Design Director, Harry’s & Flamingo

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Design Director, Harry’s & Flamingo

Company: Mammoth Brands

Location: New York, NY

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Creative & Design / Brand Management

Date Posted: March 16, 2026

Experience Level: 8+ Years

Remote Status: Hybrid (3 days in-office)

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive creative excellence and uphold brand integrity for Harry's and Flamingo brands through strategic design leadership.

• Develop and scale comprehensive design systems across all brand touchpoints, including packaging, retail, digital, and social media.

• Foster a collaborative and high-performing design team, mentoring junior designers and setting clear creative standards.

• Act as a key liaison between creative, brand, product, marketing, and operations teams to ensure cohesive and commercially viable brand execution.

• Contribute directly to hands-on design work, from packaging concepts to campaign development, balancing leadership with execution.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the job title is "Design Director," the responsibilities and experience level (8+ years) suggest a senior individual contributor or manager role with significant strategic input, rather than a purely executive leadership position. The emphasis on "hands-on design contribution" and "managing up and down" indicates a role that bridges individual contribution with team guidance and cross-functional influence, typical of senior design roles in consumer-facing CPG companies.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Architect, implement, and maintain scalable design systems for packaging, retail environments, digital platforms, and social media channels, ensuring brand consistency and quality.

• Collaborate with the Head of Creative to identify, refine, and elevate creative concepts, acting as a guardian of the brand's visual identity and aesthetic standards.

• Execute hands-on design work for key initiatives, including packaging redesigns, advertising campaigns, digital product launches, and ongoing brand asset creation.

• Partner closely with Brand, Product Development, Retail Marketing, and Operations teams to ensure creative deliverables are aligned with business objectives, market realities, and production constraints.

• Mentor, coach, and develop a team of designers, providing constructive feedback, fostering skill development, and promoting a culture of continuous improvement and creative innovation.

• Optimize design workflows and project management processes to ensure efficient resource allocation, timely project delivery, and adherence to scope, managing both personal and team capacity effectively.

• Translate complex brand strategies and commercial requirements into compelling and effective design solutions that resonate with target audiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic design system development and hands-on execution, crucial for a CPG company like Mammoth Brands where brand consistency across diverse channels (physical products, retail displays, digital ads) is paramount. The emphasis on "operational rigor" and "commercial reality" suggests the need for a candidate who understands the business implications of design decisions.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is listed, a Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communications, or a related field is typically expected for this level of role.

Experience: Minimum of 8 years of progressive experience in brand design, with a significant portion focused on consumer packaged goods (CPG) or similarly dynamic consumer-facing industries. Demonstrated experience in creative leadership and team management is essential.

Required Skills:

• Proven track record in brand design, with a portfolio showcasing impactful work across both physical (packaging, retail) and digital (web, social) environments.

• Deep expertise in packaging design principles, including concept development, structural considerations, and production processes.

• Strong command of design systems thinking, with the ability to build, document, and scale comprehensive systems that ensure visual consistency and brand integrity.

• Hands-on proficiency with industry-standard design software: Figma, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe Photoshop.

• Demonstrated ability to provide clear, constructive creative feedback and mentor junior designers, fostering their growth and development.

• Excellent communication, presentation, and storytelling skills, with the ability to articulate design rationale and influence stakeholders across various departments.

• Strong creative judgment and a well-defined point of view on design aesthetics and brand strategy.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with emerging design tools and workflows, demonstrating a curiosity for innovation in the design space.

• Familiarity with CPG go-to-market strategies and the unique challenges of launching and scaling consumer brands.

• Experience collaborating with operations and production teams to ensure manufacturability and cost-effectiveness of design solutions.

• Understanding of retail environments and the principles of in-store marketing and merchandising design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for 8+ years of experience, coupled with specific software proficiencies and a strong portfolio, points to a senior-level role. The emphasis on CPG and packaging design is critical, as this industry has unique production and market considerations that differ from other design fields.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A curated selection of case studies demonstrating end-to-end design ownership, from initial concept to final execution across multiple channels.

• Specific examples of successfully built, documented, and scaled design systems, showcasing their application and impact on brand consistency.

• Projects highlighting expertise in packaging design, including concept development, material considerations, and production-ready artwork.

• Work samples that illustrate proficiency in digital design, such as website interfaces, social media campaigns, or digital advertising assets.

• Demonstrations of collaborative problem-solving, showing how you've worked with cross-functional teams (Brand, Marketing, Operations) to achieve project goals.

Process Documentation:

• Showcase examples of documented design processes or workflows, particularly those related to design system implementation or campaign execution.

