Experiential Sr Design Manager

Overview

The Opportunity

Immerse yourself in our boldest design dreams, powered by brand love. The PepsiCo PBNA Brand Experience Design Team transports brands to entirely new settings-boldly envisioning immersive new territories that bring next-level dimension to brands across the PepsiCo PBNA portfolio. We envision and execute experiential expressions for our biggest brands from Pepsi to the Super Bowl, building brand love by creating a magic bond with each consumer.

Under the direction and guidance of the Experience Design Lead, the Sr. Design Manager, Brand Experience for PBNA will create best-in-class activations, from major events to LTO influencer kits, and from temporary retail displays to permanent stadium installations. As a Sr Design Manager and a 3D artist with experience in architecture and special design, you'll imagine and then build models and renderings all the way to execution and fabrication. You'll lead a small team of designers and touch every facet of the design process and be responsible for creative development from conceptualization through to on-site execution, collaborating closely with cross-functional partners both internally and externally. Successful candidates will be agile, curious, entrepreneurial, and most importantly, passionate about pushing the boundaries of design thinking.

Why PepsiCo?

PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $83 billion in net revenue in 2022, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker, and Tropicana. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales. At the heart of PepsiCo is Performance with Purpose - our goal to deliver top-tier financial performance while creating sustainable growth and shareholder value. In practice, Performance with Purpose means providing a wide range of foods and beverages from treats to healthy eats; finding innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment and reduce our operating costs; providing a safe and inclusive workplace for our employees globally; and respecting, supporting and investing in the local communities where we operate.

Why PepsiCo Design?

At PepsiCo design, we have a saying: "We're crazy enough to think we can inspire the future." This is what drives us, in everything we imagine, develop and execute.

Our goal is clear: to connect PepsiCo's beverage, snacks and nutrition portfolios, with today's hyper-connected, networked users and consumers hungry for meaningful, authentic and relevant brand experiences across multiple touch points and regions of the world.

PepsiCo Design & Innovation is a creatively driven team that leverages the power of Design Thinking to solve brand and business problems that drive meaningful value and growth. Our mission is to elevate the role of design and design thinking as a function, process, mindset, and as culture in PepsiCo and the broader business world.

We are a consumer-centric organization with a start-up mentality within our larger organization; we partner with world-class partners in Marketing, Insights, and R&D to strategically drive business results with purpose.

Why Experience Design?

Experience Design creates transformative, dimensional spaces that manifest a brand's story in an immersive yet expansive way, forging bold new connections with consumers. We inspire the future!

Responsibilities

• Lead, manage, and mentor designers across multiple workstreams, focusing on transformative, immersive experiences.

• Engage with partners to understand the synergy of brands, customers, and consumers.

• Demonstrate strong project management and team leadership skills, including leading small designer teams and closely collaborating with leadership.

• Demonstrate expertise as a 3D artist with experience in architecture and special design, creating and building models and renderings from conception to execution and fabrication.

• Collaborate with partners across the country to understand the needs of regional cultures and markets.

• Develop global toolkits that are adaptable to localization, establishing clear brand throughlines that each market can optimize.

• Support creative direction for all workstreams, emphasizing transformative, immersive experiences.

• Center work in excellence around Design Thinking, spanning from inspiration to vision to concept to narrative to consumer journey.

• Lead cross-functional creative brainstorms, using design thinking to unlock innovative approaches to brand activations.

• Effectively manage budgets, allocate resources, and oversee production processes for design projects.

• Collaborate with individual brand teams to identify and define experiential brand language using unique materials, finishes, colors, lighting, sounds, and scents.

• Clearly communicate ideas through visualization and effective presentation to cross-functional internal and external stakeholders.

• Oversee the creative process from brief to execution with a focus on concept visualization.

• Exhibit vision and skill in defining all design elements, including identity, graphics and motion.

• Demonstrate peak capability in defining all design materials, including textures, fabrications, and more.

• Cultivate a reputation for leadership, reliability, and excellence while empowering others.

• Balance visionary thinking with effective project management, imagining world-class executions and efficiently handling project logistics.

• Expand reach by engaging the right freelancers and agency partners.

Compensation & Benefits:

• The expected compensation range for this position is between $114,700 - $192,100 based on a full-time schedule.

• Location, confirmed job-related skills and experience will be considered in setting actual starting salary.

• Bonus based on performance and eligibility; target payout is 15% of annual salary paid out annually.

• Paid time off subject to eligibility, including paid parental leave, vacation, sick, and bereavement.

• In addition to salary, PepsiCo offers a comprehensive benefits package to support our employees and their families, subject to elections and eligibility: Medical, Dental, Vision, Disability, Health and Dependent Care Reimbursement Accounts, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Insurance (Accident, Group Legal, Life), Defined Contribution Retirement Plan.

Qualifications

Education:

A Bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Architecture, Fine Arts, or a related discipline is required.

Experience:

For this role, having a solid background in project management and team leadership is absolutely critical. Candidates must demonstrate their ability to lead small teams of designers and work closely with leadership. The role requires overseeing production processes for design projects and allocating resources effectively. Therefore, experience in team leadership is of utmost importance. A strong portfolio showcasing successful projects and a range of design skills is also required. It will be reviewed to ensure that the level of quality has been met.

Design Skills:

Proficiency in 3D modeling is crucial. This includes the ability to create detailed and realistic 3D models of environments, objects, or elements relevant to the experiential design. Knowledge of rendering techniques to create high-quality visuals of 3D models is also necessary. This involves understanding lighting, shading, and texturing to achieve realistic or stylized effects. Skills in animation are beneficial for bringing designs to life. This might involve creating animated sequences or interactive elements within the 3D environment.

Software Proficiency:

Expertise in 3D design software is necessary. Proficiency in tools like 3D Studio Max, Vray, Corona, or other industry-standard software is required.

EEO Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability status.

PepsiCo is an Equal Opportunity Employer: Female / Minority / Disability / Protected Veteran / Sexual Orientation / Gender Identity

If you'd like more information about your EEO rights as an applicant under the law, please download the available EEO is the Law & EEO is the Law Supplement documents. View PepsiCo EEO Policy.

Please view our Pay Transparency Statement