The Role

• Critical enterprise-wide leadership role responsible for defining and leading the global design vision across a portfolio of consumer and corporate brands.

• Opportunity to build on strong existing foundations and further embed design as a strategic driver of commercial growth, innovation, and brand differentiation.

• Shape and elevate the organisation's end-to-end design ecosystem, extending beyond packaging and brand identity to create best-in-class brand experiences across all touchpoints.

• Act as the senior design authority, establishing what "great" looks like across design disciplines while building organisational capability and appreciation for the value of design.

• Operate within a lean structure that offers significant visibility, influence, and autonomy, while helping the business prepare for future regulatory developments and evolving market requirements.

Principle Accountabilities

• Develop and execute a comprehensive global design strategy spanning branding, packaging, experience, and brand ecosystems.

• Lead design thinking around future regulatory challenges and ensure brands remain differentiated and effective within increasingly restricted environments.

• Act as the executive custodian of relationships with leading global design agencies, ensuring alignment with business and brand objectives.

• Establish design governance frameworks and best practices across the organisation.

• Build and enhance global design capability in partnership with the Marketing Excellence function.

• Drive consistency, quality, and effectiveness across omnichannel brand experiences.

• Support innovation and new product development through design-led thinking and strategic creativity.

• Ensure design initiatives deliver measurable commercial impact and business outcomes.

Skills and Experience Required

Essential Experience

• Senior design leadership experience within large-scale global organisations.

• Proven ownership of enterprise-wide design strategy across multiple brands and categories.

• Strong experience in:

  • Packaging design
  • Experience design
  • Design thinking
  • Design governance
  • Innovation
  • Design operations
  • Omnichannel brand experience

• Demonstrated success driving commercial outcomes through design.

• Previous design team leadership.

• Experience working with and managing global design agency partnerships.

• Ability to operate effectively within matrix organisations and influence without direct authority.

Desirable

• Experience within highly regulated industries.

• Demonstrated ability to drive creativity and innovation within regulatory constraints.

• Experience spanning both consulting and in house.

Key Relationships

• Extensive interaction with senior executive stakeholders globally. Works closely with Brand Directors, Category Directors, Corporate Communications, and senior functional leaders across the business.

• Partnering across Marketing, Brand, Innovation, Corporate Affairs, Commercial and Transformation functions.

• Trusted advisor to category and functional leaders on design strategy and capability.

• Must be capable of influencing at senior leadership level and driving organisational adoption of the design agenda.

What We Offer

In return for playing your part in building our future, you will receive a comprehensive compensation package with salary, bonus scheme and further benefits as well inspiring places to work and collaborate with purpose. Here at Imperial we will give you the opportunity to grow and learn, innovate at pace and be a part of our purpose to forge a path to a healthier future for moments of relaxation and pleasure for our consumers.

Everyone Belongs

Everyone belongs in Imperial. We are proud of being a truly inclusive organisation. We encourage and welcome applications from people of all ages, genders, ethnicities, nationalities, disabilities, sexual orientation, religions or beliefs and of neuro divergence. We give fair and equal consideration to all our applicants. Please contact us at recruitment@impbrands.com to let us know if we can provide support in helping you complete an application and/or attend an interview.

About Us

We're a truly international company, fourth largest in our industry and operating across 120 markets. An inclusive, innovative global FMCG business supported by 25,000 employees. As we embrace a new era of growth, we are transforming. Our ways of working and culture are driven by a challenger mindset, constantly questioning the status quo where people can bring their best selves to work. Our agility and collaboration are driving our ambitions, innovation and success all supported by our award-winning development programmes that creates exciting and rewarding career opportunities for all. Encouraging inclusion at local levels and supporting a developing and robust diversity agenda globally, we’re fully committed to creating and maintaining an environment that celebrates and respects difference.

As a matter of policy, Imperial Tobacco or its subsidiaries never requests or requires payment as part of any recruitment process.