Responsibilities

• Lead the creative development of merchandise concepts, product design elements, and packaging innovations that are bold, innovative, and uniquely M&M's — designed to excite consumers and generate social media buzz.
• Drive product creativity that differentiates M&M's in the marketplace, ensuring merchandise is visually compelling, on-trend, and aligned with evolving consumer preferences.
• Collaborate closely with Visual Merchandising and Digital teams to ensure merchandise creative strategies translate into cohesive in-store and online brand experiences.
• Partner with cross-functional teams including Product Development, Marketing, Retail Operations, and Store Design to integrate merchandise creative initiatives seamlessly across channels.
• Manage the end-to-end creative process from ideation through production and implementation, working closely with external vendors and suppliers to deliver high-quality, innovative merchandise.
• Utilize consumer insights, sales data, and market trends to inform and refine merchandise creative strategies that maximize both brand impact and commercial success.
• Support the Director of Product Development and Merchandising in defining and executing a forward-thinking merchandise creative roadmap that aligns with business goals.
• Build and maintain strong partnerships with external creative agencies, vendors, and suppliers to continuously push the boundaries of merchandise innovation.
• Ensure all merchandise creative outputs adhere to Mars brand standards, Responsible AI policies (where applicable), and sustainability commitments.
• Monitor and evaluate the performance of merchandise creative initiatives, making data-driven recommendations to optimize future product creativity and sales outcomes.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Product Design, Retail Merchandising, Marketing, or a related field.
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in merchandise creative design or product development within retail or consumer goods, with a proven track record of delivering innovative and commercially successful products.
• Deep understanding of merchandise design, product presentation, consumer behavior, and social media trends.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple creative projects simultaneously while collaborating effectively across diverse teams.
• Excellent communication, storytelling, and interpersonal skills to inspire and influence internal stakeholders and external partners.
• Proficiency in design and product development tools such as Adobe Creative Suite and relevant software.
• Passion for the M&M's brand, with a strong eye for detail, creativity, and innovation.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to balance creative vision with sales performance objectives.