Category Design Manager Oral Health

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Category Design Manager Oral Health

Company: Haleon

Location: Warren, New Jersey, United States

Job Type: Full time

Category: Design & Brand Strategy (Consumer Health/FMCG)

Date Posted: September 01, 2026

Experience Level: 10+ years

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the strategic vision and creative direction for the entire oral health category's visual brand experience, ensuring cohesive and impactful brand expression across multiple brands and product lines.

• Develop and steward distinctive brand assets, packaging principles, and comprehensive visual identity systems that drive brand equity and consumer connection.

• Orchestrate end-to-end consumer and healthcare professional experiences across all omnichannel touchpoints, from packaging to digital and experiential platforms.

• Act as a key creative and design thought leader, influencing senior business leaders and cross-functional partners to elevate the creative bar and foster design-driven innovation.

• Drive innovation by ideating new value propositions and experiential concepts, integrating external inspiration and human insights into breakthrough creative thinking.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the role is titled "Category Design Manager," its responsibilities are deeply rooted in Brand Strategy, Visual Identity Systems, and Consumer Experience Design within the FMCG/Consumer Health sector. The emphasis on "designing what the brand should look, feel, and mean" positions this as a strategic brand role with a strong design execution component, rather than a purely operational one. The core function revolves around defining and executing the visual and experiential aspects of brands to drive business outcomes.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define and evolve category-wide visual brand strategies, identity systems, and design frameworks for the oral health portfolio.

• Create and steward distinctive brand assets, packaging principles, experience guidelines, and visual languages that enhance brand meaning and equity.

• Lead brand redesigns, innovations, and visual transformations to elevate market relevance and differentiation.

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

• Serve as the primary creative and design lead for category and product teams, fostering collaboration with internal stakeholders and external agency partners.

• Partner cross-functionally with insights, data strategy, R&D, marketing, technology, and product leaders to translate consumer insights into breakthrough design solutions.

• Influence upstream decision-making through design thought leadership and the translation of consumer-driven insights into actionable creative strategies.

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

• Bring external inspiration into Haleon by identifying and integrating cultural trends, design futures, human behavior insights, and category innovations.

• Define and uphold creative standards and brand rules to guide execution partners and agencies, ensuring consistent and intentional brand building across all touchpoints.

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

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities are heavily focused on strategic creative leadership and brand system development rather than operational execution or process management. The emphasis is on defining how brands should look, feel, and communicate, and ensuring consistency across a portfolio. This role requires a blend of strategic vision, creative expertise, and cross-functional influence to drive brand growth and consumer engagement.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While not explicitly stated, a Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communication, Industrial Design, Marketing, or a related field is typically expected for a role of this seniority. A Master's degree or equivalent advanced study in design or business could be advantageous.

Experience: 10+ years of progressive experience in visual design, creative direction, or design leadership within agency or client-side environments. Proven experience in the FMCG or healthcare design leadership space is highly preferred.

Required Skills:

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

• Strong proficiency in design thinking and human-centered design principles, with the ability to apply insights to creative strategy.

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

• Cross-disciplinary design experience including brand identity, structural packaging, digital, Point-of-Sale (POS), advertising, and other brand touchpoints.

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

• Strong design communication skills, with the 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.

• Experience with Adobe Creative Cloud (CC). Preferred Skills:

• Experience managing category-level budgets.

• Familiarity with 3D design, CAD, motion graphics, or digital experience tools beyond standard Adobe CC.

• Understanding of global design culture and modern design practices across various industries.

• Experience with consumer insights and data strategy translation into design solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Basic Qualifications" are framed as required skills for achieving goals. The emphasis on a "strong portfolio showcasing omnichannel brand system design and breakthrough creative work" is a critical requirement. The preferred qualification regarding budget management suggests a level of financial oversight expected for a senior role.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio is mandatory, demonstrating a strong track record in designing and scaling omnichannel brand systems.

• Showcase breakthrough creative work that highlights visual identity systems, packaging principles, and end-to-end consumer experiences.

• Include case studies that illustrate the strategic thinking behind design decisions and their impact on brand equity and business value.

• Present examples of distinct brand asset creation and their consistent application across various touchpoints.

• Demonstrate experience in leading brand redesigns and visual transformations with measurable outcomes. Process Documentation:

• While not explicitly a "process documentation" requirement in the traditional operations sense, the portfolio must effectively document the design process.

• This includes showcasing the journey from initial insights and strategy development through concept generation, system creation, and execution guidance.

• Examples of how design principles were applied to drive consumer delight and business outcomes should be clearly articulated.

