growth.

You’ll consistently produce innovative, shopper-focused solutions, ensuring all work meets client briefs, is delivered on time, and exceeds expectations. You’ll also add value by challenging briefs and offering creative, strategic ideas as well as help to drive studio efficiencies.

Responsibilities will include (but not limited):

• Review and manage project briefs and timelines
• Deliver original, brand-compliant creative Point of Sale (POS) work
• Support brainstorms and pitches for new business
• Support the wider SMI Speciality Cluster on innovation days and creative design
• Communicate clearly with clients and internal teams
• Monitor industry trends to keep creative work fresh
• Own and deliver creative studio efficiencies

About you

• Previous experience within the Point of Sale (POS) and display for FMCG and blue-chip organisations

• Experience with 3D and 2D packages

• Fluent in InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop

• Skills in animation, web or digital design would be an advantage

• Excellent eye for detail, layout, typography, and application of imagery

• Previous experience of working with brand and retailer guidelines and the translation of supplied assets into new ideas and concepts

• Understanding of print production processes and material feasibility

• Collaborative and a strong communicator – with other team members and with clients

• Experience of working to tight deadlines, and comfortable to short deadlines in a fast-paced environment

• An enthusiastic and positive/can-do attitude - and must enjoy spontaneous team engagement!

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
• Pension scheme, life assurance and income protection
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Employee Discounts
• Cycle to work scheme

Location: Remote based but is required to travel to alternative DS Smith Speciality sites, sub-contractor, client or 3rd party sites when necessary. At times you may also be required to work from alternative DS Smith Retail Marketing sites from time to time.

When submitting your CV, please add a link on your CV and any portfolio to showcase examples of your work

About us

We’re DS Smith, a company who are redefining packaging for a changing world. We believe a better, more sustainable tomorrow is possible with the right people, who challenge and support one another to enact positive change. Today, we operate in more than 30 different countries, proudly employing over 30,000 people, and supporting customers across sectors like FMCG, industrial, and e-commerce. We deliver on quality, service, innovation, and added value to deliver market-leading sustainable packaging solutions our customers need. Our industry needs to transform, and we’re building the team to drive change across Europe and North America.

To fulfil our purpose of redefining packaging for a changing world, we aim to build a diverse, motivated, and engaged workforce. Our goal is to create a culture of inclusion where everyone is treated fairly, differences are valued, and everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed.

Our people come from diverse backgrounds, bring different perspectives, ideas, and experiences to generate unique solutions focused on present and future sustainability challenges. We welcome all candidates to apply, even those not meeting all criteria.

As a Safety‑first employer, we are committed to maintaining the highest standards across our operations. Our approach to safety means going beyond minimum legal requirements and focuses on continuously elevating how we work safely—every day, at every level. Shortlisted candidates will be asked to complete a brief safety questionnaire as part of the selection process. This helps us ensure that everyone who joins our team shares our focus and commitment to design, operate and maintain injury-free workplaces for our employees and everyone who enters our facilities.

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