Global Design Manager in Weybridge

Welcome to Haleon. We’re a purpose-driven, world-class consumer company putting everyday health in the hands of millions. In just three years since our launch, we’ve grown, evolved and are now entering an exciting new chapter – one filled with bold ambitions and enormous opportunity. Our trusted portfolio of brands – including Sensodyne, Panadol, Advil, Voltaren, Theraflu, Otrivin, and Centrum – lead in resilient and growing categories. What sets us apart is our unique blend of deep human understanding and trusted science. Now it’s time to fully realise the full potential of our business and our people. We do this through our Win as One strategy. It puts our purpose – to deliver better everyday health with humanity – at the heart of everything we do. It unites us, inspires us, and challenges us to be better every day, driven by our agile, performance-focused culture.

The Global Design Manager will embed design thinking within the Oral Health Commercial team, setting standards for both strategic and operational design excellence. The role will support channel delivery of cohesive brand language and holistic brand experience across all touchpoints. The role will lead and support brand design and innovation projects, partnering closely with the Global Design Director to define and champion the design vision. Acting as a collaborative partner to marketing and cross-functional teams, to enable delivery of distinctive, meaningful, and memorable brand experiences while promoting business value of design. With guidance from Global Design Director, this role will focus specifically on leading and managing design for the Aquafresh brand and additionally supporting other Oral Health brands, including Sensodyne and Pronamel.

The Global Design Manager will interact with external design partners across disciplines (e.g. Visual Identity, 2D, 3D, Connected Commerce, Motion, Sonic), depending on design project type to oversee or provide support to Global Design Director(s). Ensuring clear, unified and effective collaboration that effectively navigates ambiguity, and enables iterative creative process through a test-and-learn approach. Translating bold ideas and design vision into culturally relevant, multi-sensory brand experiences that strengthen consumer connection.

A core responsibility is leading the end-to-end design process – planning and coordinating with Haleon project teams and functions, alongside lead Artwork Provider and Global Artwork Coordinator. This includes setting clear briefs, defining success criteria, ensuring necessary information provided by commercial and delivery of consumer-focused design outcomes. The role also leads ‘Design to Artwork’ packaging projects, acting as the key design contact across global, OU and where applicable local teams, as well as brand partners and suppliers. Responsibilities include ensuring alignment of brief, objectives and success measures while maintaining design quality across all deliverables, including design systems, final assets, packaging brand guidelines, and print standards.

Key responsibilities include:

• Apply design thinking principles to all aspects of category marketing and branding to translate business, consumer, expert, and cultural insights into strong creative direction and compelling design solutions.
• Lead design with external brand partners from ideation to commercialisation, leveraging full breadth of design disciplines and working with cross-functional teams to align around shared creative and business goals.
• Resilience and agility in a dynamic, fast-paced environment, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and competing deadlines, while delivering flawless execution at speed.
• Deliver category leading brand experience that is consistent and cohesive across every consumer and expert interaction and touchpoint.
• Demonstrate design value and ROI by effectively turning insight, data and consumer learning into high impact, consumer relevant outcomes that drive brand growth, increase demand power and strengthen brand perception and equity.
• Ensure all brand and product experiences are inclusive, accessible and sustainable.
• Position Design as strategic growth enabler within global, operating units and local markets.
• Manage and monitor design quality, consistency and trends across multiple markets with regular checks, audits and competitor review.
• Partner with stakeholders, internal functions and suppliers to effectively deliver technically feasible and commercially viable packaging solutions.
• Lead print exploration during design development to consider and enable creative intent translation into technically feasible production realisation.

Qualifications and Skills:

• Degree or equivalent experience, with a strong track record as a creative lead, design manager, or similar, ideally within premium CPG in an in-house design or brand function.
• Deep understanding and expertise of Design Thinking, Brand Strategy, Brand Experience, Innovation processes applied to product and packaging.
• Strong strategic thinking coupled with commercial acumen, excellent design management / design leadership skills.
• Extensive understanding and practical experience of design process and project management for global brands.
• Role requires high degree of organisation, planning and communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal and prioritisation skills that build effective internal and external partnerships.