• The portfolio should implicitly demonstrate an understanding of how to govern creative standards and ensure brand consistency across a portfolio.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Design Manager role, the "portfolio" serves as the primary documentation of process and system implementation. It's not about documenting internal operational workflows but about visually and strategically demonstrating the candidate's capability in designing and managing brand systems. The emphasis is on the output of their design process and its strategic impact, rather than the internal mechanics of how they managed projects.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $142,078 - $195,356 USD annually. This range reflects a senior-level position within the consumer health industry in the New Jersey area, considering the extensive experience required (10+ years) and the strategic nature of the role.

Benefits:

• Generous 401(k) plan.

• Tuition reimbursement programs.

• Comprehensive time off programs, including 6 months of paid parental leave.

• Eligibility for benefits on day one of employment.

• Robust healthcare programs with the company covering the majority of medical coverage for employees and their families.

• Opportunity to receive a discretionary bonus based on key business performance achievements.

• Other incentive and recognition programs.

Working Hours: The role is full-time, with a standard expectation of approximately 40 hours per week. The hybrid model requires an in-office presence of 3 days per week, suggesting a need for flexibility and structured in-office collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is provided directly in the job description. The benefits package is comprehensive and aligns with typical offerings for senior roles at large consumer goods companies, emphasizing long-term financial security, work-life balance, and health and wellness. The "discretionary bonus" is a key variable compensation component.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Consumer Healthcare / Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG). Haleon operates in a highly competitive market, focusing on trusted brands that deliver everyday health solutions. The oral health category is a significant and resilient segment within this industry.

Company Size: Large, established global consumer healthcare company. Haleon is a significant player, indicating a structured corporate environment with established processes, cross-functional teams, and a global reach. This size implies opportunities for broad impact but also requires navigation of a larger organizational structure.

Founded: Haleon was formed as a standalone company in July 2022, spinning off from GSK. This recent formation means it's a dynamic organization, likely still refining its identity and processes while leveraging established brands and expertise. The "Win as One strategy" and focus on purpose ("delivering better everyday health with humanity") are central to its current operational and cultural direction.

Team Structure:

• The Category Design Manager reports to the US Director of Design, indicating a clear hierarchy within the design function.

• This role will collaborate extensively with cross-functional teams, including insights, data strategy, R&D, marketing, digital, and innovation leaders across the US market.

• The team structure likely emphasizes collaboration and matrixed reporting for project-specific initiatives, requiring strong stakeholder management skills. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Insights: The role requires translating consumer and human insights into design strategies. This implies a data-informed approach to creative decision-making.

• Human-Centric Design: A core tenet of Haleon's approach, focusing on understanding and serving consumer needs through design.

• Agile, Performance-Focused Culture: As stated in the company description, Haleon is driving an agile and performance-oriented culture, which likely translates to a focus on measurable results and efficient execution.

• Design Systems & Frameworks: The role is responsible for creating and stewarding these systems, promoting consistency and efficiency in brand expression.

Company Website: https://www.haleon.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Haleon's recent spin-off from GSK suggests a company that is both established (with iconic brands) and agile (building its own unique culture and strategy). The emphasis on "purpose-driven" and "humanity" in their mission is a key cultural differentiator. The "Win as One" strategy highlights a focus on unified action and performance.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is at a senior individual contributor or management level within the Design and Brand Strategy function. It's a strategic leadership position, responsible for a significant category portfolio and influencing senior stakeholders. It is not an "operations" role in the traditional sense of RevOps or SalesOps, but rather a critical function that supports the Go-To-Market strategy through brand excellence.

Reporting Structure: Reports directly to the US Director of Design. This provides a clear line of mentorship and strategic alignment within the design department.

Operations Impact: The impact is indirect but significant on revenue and business decisions. By shaping the visual brand experience, driving brand equity, and ensuring consumer relevance, this role directly influences consumer preference, purchase decisions, and ultimately, category growth and market share. Strong brand design is a critical component of a successful Go-To-Market strategy.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Advancement: Potential to move into a Director-level role within Design or Brand Management, overseeing larger portfolios or multiple categories.

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific areas like global brand strategy, digital design leadership, or innovation design within the consumer health sector.

• Cross-Functional Moves: Leverage strategic design thinking and business acumen to transition into senior Brand Management, Marketing Strategy, or Innovation roles.

• Mentorship & Influence: Grow as a design thought leader, influencing broader organizational design maturity and creative culture.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is a senior-level design and brand strategy position, not a traditional operations role. Its impact on "operations" is through enabling effective Go-To-Market strategies via strong brand execution and consumer connection. Growth opportunities are primarily within the design, brand, and marketing leadership track.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid model, requiring 3 days per week in the Warren, NJ office. This suggests a collaborative office environment designed for teamwork, brainstorming, and cross-functional interaction.

