Art Work Planner

We are looking for a highly organized and proactive Artwork Planner to manage packaging artwork projects from initial design development through to final artwork release to printers.

This role requires someone with strong problem-solving skills, a clear understanding of priorities, and the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously. The successful candidate will be comfortable working in a fast-paced environment, coordinating across multiple functions and external partners, and taking ownership to keep projects on track. The Artwork Planner will work closely with Marketing, Regulatory, Legal, Project Management, design agencies, pre-press partners, printers and packaging suppliers to ensure artwork is delivered accurately, efficiently and on time.

What Will You Be Doing?

Artwork Project Management

• Manage end-to-end packaging artwork development, from initial design brief through final artwork approval and release to printers.
• Manage artwork for both primary and secondary packaging across multiple markets and projects.
• Set up and manage artwork projects in the artwork approval system.
• Track inputs, reviews and approvals from multiple functions and proactively follow up on outstanding actions.
• Monitor artwork project timelines and critical milestones to ensure projects remain on track.
• Assess competing priorities and manage workload accordingly, focusing attention on the projects with the greatest business or timing impact.
• Identify potential artwork issues or project delays early and proactively develop practical solutions to move projects forward.
• Escalate risks when necessary, with clear information on the issue, impact and required action.

Design & Artwork Development

• Brief in-house designers and external design agencies based on project requirements.
• Support designers and agencies by resolving questions or clarifying requirements during the design development stage.
• Coordinate with pre-press agencies and resolve queries arising during final artwork development.
• Review artwork progression and coordinate required updates with relevant stakeholders.
• Provide artwork simulations when required for Marketing, Regulatory, consumer research or product registration.
• Coordinate the creation of 3D packshots for relevant markets and business requirements.
• Support other design-related requests for internal business use when required.

Cross-Functional & Supplier Coordination

• Work closely with internal stakeholders including Marketing, Regulatory, Legal, Project Management and market/cluster teams.
• Coordinate with external partners including design agencies, pre-press agencies, printers, manufacturing plants and packaging suppliers.
• Conduct regular artwork status discussions with suppliers and manufacturing partners.
• Conduct regular progress reviews with in-house designers and external design agencies.
• Communicate priorities clearly to partners, particularly when multiple projects are competing for resources or approaching critical deadlines.
• Act as a key point of coordination to ensure stakeholders understand artwork status, outstanding actions and next steps.

Artwork Systems & Tracking

• Set-up and manage artwork projects.
• Coordinate multifunctional inputs and approvals.
• Track project progress and outstanding actions.
• Monitor artwork milestones and ensure projects remain on schedule.
• Maintain accurate artwork project information and provide clear status updates to stakeholders.

Cost Management

• Coordinate with Finance for the creation of design-related purchase orders.
• Track monthly costs associated with:
• Pre-press activities
• In-house design resources
• External design agencies
• Other artwork-related design requirements
• Support visibility and control of artwork and design expenditure.

A Taste of What You Look Like:

Strong Problem-Solving Skills

• Ability to identify problems, understand the root cause and develop practical solutions rather than simply escalating issues.
• Confidence to work through ambiguity and determine what information or action is needed to move a project forward.
• A proactive mindset, anticipating potential artwork, approval or timing risks before they become critical.

Strong Prioritization & Organization

• Ability to manage multiple artwork projects simultaneously, often with different timelines and levels of urgency.
• Ability to distinguish between urgent and important activities and continuously reprioritize work as business needs change.
• Strong attention to detail while maintaining an understanding of the overall project objective.
• Ability to meet deadlines and maintain quality in a fast-paced environment.

Ownership & Communication

• Strong sense of ownership and accountability for assigned projects.
• Willingness to proactively follow up with stakeholders rather than waiting for actions to happen.
• Clear and professional communication with both internal teams and external suppliers.
• Comfortable coordinating multiple stakeholders and constructively challenging when required to protect project timelines.

Education & Experience

• Diploma or degree in Project Management, Marketing, Design, Visual Communication, Packaging, Business Administration, or a related discipline.
• Approximately 1–2 years of relevant experience in artwork management, project coordination, packaging, a design agency or a similar environment would be advantageous.
• Experience working with packaging artwork, pre-press, printing or FMCG/consumer products would be an advantage.

Technical Skills

• Good project management and organizational skills.
• Comfortable working with artwork/project management systems and learning new digital tools.
• Familiarity with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop would be advantageous.
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel and PowerPoint.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively within a cross-functional team.

Most importantly, we are looking for someone who is organized, resourceful and solutions-oriented.

You do not need to have every answer from day one. However, you should be someone who can look at a problem, understand what is preventing a project from moving forward, identify the right people to engage, and take action to find a solution.

You should also be comfortable in an environment where priorities can change quickly. The ability to step back, understand what is most important, what is most urgent and what can wait, and then organize the work accordingly will be critical to success in this role.