• Highlight instances where you’ve improved design workflows to enhance efficiency, scalability, or creative quality.

• Include examples of how you've managed project timelines and resources effectively, ensuring on-time and on-scope delivery.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Design Director role in a CPG company, the portfolio needs to be robust and demonstrate not just creative talent but also strategic thinking, systemization capabilities, and an understanding of production realities. A strong portfolio will be crucial for demonstrating the candidate's ability to lead and execute across diverse brand touchpoints.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $200,000 - $230,000 USD per year. The final offer will be determined by the candidate’s location, skill level, and experience.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage.

• 401k with employer match.

• Equity in Mammoth Brands, offering a stake in the company's growth.

• Flexible time off and working hours, promoting work-life balance.

• Learning & Development (L&D) stipend for professional growth and skill enhancement.

• Sabbatical program: 4 weeks after 5 years, 6 weeks after 10 years, and 8 weeks after 15 years of service.

• Generous paid parental leave: 20 weeks for birth parents, 16 weeks for all other paths to parenthood.

• Regular company-sponsored social events, team-building activities, and parties.

• Free products from all Mammoth Brands portfolio companies.

Working Hours: The company specifies "flexible working hours" but also notes an "in-office Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday" model. A standard 40-hour work week is implied, with flexibility around daily scheduling within the hybrid framework.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is competitive for a Design Director role in New York City, particularly within the CPG industry. The comprehensive benefits package, including equity, generous parental leave, and sabbatical, indicates a strong commitment to employee well-being and long-term retention, which are attractive to senior professionals. The hybrid model with 3 mandatory in-office days is also a key detail for candidates assessing work-life integration.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG). Mammoth Brands operates in a dynamic and competitive market, focusing on creating innovative products that challenge the status quo.

Company Size: Mammoth Brands has grown significantly, indicated by its status as the largest CPG company built in the last 20 years. While an exact employee count isn't provided in the raw data, the company's portfolio and growth suggest a mid-to-large size organization, likely employing hundreds to over a thousand individuals. This size offers opportunities for impact and growth while maintaining an entrepreneurial spirit.

Founded: The company evolved from Harry's, founded in 2013. This history implies a foundation built on innovation, direct-to-consumer (DTC) strategies, and a customer-centric approach.

Team Structure:

• The Creative team for Harry's and Flamingo is described as collaborative and craft-obsessed.

• The Design Director reports to the Head of Creative.

Methodology:

• Mammoth Brands emphasizes a "Create Things People Like More" philosophy, driving a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.

• The company maintains a "small, scrappy, entrepreneurial culture" despite its growth, suggesting a fast-paced environment that values initiative and agility.

• Data-driven decision-making is implied by the focus on commercial success and customer relationships, though the creative team's approach also values aesthetic quality and craft.

Company Website: https://mammothbrands.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is a blend of entrepreneurial spirit and structured growth, characteristic of successful CPG companies that began with a strong DTC foundation. The emphasis on "craft-obsessed" within the creative team, combined with "operational rigor" and "commercial reality," suggests a balanced approach to creativity and business outcomes.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned at a senior individual contributor and potential team leadership level, typically considered a Director or Senior Manager within a design function. It requires both deep design expertise and the ability to influence strategy and manage projects/people. The role is embedded within the brand's core functions, indicating a high level of strategic importance.

Reporting Structure: The Design Director reports directly to the Head of Creative for Harry’s and Flamingo. This indicates a direct line of communication for creative strategy and execution, with opportunities to influence senior leadership decisions.

Operations Impact: The role has a significant impact on the commercial success of the Harry's and Flamingo brands by shaping customer perception through design. Effective design systems and compelling creative output directly influence brand recognition, customer acquisition, retention, and ultimately, revenue generation across all channels. Collaboration with Operations ensures that creative visions are executable and cost-effective.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Development: Potential to grow into a more senior leadership role (e.g., Head of Creative, VP of Design) within Mammoth Brands' expanding portfolio.

• Skill Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in specific areas like CPG packaging innovation, digital design systems, or integrated brand campaign strategy.

• Cross-Functional Exposure: Gaining broader business acumen by working closely with Product, Marketing, Retail, and Operations teams, potentially leading to future roles in Brand Management or GTM strategy.

• Portfolio Expansion: Contributing to a diverse portfolio of brands, offering a wide range of design challenges and learning experiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role offers a clear path for growth within a burgeoning CPG company. The emphasis on cross-functional collaboration and strategic impact means a successful Design Director can gain valuable business insights beyond pure design, paving the way for broader career advancement.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Mammoth Brands operates a modern, well-appointed office space in SoHo, New York City. The description highlights its size (70,000 sq ft) and amenities, suggesting a professional and comfortable work environment designed to foster collaboration and productivity.

