Senior Designer — Licensed Merchandise & Retail Products

ABOUT WARREN JAMES Warren James is the leading creator commerce partner for top digital talent. We build premium consumer products and brands at the intersection of content, fandom, and commerce - spanning DTC, retail, licensing, and new category expansion. Our work blends creative instinct, operator discipline, and speed. Department: Creative Reports To: Creative Manager Employment Type: Full-Time Location: Fully Remote ROLE OVERVIEW We are seeking a highly conceptual and execution-driven Senior Designer to lead creative development across licensed merchandise programs spanning creator, entertainment, and pop culture properties. This role owns the end-to-end creative process — from early concept ideation through product mock development, product design, packaging design, and executive-level presentations. The ideal candidate brings a deep understanding of fan communities, retail trends, fashion, and licensed product development, translating IP into commercially successful merchandise assortments. This position plays a critical role in shaping product direction, elevating creative output, and mentoring junior talent while partnering cross-functionally to bring products to market. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Licensed Product & Concept Development

• Lead end-to-end creative development for licensed merchandise collections across multiple creator and entertainment properties in soft lines and hard lines
• Translate IP, brand guidelines, and fan insights into innovative, retail-ready product concepts
• Ideate product assortments across categories including apparel, accessories, hard goods, collectibles, and lifestyle merchandise
• Ensure concepts balance fan authenticity, trend relevance, and commercial viability
• Interpret brand assets, style guides (when available), channel assets, and content into viable, on-brand/franchise product concepts

Product Design & Technical Execution

• Develop production-ready product mocks across soft goods, cut-and-sew, accessories, and lifestyle categories
• Create detailed design specifications and tech packs for manufacturing handoff
• Partner with Product Development and vendors to review samples, materials, and construction
• Provide design markups and approvals throughout sampling stages (proto, pre-production, TOP)
• Ensure product designs meet cost, quality, and licensing standards

Packaging & Brand Systems

• Design structural and graphic packaging for retail and direct-to-consumer environments
• Build scalable packaging systems supporting multi-SKU collections
• Ensure packaging aligns with licensor requirements, retailer compliance, and brand storytelling
• Prepare print-ready packaging files and production specs

Trend, Fan & Market Research

• Research pop culture, fashion, market, and licensing trends to inform product direction
• Analyze competitive retail assortments and fan communities to identify whitespace opportunities
• Apply trend forecasting to licensed IP in culturally relevant ways
• Bring forward new category, product, and collaboration ideas

Presentation & Pitch Development

• Build high-impact creative presentations for internal, licensor, and creator approvals
• Translate early concepts into polished retail pitches and assortment line plans
• Present design rationale, fan insights, and trend alignment to stakeholders
• Support sell-in decks and retailer presentations as needed

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Brand Managers, Licensing, Product Development, and Sales teams
• Incorporate licensor, creator, and retailer feedback while maintaining creative integrity
• Align creative vision with production feasibility and go-to-market strategy
• Support approvals across licensors, creators, and internal stakeholders

SENIOR-LEVEL OWNERSHIP Creative Leadership

• Own creative direction across assigned merchandise programs
• Provide art direction and feedback to junior designers and freelancers
• Mentor team members on product thinking, mock execution, and brand alignment
• Elevate overall creative quality across projects

Systems & Process Contribution

• Build scalable templates for product mocks, packaging, and presentations
• Contribute to creative process improvements across development pipelines
• Support onboarding and creative guidance for external freelancers
• Help establish best practices for licensed product execution

QUALIFICATIONS Experience

• 5–7+ years in product, graphic, or merchandise design
• Licensed consumer products, entertainment, or creator merchandise experience preferred
• Experience designing for retail assortments and product launches

Portfolio Requirements

• Strong product mock examples across multiple categories
• Packaging design samples
• Licensed or IP-driven work preferred
• Presentation/pitch deck examples a plus

Technical Skills

• Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign
• Product mock development (apparel + accessories)
• Tech pack creation and production specs
• Packaging dielines and print production
• PLM systems experience a plus

Core Competencies

• Deep understanding of fan communities and pop culture
• Strong product storytelling and assortment building
• High taste level and trend awareness
• Ability to balance creativity with commerciality
• Strong presentation and communication skills
• Ability to art direct freelancers in the creation of original assets for licensed properties
• Ability to represent Creative in client-facing meetings and lead client approval discussions
• Detail-oriented with production follow-through
• Work within a team dynamic with multiple internal and external stakeholders managing varying points of view

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

• Innovative licensed product concepts that excite creators and licensors
• Retail-ready assortments that drive revenue
• Elevated packaging and brand storytelling
• Efficient approvals and production execution

COMPENSATION

• Salary range: $75,000–$90,000 annually
• Performance bonus
• Health, dental, and vision coverage
• 401(k) with company match
• Fully remote

HOW TO APPLY

• Apply via LinkedIn Easy Apply
• Complete the required Google Form: (link - https://forms.gle/qfTk753gK8434oK76

The application materials include short written responses to key questions and completion of the Culture Survey. We aim to close the loop within 4–6 weeks of the first screen. Applicants who do not complete both the Google Form and Culture Survey will not be moved forward. Apply tot his job Apply To this Job