Category Design Manager Oral Health

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Category Design Manager Oral Health

Company: Haleon

Location: Warren, NJ, United States

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Marketing / Design / Brand Management

Date Posted: 2026-09-01

Experience Level: 10+ Years

Remote Status: Hybrid (3 days in-office per week)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the strategic creation and evolution of visual brand strategies, identity systems, and design frameworks for an entire category portfolio.

• Orchestrate end-to-end consumer and healthcare professional experiences across omnichannel environments, including packaging, digital, and retail.

• Drive brand equity, business value, and portfolio growth through innovative and human-centered design.

• Act as a creative and design lead, influencing senior business leaders and fostering collaboration with internal teams and external agency partners.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is a senior strategic creative leadership position focused on Brand Design and Category Management within the consumer healthcare (FMCG/OTC) sector. It requires a deep understanding of visual branding, design systems, and consumer experience across multiple touchpoints, with a strong emphasis on driving business outcomes through design.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the creation and evolution of category-wide visual brand strategies, identity systems, and design frameworks.

• Define creative direction for multiple brands, ensuring distinctiveness, meaning, and equity growth.

• Create and steward new distinctive brand assets, packaging principles, experience guidelines, and visual languages.

• Design and direct end-to-end consumer and healthcare professional experiences across omnichannel environments (packaging, digital, retail, experiential, emerging platforms).

• Serve as the creative and design lead for category/product teams, inspiring collaboration and elevating the creative bar internally and with agency partners.

• Partner cross-functionally with insights, data strategy, R&D, marketing, technology, and product leaders to bring breakthrough ideas to life.

• Contribute to the ideation of new value propositions, innovation platforms, and experiential concepts.

• Define creative standards and brand rules to guide execution partners and agencies, ensuring consistent brand building.

• Inspire a culture of design thinking, creativity, experimentation, and strategic craftsmanship across the organization.

• Mentor and guide designers, agencies, and cross-functional partners to elevate design quality and consumer centricity.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic creative leadership and hands-on design system development, emphasizing cross-functional influence and innovation. The role requires not just execution but the creation and stewardship of brand systems that guide multiple brands within a category.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While not explicitly stated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communication, Industrial Design, or a related field is typically expected for this level of role.

Experience: 10+ years as a Visual Designer, Creative Design Manager, or Design Lead in agency or client-side environments, with a proven track record in creating and scaling distinctive brand assets and visual systems. Experience in FMCG/healthcare design leadership roles is essential.

Required Skills:

• Expertise in Branding, Design Systems, and Innovation Design.

• Strong proficiency in design thinking, human-centered design, and applying insights to creative strategy.

• Strategic + tactical knowledge of how Design drives brand equity, business value, and portfolio growth.

• Cross-disciplinary design experience including brand identity, structural packaging, digital, POS, advertising, and more.

• Proven track record in creating, launching, and scaling distinctive brand assets and complete visual systems.

• Strong design communication skills; ability to articulate creative decisions through consumer and business impact.

• Strong portfolio showcasing omnichannel brand system design and breakthrough creative work.

• Ability to influence, inspire, and lead through design with intellectual curiosity and hands-on capability when needed.

• Understanding of global design culture and modern design practices across industries. Preferred Skills:

• Experience with Adobe CC; bonus for 3D, CAD, motion, or digital experience.

• Experience managing category-level budgets.

📝 Enhancement Note: The required skills emphasize strategic design leadership, system creation, and cross-functional influence, rather than just execution. The portfolio requirement is critical for demonstrating these capabilities. The preferred skills suggest familiarity with advanced design tools and financial management.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate expertise in creating and evolving category-wide visual brand strategies and identity systems.

• Showcase the development of distinctive brand assets, packaging principles, and complete visual languages.

• Include case studies of end-to-end consumer and healthcare professional experiences across various omnichannel touchpoints (packaging, digital, retail).

• Highlight experience in leading brand redesigns, innovations, and visual transformations.

• Provide evidence of influencing upstream decision-making through design thought leadership and consumer insight translation.