Office Location(s): SoHo, New York City. This prime location offers accessibility and a vibrant urban setting.

Workspace Context:

• The office is designed to encourage collaboration, with specific days (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) designated for in-office work.

• Amenities like catered lunches on Wednesdays and Thursdays, fully stocked kitchens with snacks and drinks, and dedicated meeting spaces without the need for Zoom contribute to a positive and efficient in-office experience.

• The environment promotes interaction and spontaneous discussions, which can be invaluable for creative problem-solving and team cohesion.

Work Schedule: The company offers flexible working hours, but mandates in-office presence on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. This hybrid model aims to balance the benefits of remote flexibility with the advantages of in-person collaboration. The typical work week is assumed to be 40 hours.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid work model with specific in-office days is a critical aspect of the work environment, offering a structured approach to collaboration. The office amenities and location in SoHo suggest a company that invests in its physical workspace and employee experience.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

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

• Portfolio Presentation & Creative Discussion: A key stage involving a presentation of your portfolio to the Head of Creative and potentially other senior team members. Expect to walk through your work, discuss your design process, rationale, and impact.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: You will likely meet with leaders or representatives from Brand, Marketing, Product, and Operations to assess your ability to collaborate and understand business needs.

• Skills Assessment/Case Study: Potentially a design challenge or case study exercise, either pre-interview or as part of an interview session, to evaluate your problem-solving skills, design thinking, and ability to apply design systems in a practical context.

• Final Interview: May involve meeting with higher-level leadership or a final discussion with the Head of Creative.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-5 of your strongest, most relevant projects that showcase your experience in CPG, packaging design, and design systems. Tailor the selection to the specific requirements of the Design Director role at Mammoth Brands.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the process you followed (including any operational considerations), your creative decisions, and the measurable impact or outcome. Use visuals effectively to support your narrative.

• Highlight Design Systems: Dedicate specific slides or sections to demonstrate your understanding and application of design systems. Show examples of how you've built, documented, or scaled them.

• Showcase Leadership: If possible, include projects where you led a team or mentored junior designers, or clearly articulate your leadership style and experience.

• Be Prepared for Production Details: Given the emphasis on packaging, be ready to discuss production processes, materials, and working with manufacturers.

• Demonstrate Commercial Acumen: Connect your design work to business objectives. How did your design contribute to sales, brand perception, or operational efficiency?

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Brand: Thoroughly research Harry's and Flamingo, their current brand identity, target audience, and market positioning.

• Design System Thinking: Practice applying design system principles to hypothetical scenarios or to an existing brand. Be ready to discuss how you'd ensure consistency across diverse touchpoints.

• Problem-Solving: Prepare to tackle a design problem that requires balancing creative vision with commercial constraints, operational realities, and brand guidelines.

• Communication: Practice articulating your design decisions clearly and concisely, anticipating questions about your choices and their impact.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process will heavily emphasize portfolio review and the ability to articulate design strategy through case studies. Candidates should be prepared to discuss not only aesthetic choices but also the operational and commercial implications of their design work.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for collaborative design, prototyping, and potentially design system management. Proficiency is a must.

• Adobe Creative Suite:

  • InDesign: Crucial for layout, packaging, and print-related collateral.
  • Illustrator: Key for vector graphics, logos, and detailed design elements.
  • Photoshop: Used for image manipulation, mockups, and digital asset creation.

• Project Management Tools: While not explicitly listed, experience with tools like Asana, Trello, Jira, or Monday.com is common for managing design workflows and team tasks.

Analytics & Reporting:

CRM & Automation:

• Not directly relevant to the Design Director's core toolset, but understanding how design assets are utilized within CRM or marketing automation platforms (e.g., for email marketing, landing pages) can be helpful for cross-functional collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of Figma, InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop indicates the core technical requirements. A candidate's ability to leverage these tools effectively, particularly within a collaborative environment like Figma, will be critical.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• "Create Things People Like More": This core philosophy emphasizes a commitment to excellence, innovation, and customer satisfaction in all aspects of work, including design.

• Craft Obsession: A deep appreciation for high-quality design and meticulous execution, ensuring that every touchpoint reflects excellence.

• Entrepreneurial Spirit: A willingness to be scrappy, take initiative, and drive projects forward with a sense of ownership, even in a growing company.

• Collaboration: A strong belief in working together across teams to achieve shared goals, valuing diverse perspectives and constructive feedback.