Office Location(s): Warren, New Jersey. This location provides access to a significant talent pool and is part of a broader corporate hub. Accessibility for commuting professionals is a consideration.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The hybrid model implies a need for structured in-office time dedicated to collaboration, team meetings, and creative sessions.

• Design Tools & Technology: Access to industry-standard design software (Adobe CC) is expected, with potential for advanced tools (3D, CAD, motion) to be available or supported.

• Cross-Functional Interaction: The role necessitates frequent interaction with diverse teams (marketing, R&D, insights, digital), fostering a dynamic and interconnected work environment.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time, approximately 40 hours per week, with a hybrid arrangement. This allows for structured work planning while accommodating personal needs through remote days.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature of the role is a key aspect of the work environment, balancing in-office collaboration with remote flexibility. The focus will be on maximizing in-office time for high-impact team interactions and creative brainstorming.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely involves HR or a recruiter to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit.

• Portfolio Review & Presentation: A critical stage where candidates present their portfolio, showcasing their design systems, brand strategy, and omnichannel experience design capabilities. This will likely involve explaining strategic rationale and demonstrated impact.

• Hiring Manager Interview: Deeper dive into strategic thinking, leadership style, cross-functional collaboration approach, and understanding of the oral health category.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Meetings with key stakeholders from marketing, R&D, insights, and digital teams to assess collaboration potential and strategic alignment.

• Director of Design Interview: Final assessment of strategic vision, design leadership, and cultural fit within the broader design organization.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Strategic Narrative: Clearly articulate the "why" behind your design decisions. Connect your work to business objectives, consumer insights, and brand strategy.

• Showcase Systems Thinking: Highlight your ability to build cohesive and scalable design systems, not just individual assets. Demonstrate how your work ensures consistency across touchpoints.

• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, present metrics or evidence of how your designs have driven brand equity, consumer engagement, or business growth.

• Omnichannel Expertise: Feature examples that span packaging, digital, retail, and other consumer touchpoints to demonstrate end-to-end experience design.

• Conciseness & Clarity: Present your strongest, most relevant work efficiently. Be prepared to discuss your process, challenges, and solutions clearly and concisely.

Challenge Preparation:

• Design Strategy Case Study: Be prepared to discuss how you would approach a specific design challenge within the oral health category, or to analyze an existing brand's visual identity.

• Brand System Development: Understand how to build or evolve a design system for a portfolio of brands, considering differentiation and overarching brand architecture.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration Scenarios: Anticipate questions about how you would collaborate with marketing, R&D, or digital teams to bring design visions to life.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio review is paramount for this role. Candidates should prepare to not only show their work but to strategically explain its impact and their process. The interview process will heavily weigh strategic thinking, creative leadership, and collaborative ability.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Adobe Creative Cloud (CC): Essential for graphic design, branding, and asset creation. Proficiency is a core requirement.

• Design System Tools: Experience with platforms or methodologies for building and managing design systems (e.g., Figma, Sketch, InVision, or proprietary tools) is highly beneficial.

• 3D/CAD Software: Preferred but not required; familiarity with tools like SolidWorks, Blender, or similar could be advantageous for packaging or product visualization.

• Motion Graphics Software: Preferred but not required; tools like Adobe After Effects could be useful for digital assets or animations.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not a direct analytics role, understanding how to use design and brand performance data (e.g., brand equity studies, consumer sentiment analysis, digital engagement metrics) to inform design strategy is crucial.

• Familiarity with tools that report on brand performance and consumer engagement metrics. CRM & Automation:

• This role does not directly manage CRM or marketing automation systems. However, understanding how brand experiences translate into digital touchpoints managed by these systems (e.g., website, email campaigns) is important for cohesive omnichannel design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary technical requirement is deep proficiency in Adobe CC. The other tools listed (3D, CAD, motion, design system platforms) are either preferred or represent areas where advanced skills would be a significant advantage, particularly for packaging and digital innovation.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Purpose-Driven: A commitment to "delivering better everyday health with humanity" is central, influencing design decisions to be empathetic and beneficial.

• Human-Centricity: Design must deeply understand and cater to consumer needs, ensuring emotional resonance and relevance.

• Boldness & Originality: Encouragement to set a bold, inspiring creative tone, driving originality and courage in design execution.

• Curiosity & External Inspiration: Valuing curiosity, seeking inspiration from external trends, and rooting creativity in human insights.

• Agile & Performance-Focused: A culture that emphasizes agility, high performance, and driving business outcomes through world-class design.

• Inclusive Design: Championing inclusive design that reflects and serves the diverse communities Haleon serves.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Strong emphasis on partnering with insights, R&D, marketing, digital, and innovation teams to co-create and bring ideas to life.

• Design Thought Leadership: Acting as a strategic partner, influencing upstream decisions and elevating creative standards across departments.