• Showcase the ability to define and implement creative standards and brand rules for execution partners. Process Documentation:

• Illustrate the process of translating consumer insights and business objectives into compelling design strategies.

• Detail methodologies for developing and stewarding comprehensive design systems that ensure brand consistency and equity growth.

• Document approaches to cross-functional collaboration, stakeholder management, and agency leadership in design initiatives.

• Present examples of how design has directly contributed to business outcomes, such as brand equity lift, consumer delight, or innovation advancement.

📝 Enhancement Note: A strong portfolio is paramount for this role, requiring detailed case studies that illustrate strategic thinking, system creation, cross-functional leadership, and demonstrable business impact through design. The focus is on the "why" and "how" of design, not just the final visual output.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $142,078 - $195,356 USD annually.

Benefits:

• Generous 401(k) plan.

• Tuition reimbursement program.

• 6 months paid parental leave.

• Comprehensive healthcare programs with significant company contribution to medical coverage for employees and their families.

• Eligibility for benefits on day one of employment.

• Discretionary bonus based on key business performance.

• Other incentive and recognition programs.

Working Hours: Standard full-time hours (assumed 40 hours per week), with a hybrid work model requiring 3 days per week in the Warren, NJ office.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is competitive for a senior-level design and brand strategy role in the New Jersey area. The benefits package is robust, reflecting Haleon's commitment to employee well-being and professional development, particularly the extended paid parental leave and comprehensive healthcare.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Consumer Healthcare (FMCG/OTC). Haleon operates with a purpose-driven approach, focusing on delivering better everyday health with humanity, leveraging deep human understanding and trusted science.

Company Size: Haleon is a large, global consumer healthcare company, indicated by its extensive portfolio of well-known brands and its status as a world-class consumer company.

Founded: Haleon was launched approximately three years prior to the job posting date, indicating it's a relatively new, yet established, entity formed from a demerger.

Team Structure:

• The role reports to the US Director of Design, indicating a hierarchical structure within the design function.

• The Category Design Manager will work closely with cross-functional leaders across insights, data strategy, R&D, marketing, digital, and innovation.

• Collaboration extends to external agency partners. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: Emphasizes translating consumer insights and data strategy into creative direction.

• Human-Centered Design: Core to the company's philosophy, focusing on understanding consumer needs and creating emotionally resonant experiences.

• Agile, Performance-Focused Culture: Encourages a dynamic and results-oriented approach to achieving business objectives.

• Innovation & Experimentation: Fosters a culture of creativity and exploration of new ideas and platforms.

Company Website: haleon.com

📝 Enhancement Note: Haleon's culture is characterized by its purpose-driven mission, a blend of scientific rigor and human understanding, and a focus on agility and performance. The design team operates within this framework, influencing business strategy and driving brand equity through creative excellence.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a senior individual contributor role, leading strategy and execution for an entire category. It's a pivotal position for experienced design leaders looking to shape the visual identity and consumer experience of a significant product portfolio.

Reporting Structure: Reports directly to the US Director of Design, with significant influence and collaboration across marketing, R&D, and innovation leadership.

Operations Impact: The Category Design Manager's work directly influences brand perception, consumer engagement, market differentiation, and ultimately, business growth and brand love for Haleon's oral health portfolio. The role is critical in ensuring the visual consistency and emotional resonance of brands across all consumer touchpoints.

Growth Opportunities:

• Strategic Leadership: Potential to move into higher-level design leadership roles, overseeing broader portfolios or global design strategy.

• Brand Stewardship: Deeper involvement in brand strategy and innovation, potentially leading to brand director or VP-level positions.

• Cross-Functional Expertise: Development of broader business acumen through close collaboration with marketing, product development, and innovation teams.

• Mentorship: Opportunity to mentor junior designers and influence design thinking across the organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant impact and growth potential for a seasoned design leader. The focus on category-level strategy and cross-functional influence provides a strong foundation for advancing into broader leadership positions within Haleon or the wider consumer goods industry.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid model, requiring 3 days per week in the Warren, NJ office. This suggests a collaborative office environment that balances remote flexibility with in-person interaction.

