Artwork Manager (Maternity Cover – Fixed Term Contract)

A2V is a global leader in the Arts, Craft & Stationery industry, supplying major retailers with innovative, high-quality products. With creativity, precision, and customer focus at our core, we deliver complex projects through expert coordination and exceptional stakeholder management.

Contract Information

This role is a fixed-term maternity cover position.

There is potential for a role to become avaliable due to department expansion and growth as an Assistant Artwork Manager.

Purpose

To manage the output, accuracy and standards of the Artwork Team at A2V, ensuring artwork is delivered on time, to brand/customer standards, and production-ready.

This role is responsible for overseeing a robust approval and checking process that reduces errors, amends, and costly issues during sampling and production.

A key part of this role is supporting packaging design, technical artwork, and the creation of cut guides / packaging layouts to a highly detailed standard.

Accountabilities

·       On time delivery – Ensure all artwork is delivered to agreed CPA deadlines

·       Accuracy & checking – Lead a thorough checking process across PP and production artwork to uphold strict brand and process standards

·       Artwork production readiness – Ensure artwork is supplied to production facilities in the correct print-ready format for sampling and production

·       Team management – Line manage the Artwork Team and drive high standards of output and accountability

·       Artwork amends – Monitor and report on design/artwork amends at PP stage and identify improvements / training needs

Key ResponsibilitiesTeam & Workflow Management

·       Allocate job sheets and manage workload across the team to ensure delivery on brief and to deadline

·       Support training, process adherence and quality control, with approval/oversight of the Head of Creative

·       Maintain accurate design updates in the live order tracker and handle PM queries

·       Attend and contribute to artwork kick-off meetings

Packaging Artwork & Technical Design

·       Manage team creation of packaging artwork that is accurate, technically correct and production-ready

·       Ensure a high standard of packaging layouts, cut guides, and technical pack execution (dielines, cutter guides, bleed, safe areas, legal panels, etc.)

·       Oversee print-ready packaging artwork across PP and production stages

·       Ensure packaging files follow correct format requirements for sampling and production facilities

Brand, Compliance & Approvals

·       Ensure artwork follows customer and internal brand guidelines precisely (including certified partners such as FSC and OPRL)

·       Manage third party approvals including licences and online approval portals (e.g., FSC and other third parties)

Creative & Commercial Execution

·       Translate brand style guides into commercial packaging artwork, supporting licensed ranges and ensuring strong use of assets

·       Carry out accurate artwork checking across the team with support from senior designers

·       Support creation of diagrams / CAD visuals where required for instructions or pack clarity

Team Standards & Organisation

·       Maintain strong artwork folder maintenance and archiving across the team

·       Lead onboarding and training plans for new team members, ensuring smooth integration into A2V ways of working

Mock Ups / Physical Pack Builds

·       Print, cut and build to-scale packaging mocks for internal testing and customer range selection

·       Maintain high quality standards of mock ups produced across the team

Skills / ExperienceEssential

·       Proven experience in an artwork/packaging environment (in-house or agency)

·       Strong production knowledge: print-ready files, pre-press considerations, version control

·       Experience managing a team and running approval/checking processes

·       High attention to detail and confidence checking packaging artwork

Highly Desired

·       Strong experience producing cut guides / cutter guides / packaging dieline layouts

·       Experience with packaging design and technical packaging artwork

·       Comfortable working at pace across multiple packaging projects

Personal Traits

·       Organised, proactive and calm under pressure

·       Confident communicating across Creative / Project Managers / stakeholders

·       Process-driven with a continuous improvement mindset