• Agency & Partner Management: Leading and inspiring external agency partners to achieve high-quality creative output aligned with brand strategy.

• Mentorship & Capability Building: Fostering a culture of design thinking and craftsmanship by mentoring designers and cross-functional partners.

📝 Enhancement Note: The cultural values are strongly tied to Haleon's mission and purpose. The emphasis is on empathy, human connection, innovation, and driving tangible business results through design. Collaboration is key, requiring strong interpersonal and influencing skills.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Brand Equity with Innovation: Ensuring that evolving brands or introducing new designs doesn't dilute existing brand equity while still feeling fresh and innovative.

• Omnichannel Consistency: Maintaining a cohesive and impactful brand experience across a wide array of digital and physical touchpoints, each with its own constraints and opportunities.

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Effectively influencing and aligning diverse stakeholders (marketing, R&D, legal, etc.) who may have differing priorities or perspectives on design.

• Translating Insights into Actionable Design: Bridging the gap between consumer insights and compelling creative execution, ensuring design is strategically grounded.

• Navigating a Dynamic Organization: Contributing to shaping the design culture and processes within a relatively new, post-spin-off company.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deepening Category Expertise: Gaining in-depth knowledge of the oral health market, consumer behaviors, and competitive landscape.

• Strategic Design Leadership: Developing advanced skills in category-level brand strategy, design system architecture, and innovation ideation.

• Cross-Functional Acumen: Enhancing understanding of marketing, R&D, and digital product development to foster stronger collaboration.

• Mentorship Programs: Potential to be mentored by senior design leaders or to mentor junior designers and cross-functional partners.

• Industry Trends & Design Futures: Staying abreast of emerging design trends, technologies, and consumer behavior shifts relevant to FMCG and healthcare.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are inherent to senior design leadership roles in large consumer goods companies, focusing on strategic execution, stakeholder management, and continuous adaptation. Growth is framed around expanding strategic scope, domain expertise, and leadership capabilities.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach defining the visual brand strategy for a new product launch within the oral health category, considering existing brand equities?" (Focus on strategic process, insight integration, and outcome definition).

• "Describe a time you had to influence a cross-functional team to adopt a bold design direction. What was your strategy, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on collaboration, communication, and influence tactics).

• "How do you ensure consistency and distinctiveness across a portfolio of brands, such as Haleon's oral health offerings?" (Focus on design system thinking, brand architecture, and governance).

• "What are the key trends you see shaping the future of packaging design in the consumer healthcare space, and how would you leverage them?" (Focus on foresight, innovation, and strategic application of trends). Company & Culture Questions:

• "How does Haleon's purpose of 'delivering better everyday health with humanity' translate into your approach to design?" (Focus on cultural alignment and empathetic design).

• "How would you foster a culture of design thinking and creativity within a broader organization that may not be design-centric?" (Focus on leadership, advocacy, and culture-building).

• "What is your understanding of Haleon's 'Win as One' strategy, and how would your role contribute to its success through design?" (Focus on strategic contribution and organizational alignment). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure your presentation: Start with an overview of your design philosophy and your role in shaping brand experiences.

• Case Study Deep Dives: Select 3-4 of your most impactful projects. For each:

  • The Challenge: Clearly define the business problem or consumer need.
  • Your Role & Process: Explain your specific contributions and the strategic steps you took.
  • The Solution: Showcase the visual design, brand system, or experience you created.
  • The Impact: Quantify results or describe qualitative outcomes (e.g., brand perception, engagement, business growth).

• Highlight Systems Thinking: Emphasize your ability to create scalable and consistent brand systems.

• Be Prepared for Q&A: Anticipate questions about your technical skills, creative process, decision-making, and how your work aligns with business goals.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic thinking, a deep understanding of brand systems and omnichannel experiences, and strong collaborative leadership. The portfolio presentation is your primary tool to showcase these capabilities.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Category Design Manager position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the Haleon Careers portal.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select your most impactful projects that showcase omnichannel brand system design, innovation, and strategic brand execution. Ensure it highlights your ability to drive brand equity and business outcomes. Prepare to articulate the strategic rationale behind your design choices.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight experience in visual design, brand identity, design systems, innovation, and leadership within FMCG or healthcare. Quantify achievements where possible, focusing on impact and scale.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice presenting your portfolio effectively. Be ready to discuss your process, strategic thinking, and the business impact of your work in a clear, concise, and compelling manner. Prepare to answer questions about your approach to collaboration and leadership.

• Research Haleon: Familiarize yourself with Haleon's brands, mission, purpose ("delivering better everyday health with humanity"), and the "Win as One" strategy. Understand the oral health category and its competitive landscape.

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