• Data-Informed Creativity: While valuing craft, the team also uses data and commercial insights to guide design decisions and ensure effectiveness.

Collaboration Style:

• Integrated and Cross-Functional: Designers are expected to work closely with Brand, Product, Marketing, and Operations, acting as partners rather than silos.

• Feedback-Driven: A culture that encourages open feedback and iteration to refine creative work.

• Hands-On & Doers: The team values individuals who can both lead strategically and contribute directly to the creative output.

• Clarity and Purpose: The team aims to bring clarity to complex projects and maintain momentum, ensuring a focused and productive work environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture at Mammoth Brands appears to be a dynamic mix of entrepreneurial drive, a strong focus on craft and quality, and a collaborative, integrated approach to business. This suggests a workplace where high performers can make a significant impact.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Creative Vision with Commercial Demands: Effectively translating the company's "Create Things People Like More" philosophy into designs that are also commercially successful, manufacturable, and scalable within CPG constraints.

• Scaling Design Systems: Ensuring design systems remain robust, relevant, and consistently applied across an expanding portfolio of brands and new product launches.

• Managing Diverse Stakeholder Needs: Navigating the expectations and priorities of multiple departments (Brand, Product, Marketing, Operations, Retail) to deliver cohesive creative solutions.

• Maintaining Creative Edge in a Growing Company: Preserving the scrappy, entrepreneurial spirit and high creative bar as the company scales and potentially becomes more structured.

• Mentoring and Developing Talent: Effectively guiding and growing a team of designers while also contributing hands-on to critical projects.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Strategic Design Leadership: Developing skills in influencing business strategy through design, leading large-scale brand initiatives, and contributing to portfolio-level brand direction.

• CPG Industry Expertise: Deepening knowledge of CPG-specific design challenges, production processes, retail strategies, and market dynamics.

• Cross-Functional Acumen: Gaining a broader understanding of business operations, product development lifecycles, and marketing strategies through close collaboration.

• Team Leadership: Honing skills in managing, motivating, and developing creative teams to achieve peak performance.

• Exposure to a Diverse Brand Portfolio: Working on various brands within Mammoth Brands offers a broad range of design challenges and learning experiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role presents significant opportunities for growth, particularly for those looking to advance their careers in CPG brand design and leadership. The challenges are typical of senior roles in fast-growing companies, offering ample scope for professional development.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you built and scaled a design system. What were the key challenges, and how did you ensure its adoption and maintenance across different teams and platforms?"

• "How do you balance creative ambition with commercial realities and production constraints in the CPG space? Provide an example."

• "Walk us through a packaging design project from concept to production. What was your process, who did you collaborate with, and what was the outcome?"

• "How do you approach mentoring and developing junior designers? Describe your feedback style and how you foster growth."

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Mammoth Brands and the Harry's/Flamingo brands specifically?"

• "How do you embody our core value of 'Create Things People Like More' in your work?"

• "Describe your ideal collaborative environment. How do you prefer to work with cross-functional teams like Brand, Marketing, and Operations?"

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Start with a brief overview of your career, then dive into 3-5 selected case studies. For each, clearly define the objective, your role, the process, the solution, and the impact.

• Visuals: Use high-quality images, mockups, and prototypes. For packaging, show 3D renders or physical mockups. For digital, show live examples or interactive prototypes.

• Narrative: Tell a compelling story for each project, highlighting your problem-solving skills, strategic thinking, and creative execution.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., increased sales, improved brand perception, higher engagement rates, efficiency gains).

• Design Systems Focus: Be prepared to spend dedicated time explaining your approach to design systems, showing examples of their components, guidelines, and application.

• Q&A Readiness: Anticipate questions about your design choices, technical execution, collaboration process, and how you handle feedback and challenges.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on showcasing a blend of creative talent, strategic thinking, operational understanding, and leadership capabilities, all demonstrated through compelling portfolio examples.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Design Director position:

• Submit your application through the Greenhouse application link provided.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight your most relevant CPG, packaging design, and design system experience. Prioritize projects that demonstrate strategic thinking and commercial impact.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly articulates your 8+ years of experience, leadership accomplishments, proficiency with Figma and Adobe Creative Suite, and any CPG-specific achievements. Use keywords from the job description naturally.

• Interview Preparation: Practice your portfolio presentation, focusing on storytelling, clear articulation of your design process, and demonstrating quantifiable results. Prepare for questions about leadership, collaboration, and operational challenges.

• Company Research: Deeply research Mammoth Brands, Harry's, and Flamingo. Understand their brand identities, target audiences, market positioning, and company values to articulate your fit and enthusiasm effectively.

⚠️ 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.