Senior Graphic Designer

Job Summary
We are seeking a creative and talented Senior Graphic Designer to found a new team for our organic soap and skincare brand. The roll will focus on New Product Development, packaging design and physical sales collateral and in time will include a complete re-design of the brand.

We have never employed a Graphic Designer before, having used freelancers previously, so this is a new role for us. Candidates will therefore have to be senior enough to be able to manage product development and other design projects from concept to store, to prioritise projects based on their importance and, in time, manage a small team.

About our company:

The Highland Soap Company handmakes skincare products with an emphasis on organic, wild-harvested and natural ingredients in the heart of the Scottish Highlands.

We make a range of products, from bars of organic soap and bottles of bubble bath to shampoos, body washes, conditioners, candles, diffusers, face creams, body lotions, lip balms and more.

In addition to our own six retail stores, we partner with high street retailers, museums, health food shops and distillery gift shops and about 5000 bedrooms worth of hotels.

We employ 75 people, are owned by management and are growing strongly.

This role is based in our HQ in Fort William, on the West Coast of Scotland. We will consider applicants serious about moving to the area but please think carefully about the implications of such a move before applying.

Responsibilities

• Work with different types of packaging; cardboard soap boxes, labels, glass jars and aluminium tubes, plastic bottles, pumps, diffuser cartons, tartan gift bags with cardboard sleeves, lip balm tubes and many others.
• Have a strong understanding of how brand identity is driven by branding and colour.
• Design supporting marketing material; leaflets, brochures, point-of-sale signage.
• Develop new store designs for our 6 shops.
• Understand the commercial and procurement ramifications of choosing different components, from lead-times, availability to cost.
• Create visually appealing graphics for various platforms including social media, web, signage and print.
• Lead on developing the design and packaging for new products and new formats, starting in Q1 2025 for launch in Q3.
• In the medium term, lead an entire re-brand, covering everything from look and feel to logos, copy and packaging for a brand made up of 120 products.

Experience:

• 3 years in a senior position working on design for a brand, product and packaging
• Bachelors degree preferred
• We are looking for someone sociable, hard-working and fun.
• Full-time position based at The Highland Soap Company Visitor Centre & Larder Café
• Reporting primarily to our founder, Emma Parton with feed in from sales and operations.

Hiring Process:

• Send a CV and cover letter addressed to Archie MacDonald. In the cover letter outline some views on our brand, your experience and why you would like to work for the company. A line about living in Fort William would be useful. We are open to helping people move to the area.
• We welcome applicants who already live in the UK, as long as they have a 'right to work', or who are considering a move to Lochaber. We will work to help a successful applicant with their move to the area if that is the case.
• We will have a round of telephone interviews and then will ask applicants who pass that stage to submit a design to us and for the best of those to visit us to present them in person.

Any questions, please drop an email to us! We hope to hear from you.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: £38,000.00-£43,000.00 per year

Additional pay:

• Bonus scheme

Benefits:

• Company pension
• Employee discount

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Fort William: reliably commute or be willing to relocate with an employer-provided relocation package (required)

Application question(s):

• Do you have a strong interest in New Product Development and packaging design

Education:

• Bachelor's (required)

Experience:

• Graphic design: 3 years (required)

Work Location: In person

Reference ID: Graphic Designer