Design Manager

About MelloMello is a premium custom merchandise company for modern brands. We handle the whole thing: creative strategy, design, product development, production, and fulfillment. Our clients are food, beverage, hospitality, lifestyle, and consumer brands, including some you already know.The roleDesign Sprints are how our clients start with us. In a sprint we turn a brand into a merchandise collection: concepts, product direction, artwork, and mockups ready for production. Demand for sprints is growing faster than we can run them.As Design Manager, you'll lead the designers who do this work and own the quality of everything they produce. You'll set the creative direction for each sprint, keep the team on track, and make sure every deliverable is work we're proud to put Mello's name on.What you'll doLead the creative side of Design Sprints: direction, concepts, product mix, and final presentationManage and assign work to our in-house designers and a rotating group of 8–10 freelance designersKeep sprints on schedule: plan workloads, track deadlines, and clear blockersBe the final quality check. You review every deliverable before it reaches a client or goes to production.Give designers clear, direct feedback that raises the level of their workBuild and maintain our design standards: templates, presentation formats, mockup quality, and file prepWork with Creative Operations, Sales, Product Development, and Pre-Production so designs are on-brand, feasible, and on budgetImprove how sprints run so we can take on more without losing qualityWhat we're looking for4–5+ years in graphic design, brand design, or apparel/merchandise design2+ years leading designers, directing freelancers, or running creative projectsA strong portfolio showing brand work and physical product (apparel, accessories, packaging, or merchandise)A sharp eye for detail. You catch the things other people miss.Organized and calm with several projects, deadlines, and feedback rounds going at onceComfortable presenting work and explaining the reasoning behind itFluent in Adobe Creative Suite; Figma and AI design tools are a plusBonus: knowledge of decoration methods (screen print, embroidery), apparel manufacturing, garment construction, or tech packsWhy MelloWork across a wide range of brands and product categories, from tees to fully custom cut-and-sewReal ownership. You'll shape how design works here as we grow.A small team that moves fast, with a factory down the hall where you can see your work get made

Benefits

PTO, paid holidays, health insurance, and moreSalary$85,000-$95,000Performance bonuses and commissionTo applySend your portfolio and a short note about a project where you raised the quality of someone else's work.