Office Location(s): Warren, NJ, United States. This location is likely a significant hub for Haleon's US operations, offering access to various business functions.

Workspace Context:

• The office environment is expected to be collaborative, facilitating interaction with marketing, R&D, and other cross-functional teams.

• Access to necessary design tools and technology is implied, though specific details are not provided.

• Opportunities for regular team meetings, brainstorming sessions, and strategic discussions with design leadership and peers.

Work Schedule: A standard full-time work schedule is expected, with the hybrid model allowing for flexibility in how the work week is structured, balancing in-office presence with remote work.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model at Haleon's Warren, NJ office is designed to foster collaboration and team cohesion while offering flexibility. Operations professionals in this environment can expect a dynamic workspace that supports both focused individual work and interactive team projects.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Review of resume and portfolio to assess qualifications and creative output.

• Portfolio Presentation: Candidates will likely present their portfolio, detailing their strategic approach, creative process, and the impact of their work on business objectives. Expect questions on how they developed brand systems and managed cross-functional relationships.

• Case Study/Design Challenge: A potential exercise to assess problem-solving skills, strategic thinking, and design execution relevant to Haleon's brands.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Meetings with key stakeholders from marketing, R&D, and innovation to evaluate collaboration and influence skills.

• Leadership Interviews: Discussions with the US Director of Design and potentially other senior leaders to assess strategic vision, leadership potential, and cultural fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate your portfolio to highlight projects that demonstrate category-level brand system design, omnichannel experience creation, and innovation.

• For each project, clearly articulate the business challenge, your strategic approach, your specific role, the creative process, and the measurable impact (brand equity, consumer engagement, business growth).

• Be prepared to discuss your design philosophy, how you translate insights into creative solutions, and how you manage stakeholder expectations.

• Showcase your ability to lead and influence, not just execute. Challenge Preparation:

• Familiarize yourself with Haleon's oral health brands (e.g., Sensodyne) and their current visual identities and market positioning.

• Be ready to discuss current trends in consumer healthcare branding, packaging design, and digital consumer experiences.

• Prepare to articulate your vision for the future of oral health branding and how design can drive differentiation and consumer loyalty.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process will heavily weigh the candidate's portfolio and their ability to articulate the strategic and business impact of their design work. Preparation should focus on showcasing leadership, strategic thinking, and a deep understanding of brand systems within a consumer healthcare context.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Adobe Creative Suite (CC): Explicitly mentioned as a required skill. This includes Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and potentially XD for UI/UX design.

• 3D/CAD Software: Mentioned as a "bonus," suggesting familiarity with tools like SolidWorks, Rhino, or similar for structural packaging design or visualization.

• Motion Graphics Software: Also a "bonus," indicating potential use of After Effects or similar for animated assets or digital content.

• Digital Experience Design Tools: While not specified, tools like Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD are standard for digital interface design and prototyping.

Analytics & Reporting: While not directly a design tool, understanding how to interpret consumer insights, market data, and brand performance metrics (e.g., brand equity scores, consumer sentiment) is crucial for informing design strategy.

CRM & Automation: Not directly relevant to the core design function, but understanding how digital brand experiences integrate with CRM systems or marketing automation platforms could be beneficial for omnichannel strategies.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Adobe CC is a baseline requirement. Familiarity with 3D modeling, motion graphics, and digital prototyping tools will significantly enhance a candidate's profile, demonstrating a broader skill set relevant to modern brand experience design.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Purpose-Driven: Focused on "delivering better everyday health with humanity." This translates to creating designs that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also functional, empathetic, and contribute positively to consumer well-being.

• Human-Centered: Emphasizes deep human understanding. Design decisions should be rooted in consumer insights and designed to resonate emotionally.

• Agile & Performance-Focused: Encourages a dynamic, results-oriented approach. Designs should be effective in driving business outcomes.

• Innovation & Curiosity: Promotes a culture of exploration, creativity, and seeking external inspiration to fuel breakthrough thinking.

