About Jay Franco
Family-owned since 1942, Jay Franco is an industry-leading home textiles manufacturer, trusted by world-renowned global brands to create products that bring homes, dreams, and journeys to life. With decades of innovation and partnership, we specialise in delivering high-quality, design-driven homeware products that delight customers worldwide.
Our product categories span bedding, bath, beach, and home décor, and we work with beloved licensed brands such as Disney, LEGO, Minecraft, and Warner Bros., as well as our own private labels. At Jay Franco, creativity, craftsmanship, and collaboration are at the heart of everything we do.
Role Purpose
Jay Franco has an exciting opportunity for an EMEA Packaging Manager to join our London office on a fixed-term basis as we create this new role. This is a dynamic and creative role in which the post-holder will conceptualise, design, and produce packaging for licensed homeware products across the EMEA region — owning the process end-to-end, from initial concept through to print-ready, licensor-approved, and regulatory-compliant artwork. The role works closely with the creative, licensing, product development, and marketing teams to ensure every piece of packaging is visually compelling, brand-compliant, technically accurate, and delivered on schedule. The ideal candidate is a talented designer with a keen eye for detail, strong technical knowledge, and the ability to balance creativity with accuracy, thriving in a fast-paced environment and contributing ideas during creative brainstorms and cross-functional collaboration.
Key Responsibilities
Design & Creative Development
- Design and develop innovative, on-brand packaging concepts and artwork for licensed and proprietary homeware products across the EMEA region, ensuring every concept is approved by the Creative Director before moving to production-ready artwork.
- Participate in creative brainstorming sessions, presenting at least one original design concept, solution, or visual reference in every scheduled session.
- Maintain awareness of current design trends, materials, and packaging innovations, reviewing and documenting at least one new material, print technique, or trend per month and sharing findings with the team.
Artwork & Print Production
- Create print-ready packaging files — dielines, technical specifications, and production documents — with zero errors in dimensions, bleed, and file setup, verified against the printer's technical checklist before submission.
- Prepare artwork for production in line with printer specifications, confirming Pantone, CMYK, or RGB colour values match the approved physical colour standard (e.g. Pantone swatch book or approved press proof) before file handoff.
Brand, Licensing & Compliance
- Ensure all designs comply with licensed brand guidelines (e.g. Disney, LEGO, Minecraft, Warner Bros.) and the company's internal quality standards, obtaining written licensor approval before any packaging goes to print.
- Confirm with the compliance team, before every print run, that all packaging artwork and care labels meet the regulatory requirements of each target market across EMEA, obtaining sign-off in writing.
Cross-Functional & Project Management
- Collaborate with the creative, product development, licensing, and marketing teams at each project stage — concept, artwork, pre-production, and final approval — to deliver cohesive brand experiences, flagging any conflict or delay within 24 hours of identifying it.
- Manage multiple active packaging projects simultaneously using a shared tracker, updating status weekly, maintaining design consistency, and escalating any project at risk of missing its deadline at least 5 business days in advance.
- Support the continuous improvement of packaging design processes and brand consistency across all product categories, including leading or contributing to a quarterly review that identifies at least one concrete process improvement and one consistency issue to address.
Candidate Specification
Experience
- 3+ years' experience as a Packaging Designer, Artworker, or Packaging Manager, ideally within a licensed design or consumer products environment.
- Demonstrated ability to apply brand and licensor guidelines accurately across packaging layouts.
- Licensing experience or familiarity with licensed consumer goods (e.g. Disney, LEGO, Minecraft, Warner Bros.) is a strong plus.
Technical Skills
- Strong proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign).
- Experience working with technical dielines and production artwork.
- Solid understanding of typography, layout, colour management, and visual hierarchy.
- Knowledge of printing processes and materials, including Pantone, CMYK, and RGB workflows.
Skills & Attributes
- Strong attention to detail, with the ability to review and meticulously proof artwork.
- Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines efficiently in a fast-paced environment.
- Collaborative and proactive communicator with strong organisational skills, confident coordinating across creative, licensing, product development, and compliance teams.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Visual Arts, Packaging Design, or a related field.
Key Performance Indicators
Performance in this role, and any conversation regarding renewal or extension beyond the fixed term, will be measured against the standards embedded in the responsibilities above, including but not limited to:
- Zero dimensional, bleed, or file-setup errors in print-ready packaging files, verified against the printer's technical checklist.
- 100% of packaging artwork carries written licensor approval and compliance sign-off before any print run.
- Project risks and delays flagged within 24 hours of identification; at-risk deadlines escalated at least 5 business days in advance.
- Shared project tracker updated weekly across all active packaging projects.
- At least one new design concept contributed per creative brainstorm, and one new material/technique/trend reviewed and shared per month.
- Quarterly packaging process review completed, yielding at least one process improvement and one cross-category consistency fix.
Why Join Jay Franco
- Be part of a creative, global brand that values design excellence and innovation.
- Work on iconic licensed brands and exciting product categories that reach millions of customers.
- Collaborate within a supportive and passionate design team that encourages new ideas and continuous learning.
Pay: £45,000.00-£50,000.00 per year
Ability to commute/relocate:
- London W6 8DA: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Application question(s):
- How many years of experience do you have as a Packaging Designer, Artworker, or in a similar packaging/artwork role?
- Do you have professional experience using Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign?
- Do you have hands-on experience creating technical dielines and print-ready production artwork?
- Do you have experience working with licensed brands (e.g. Disney, LEGO, Minecraft, Warner Bros., or similar) and navigating licensor approval processes?
- Do you hold a Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Visual Arts, Packaging Design, or a related field?
- What is your current notice period?
- Please share a link to your online portfolio, or attach samples of your packaging design work.
- What are your salary expectations for this role?
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: Hybrid remote in London W6 8DA
