Manager, Design and Creative
Hamilton, Ontario | Hybrid
Full Time
$80,000
About Cakeworthy
Cakeworthy is a Canadian fashion and lifestyle brand creating officially licensed apparel, accessories, and home products inspired by the stories and characters our customers love. Our collections combine fandom, nostalgia, and pop culture with distinctive, fashion-forward design.
The Role
Cakeworthy is seeking an experienced Manager, Design and Creative to support the creative development and execution of our licensed product collections and marketing initiatives.
The Manager, Design and Creative will guide the design team from initial concept through final production, reviewing artwork, product concepts, graphics, colour palettes, layouts, and presentations to ensure strong and consistent creative execution. The role will also collaborate with the marketing team to develop campaign assets, signage, promotional materials, and other digital and physical creative deliverables.
This is a hands-on management role for someone who understands fashion, licensed consumer products, pop culture, and brand marketing. The successful candidate will balance creative ambition with licensor requirements, retailer expectations, marketing needs, commercial objectives, production considerations, and fast-moving development timelines.
What You’ll Do
- Support the design of products across apparel, accessories, home goods, and plush from initial concept through final production.
- Review and provide direction on artwork, product concepts, graphics, colour palettes, layouts, and presentations to ensure strong and consistent creative execution.
- Interpret and direct revisions requested by licensors and retail partners while maintaining the strength and integrity of the original creative concept.
- Research emerging trends and translate insights into mood boards, colour stories, product concepts, and cohesive collection presentations.
- Ensure products and creative materials remain consistent with brand standards, licensor guidelines, and retailer requirements.
- Provide clear visibility into creative progress, priorities, deadlines, approvals, and potential development risks.
- Collaborate with product development, sourcing, sales, marketing, and other internal teams to keep projects aligned and moving forward.
- Participate in retailer presentations, licensor reviews, and internal product and creative meetings.
- Support the development, coordination, and design of marketing campaign assets, signage, packaging, and other digital and physical media.
- Review samples and production artwork to ensure the final product accurately reflects the approved creative direction.
Qualifications
- Five or more years of experience in graphic design, creative development, product design, or a related role within apparel, consumer products, retail, or licensing.
- A diploma or degree in graphic design, fashion design, illustration, product design, or a related field.
- A strong portfolio demonstrating product-focused design, branding, typography, colour, layout, and collection development.
- Advanced proficiency in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.
- Strong understanding of how artwork translates across different products, materials, printing techniques, and manufacturing processes.
- Experience developing trend research, mood boards, colour palettes, and cohesive product collections.
- Experience working with licensed brands, entertainment properties, and licensors is strongly preferred.
- Strong creative judgment with the ability to receive, interpret, and clearly communicate feedback.
- Excellent organization and project-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple collections, approvals, and deadlines simultaneously.
- Strong written, verbal, and presentation skills.
- High attention to detail and a commitment to maintaining brand consistency and product quality.
- A collaborative and solutions-oriented approach, with the confidence to protect strong creative ideas while remaining responsive to business, licensor, and retailer requirements.
Pay: $80,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Company events
- On-site parking
- Store discount
- Work from home
Application question(s):
- Do you have five or more years of experience in graphic design, creative development, product design, or a related role within apparel, consumer products, retail, or licensing?
- Do you have a diploma or degree in graphic design, fashion design, illustration, product design, or a related field?
- Do you have experience working with licensed brands, entertainment properties, and/or licensors?
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Hamilton, ON L8H 7P4