• Collaboration & Inclusivity: Values diverse backgrounds and views, fostering an inclusive culture where different perspectives are respected, leading to designs that represent diverse communities.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Partnership: The role necessitates close collaboration with insights, R&D, marketing, digital, and innovation teams, requiring strong communication and influence skills.

• Agency Leadership: Working effectively with external design agencies, providing clear creative direction and feedback.

• Design Thinking Culture: Inspiring a broader organization to adopt design thinking principles and a strategic approach to creativity.

📝 Enhancement Note: Haleon's culture values purpose, human insight, and performance. For this role, it means translating these values into tangible design strategies and executions that build trust, drive engagement, and contribute to the company's mission.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Brand Equity and Innovation: Ensuring that while evolving brands and introducing new assets, the core equity and recognizability of established oral health brands are maintained.

• Omnichannel Consistency: Creating cohesive and impactful brand experiences across a diverse range of touchpoints, from packaging to digital platforms and potential experiential activations.

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Garnering buy-in and maintaining alignment on design vision and execution across multiple departments with potentially differing priorities.

• Driving Cultural Change: Inspiring a broader organization to embrace design thinking and a higher standard of creative craftsmanship.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Strategic Design Leadership: Deepen expertise in category-level brand strategy and design system development.

• Industry Trends: Stay at the forefront of design innovation in consumer healthcare, packaging, and digital experiences.

• Cross-Functional Business Acumen: Gain a comprehensive understanding of product development, marketing, and innovation processes within a large FMCG company.

• Mentorship and Influence: Develop leadership skills through mentoring junior talent and influencing senior stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role presents challenges related to strategic brand evolution and cross-functional leadership, but also offers significant opportunities for professional growth in strategic design, business acumen, and leadership within the consumer healthcare industry.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you developed a comprehensive design system for a category or portfolio. What was your process, and what was the business impact?" (Focus on system creation, strategic rationale, and measurable results.)

• "How do you translate consumer insights and market trends into a compelling creative strategy for brands?" (Prepare to discuss your insight-to-idea process and how you ensure human-centered design.)

• "Walk us through a challenging brand redesign project. How did you manage stakeholder expectations and ensure the new design drove business objectives while maintaining brand equity?" (Highlight problem-solving, influence, and outcome-oriented approach.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Haleon's purpose and its portfolio of oral health brands?" (Research Haleon's mission, brands like Sensodyne, and current market challenges/opportunities in oral care.)

• "How would you foster a culture of design thinking and creativity within a large, cross-functional organization?" (Discuss your approach to mentorship, collaboration, and advocating for design.)

• "How do you ensure inclusive design practices are integrated into your work?" (Connect to Haleon's commitment to diversity and representing diverse communities.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure your presentation logically: Introduction to the project/challenge, your strategic approach, creative exploration, final solution, and crucially, the measurable business impact.

• Use visuals effectively to showcase the breadth of your work (packaging, digital, identity, etc.) and the evolution of design systems.

• Be prepared to discuss your role in detail, especially in team-based projects, and how you influenced decisions.

• Quantify results whenever possible (e.g., brand equity lift, sales impact, consumer engagement metrics).

📝 Enhancement Note: Prepare to demonstrate not only creative talent but also strategic thinking, leadership, and a deep understanding of how design drives business value in the consumer healthcare sector. Your portfolio is your primary tool for illustrating these capabilities.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Category Design Manager position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Haleon's careers page.

• Customize Your Resume: Tailor your resume to highlight experience in Visual Design, Creative Strategy, Branding, Design Systems, FMCG/Healthcare design leadership, and cross-functional influence. Use keywords from the job description.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select your strongest projects that showcase category-level brand system design, omnichannel experience creation, and innovation. Ensure each case study clearly outlines the challenge, your strategic approach, your role, the solution, and the business impact.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice presenting your portfolio with a focus on strategic rationale, creative process, and measurable results. Be ready to articulate your design philosophy and how you drive business outcomes.

• Research Haleon: Thoroughly understand Haleon's mission, its oral health brands (e.g., Sensodyne), its market position, and its commitment to human-centered design and inclusivity.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

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