Employment type: Freelance
Level: Senior-level
Location: Anywhere/Remote; Hybrid for Los Angeles or NYC
About Day Job: Website Instagram
Day Job is a creative studio headquartered in Los Angeles with around 20 full-time employees. We conceptualize brands from the beginning, and launch them into the world. We work largely in consumer spaces, branding or rebranding for companies like Recess, Fly By Jing, David, Grindr, A24, and The BBC.
About the Role
We’re looking for a Senior Packaging Designer to lead the design and development of physical product packaging—from early concept through production.
This role sits at the intersection of brand thinking and technical execution. You should be comfortable designing packaging that feels distinctive and brand-forward while also understanding the practical realities of how it gets made and how it performs in market. The right candidate brings strong visual taste, fluency in packaging systems, and deep familiarity with dielines, production files, and manufacturing processes, along with a clear understanding of retail-ready packaging principles—how packaging needs to communicate quickly, establish hierarchy, and stand out in crowded shelf environments.
You’ll work closely with our design team, clients, and manufacturers to develop packaging that performs in the real world—whether that’s standing out on shelf, scaling across product lines, or delivering a premium direct-to-consumer unboxing experience.
Much of our work is in CPG and physical products, so we’re looking for someone who understands how packaging functions both as a brand expression and a product system.
Qualifications
Packaging Craft
Strong fundamentals in typography, hierarchy, layout, and color applied specifically to physical product packaging. Able to design packaging that feels confident and premium while maintaining clarity and usability across SKUs.
Packaging Systems & Hierarchy
Understands how packaging works across product lines—not just individual designs. Able to establish clear hierarchy across SKUs, flavors, formats, and extensions while maintaining brand consistency. Strong understanding of retail-ready packaging principles, including how packaging communicates at a distance, establishes clear product hierarchy on shelf, and maintains impact within crowded retail environments.
Comfortable designing packaging systems that function across retail shelf environments as well as ecommerce and DTC contexts, adapting hierarchy and information design to each channel while maintaining a cohesive brand system.
Dielines & Production Files
Highly proficient working with dielines and packaging mechanicals. Comfortable building, modifying, and preparing production-ready artwork that accounts for folds, bleeds, finishes, and structural constraints. Files are organized, precise, and ready to hand off to manufacturers.
Manufacturing Literacy
Working knowledge of packaging production including print methods, materials, finishes, and structural formats. Able to collaborate directly with vendors and manufacturers to ensure designs translate cleanly into production.
Brand Thinking
Sees packaging as a core brand surface. Comfortable extending brand systems across packaging while maintaining consistency, clarity, and strong visual impact.
Workflow & Autonomy
Able to take a brief, ask the right questions, and move work forward independently. Comfortable managing multiple SKUs, iterative feedback, and production timelines while maintaining well-organized files and documentation.
Taste
Strong visual references and cultural awareness across CPG, food & beverage, beauty, wellness, and lifestyle brands. Consistently produces work that feels considered, restrained, and intentional.
Qualifications
- 5+ years of experience in packaging, brand, or product design, ideally within an agency or fast-paced creative environment
- Strong portfolio demonstrating packaging systems and physical product work
- Proven experience working with dielines, packaging mechanicals, and manufacturing processes
Application Notes
This role is focused on real-world packaging that will go to market. We’re especially interested in candidates with experience designing for CPG, food & beverage, beauty, wellness, or lifestyle product brands.
When applying, please include portfolio examples of packaging projects that have gone into production, including work that demonstrates your experience with dielines, packaging systems, or multi-SKU product lines.
If possible, highlight projects where you collaborated with manufacturers, structural designers, or packaging vendors, and where your work moved from concept through final production.
Compensation
Rate range: $600-$900/day ($75-$112/hr) based on relevant experience.
Potential to convert to full time.
Day Job is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all.