Global Artwork Production Specialist

Job Role: Global Artwork Production Specialist

Location: Mumbai HO

Function: Growth Marketing Services (GMS)

I. Business Context and Position Summary
Artwork Excellence forms a critical part of the Global Marketing Services (GMS) organization, essential to the delivery of our product innovation to meet the needs of our consumers. Through the Global Marketing Services Centre of Excellence, we use transformative digital technologies to deliver effective and efficient end-to-end physical and digital pack solutions and asset management processes, driving Fuel 4 Growth.
Artwork Excellence (AWE): The Pack is the most relevant communication asset brands have; it is the way we connect with 3.4 billion consumers every day. We partner with different departments, bring together their ideas and insights, and express their full potential through packaging. From design to digital, we work with our colleagues to shape tomorrow’s packaging together. The primary purpose of this position is to lead the pack across the physical and digital world. This includes the management of the adaptive design process using agencies from the adaptive design roster. Working with the print management agency, leading the creation and approval of packaging artwork, including separations, which are handed over to the printer promptly. With the partners, lead the creation of CGI pack images and the orchestration of product content for the omnichannel environment using Unilever’s product management workflow system.

The Senior APS role, also referred to as Assistant Artwork Production Manager, demands outstanding executive and leadership abilities to effectively manage a diverse portfolio within the assigned business unit or brand group. This individual acts as a catalyst for talent development, mentoring team members, and onboarding newcomers. In regions where line management is not co-located, the role is pivotal in driving local initiatives and leading global squad improvements as needed. Extensive stakeholder management is essential, involving collaboration with functional heads, business group leaders, and external vendors. Responsibilities include presenting and influencing decisions in operational meetings using data and analytics, spearheading business changes and change management, optimizing processes, developing new business models, and building team capabilities. The Senior APS serves as the primary point of contact for the Artwork Production Manager within their area of expertise.

This person will be responsible for initiating and managing projects using the artwork management system and is responsible for overseeing the production, storage, and availability of artwork and pack images for usage through the digital channels. The Artwork production specialist will interact with internal teams (Marketing, R&D, Supply Chain, E-commerce) who provide master design files and pack content, and external partners (print management agencies, design agencies, printers) who deliver the work in the form of mechanical artwork, pack image albums, and printed packaging. The role will orchestrate data, making it available for usage downstream in the E-commerce environment and other channels.
As technical experts, the Artwork Production Specialist will provide expertise in the end-to-end management of the pack to marketing and E-commerce teams by taking responsibility for the creation of artwork and digital pack images to be used in various channels and touchpoints internally and externally in an ever-more digital and connected world.
This role is based in India and will manage work for the Global market. All collaboration and communication will be conducted online via Microsoft Teams, requiring strong virtual collaboration skills and flexibility to work across time zones.

Partner closely with the Operations Hub to centralise project management, briefings into BLUE/ArtLink, pre-checks of final artwork, and cross-functional communications. Operate within the Hub governance model to simplify processes, reduce stakeholder chasing, and improve approval flow, while maintaining AWE technical ownership of design to print quality.

II. Position Responsibilities (Expected Work)

• Providing leadership continuity and stepping in for the manager when required.
• Contribute to global squads and strategic initiatives, ensuring alignment with enterprise-wide priorities and best practices.
• Drive process improvements and innovation in artwork production and adaptive design workflows across regions.
• Oversee the complete lifecycle of artwork and packaging development, ensuring compliance with global standards and regulatory requirements.
• Manage escalations and resolve complex challenges related to adaptive design, print management, and digital pack creation.
• Serve as a key liaison between regional teams and global stakeholders, fostering collaboration across Marketing, R&D, Supply Chain, and E-commerce.
• Represent the function in global forums, contributing insights and influencing decisions on artwork strategy and digital content management.
• Champion digital-first approaches for artwork and content creation, leveraging advanced tools and platforms for efficiency and scalability.
• Ensure robust data orchestration for downstream usage in omnichannel environments, maintaining accuracy and timeliness.
• Mentor junior team members and build functional capabilities within the region.
• Lead training initiatives to embed best practices and new technologies across the artwork production ecosystem.
• Manage all communications and project coordination virtually using Microsoft Teams.
• Ensure timely updates and collaboration with Global stakeholders despite time zone differences.
• Maintain high responsiveness and accountability in a remote working setup.

III. Challenges

• Coordinating multiple projects simultaneously; working with various cross-functional team members as well as multiple external stakeholders at the same time.
• Work through a multi-cultural environment and collaborate with people and partners across many different countries, often requiring working in different time zones.
• Managing artwork in a continuously changing environment, where timelines are always tight, and artwork is always on the critical path for delivery. Delivering this on time and efficiently.
• Working with a process and online system that requires discipline from others.
• Managing the external vendor’s compliance within agreed lead time and quality of delivery, compliance with the rate card and processes, particularly when they are not co-located in the same country.
• Influencing the improvement to artwork management efficiency through project management, process compliance, visibility of artwork KPI’s and ways of working within the team.
• Functioning as a technical expert and business partner to Marketing and other functional teams from design to artwork to the print phase of the process.
• Skills and expertise in the end-to-end process of design to digital.
• Design skills to brief, assess, and communicate with adaptive agencies
• Pack image technical and creative skills to approve images in an omnichannel connected world environment
• Managing remote collaboration effectively using Microsoft Teams.
• Navigating time zone challenges and ensuring seamless communication with Global Stakeholders.
• Driving behaviour change as work transitions to a central Hub model; aligning stakeholders on new roles, gates, and data lock moments.
• Maintaining speed and quality while reducing chasing through Hub-led PMO support, especially across multiple time zones and brands.

IV. Scope

• The scope of the role covers adaptive design, artwork, print management, and digital image creation responsibilities and the orchestration of product data.
• This position can be responsible for several brands and categories at the same time. This may be across market clusters or countries.
• There is no central time zone, and therefore, the position may have to work in several different environments.
• The individual must also coordinate multiple external vendors, possibly within other time zones.
• This will require interaction with many departments to manage all projects as per the artwork process.
• The role is based in India and will manage projects for the Global market through virtual collaboration tools.

V. Skills (what) & Competencies (how)

Key Competencies:

• Strong communication skills
• Ability to build collaborative relationships
• Hold people accountable
• Good organizational awareness
• Strong at influencing
• Negotiating skills
• Business Partner mindset (not Customer Service)
• Proficiency in Microsoft Teams and other online collaboration tools
• Ability to work independently and manage remote projects
• Flexibility to work across time zones and adapt to virtual team dynamics
• Hub collaboration & governance: Able to operate within centralized principles.