Creative Director - FMCG Packaging

Creative Director - Experienced in food & beverage packaging

Permanent, Full-time role

Location: Purley

Our story so far..

At Tjarks and Tjarks, creativity meets craft. For over 35 years, we’ve been shaping bold, distinctive brands that don’t just sit on the shelf, they stand out and get chosen.

Trusted partners to our clients across decades, we help navigate the ever-evolving world of shoppers and retail, designing packaging that connects, competes, and converts. From big ideas to flawless execution, we deliver a true 360° design-to-artwork approach. Efficient, precise, and globally consistent.

We don’t just collaborate, we create as one. Our team of experts blend imagination with technical excellence to bring brands to life in a seamless, truly integrated way.

Could this be you?

We’re searching for an exceptional Creative Director to elevate, energise, and shape the future of our in-house creative team. You’ll be a hands-on leader who sets the vision, champions craft, and inspires excellence in every project we ship.

This role is a blend of big-picture direction and creative precision. You’ll define the creative benchmark for T&T, guide a talented multidisciplinary team, and modernise the way we work - introducing smarter tools, scalable systems, and forward-thinking digital innovations.

We’re looking for a creative leader who’s both visionary and grounded - someone who can light up a room with ideas, then roll up their sleeves to refine the details. You’ll mentor and grow internal talent, elevate the quality of our output, and ensure our work remains world-class in its creativity, clarity, and craft. Most importantly, you’ll set the tone: bringing energy, positivity, and a passionate creative spark to the department every day.

You'll come with loads of FMCG experience, and have a real knack for designing standout food and beverage packaging!

About you

• You’ve lived the agency pace and know how to lead teams under pressure.
• Can build, manage, and reshape teams as needed.
• Can present to clients and capture attention with your creative presentation skills.
• Brings exceptional craft skills and a deep understanding of process.
• Balances creativity with commercial reality.
• Embodies precision, reliability, and consistency in everything you do.
• Strong leadership skills - leads by example, inspiring, upskilling, and empowering the team.

The day to day

• Define and lead T&T’s creative vision across all clients, categories, and markets.
• Inspire and develop a multidisciplinary design team through guidance, delegation, and accountability.
• Maintain world-class standards across packaging, branding, print, and artwork.
• Oversee colour, repro, and retouching quality, ensuring accuracy and consistency across every SKU.
• Drive efficiency and innovation by embedding modern tools and AI-driven workflows.
• Recruit, mentor, and retain top creative talent; address performance where needed.
• Collaborate with client service and production teams to ensure creative work delivers on time, on brand, and on brief.
• Lead internal creative presentations and agency-wide sessions with confidence and clarity.
• Visit clients and attend client calls to take briefings and present work.
• Represent the design department in the quarterly SLT meetings.

Requirements

• Proven experience in senior creative leadership within private label, FMCG, or packaging.
• A standout portfolio showing exceptional design craft, brand storytelling, and strategic thinking.
• Experienced in own brand and national brands
• An expert in strategic thinking and being about to look beyond boundaries.

Our Team & our values

We’re a vibrant, creative crew who care as much about our culture as the work we make. Our values aren’t just posters on the wall, they were crafted by our team and guide everything we do.

Be Innovative – Think Ahead

Be collaborative – Succeed together

Be Supportive – Lift each other up

Be All In – Show up with purpose

We’re always looking for talented, passionate people to join our growing squad in our Purley studio. If you’re ready to collaborate, create, and be part of something truly awesome, this is your playground.