Graphic Designer - Retail & Brand Experiences (Beverage Industry)

Location: Chicago, IL

• This role is home-based for the most part, and requires you to work a few days onsite our client location for various project updates/collaborations.
• To be considered, you must live within commuting distance, as regular in-person collaboration is a key part of the role.

Position overview:

At BDA, we create merchandise, retail experiences, and branded moments that connect people to the world’s most recognized brands. We are looking for a highly creative and strategic Beverage Industry Designer to join our growing creative team.

As the Designer for our beverage industry clients, you will be the driving force behind innovative creative solutions that blend brand storytelling, retail strategy, and design excellence. This role requires a balance of creative vision, industry awareness, organization, and communication skills to develop impactful work that stands out in a competitive marketplace.

You will concept and execute a wide range of creative deliverables including branded merchandise, packaging, Point of Purchase (POP) displays, retail activations, product presentations, and client-facing visual storytelling. The ideal candidate thrives in a fast-paced environment, is highly collaborative, and understands how to create design solutions that elevate brand presence and drive consumer engagement.

Duties and Responsibilities

Trend Board Creation:
Research and compile trend boards that highlight emerging design trends relevant to the beverage industry. These trend boards should serve as inspiration and strategic guidance for design concepts aimed at driving sales and brand differentiation.

Innovative Design:
Develop fresh, compelling creative that aligns with BDA’s brand promises while pushing boundaries in the marketplace. Designs should resonate with the target audience and clearly communicate the client’s brand identity across all touchpoints.

Product & POP Display Design:
Concept, design, and develop impactful product presentations and Point of Purchase (POP) displays that elevate in-store presence and drive shopper engagement. This includes creating visually compelling retail experiences such as endcaps, countertop displays, signage, and environmental elements that bring the brand to life at the moment of purchase.

Product Deck Creation:
Craft comprehensive product and concept decks that showcase ideas in a visually engaging, organized, and client-ready format. Decks should include strong storytelling, detailed descriptions, and high-quality visual representations to clearly communicate design intent.

Versatility Across Merchandise:
Ensure designs are adaptable across a wide range of merchandise, including soft goods (e.g., apparel), hard goods (e.g., drinkware, packaging), and retail display environments. Designs should be scalable and optimized for various mediums and materials.

File Preparation for Vendors:
Prepare production-ready design files that meet vendor specifications for product decoration and display manufacturing. This includes managing file formats, color profiles, dielines, resolution, and production guidelines.

File Organization and Collaboration:
Maintain a high level of organization across all design files to support efficient collaboration. This includes consistent file naming conventions, folder structures, and version control to streamline workflows across teams.

Client Presentation Skills:
Confidently present design concepts to clients in a clear, engaging, and persuasive manner. Effectively articulate design decisions, incorporate feedback, and ensure alignment throughout the creative process to drive client satisfaction.

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We are pleased to share the base salary range for this position is $68,000 to $82,000. If you are hired at BDA, your compensation will be determined based on factors that may include geographic location, skills, education, and experience. In addition to these factors, we believe in the importance of pay equity and consider internal equity of our current team members as a part of any offer. In the spirit of pay transparency, the range listed is the full base salary range for the role and hiring at the top of the range would not be typical, in order to allow for future salary growth. The range listed is just one component of BDA’s total compensation and rewards programs, which includes: robust PTO; vacation, a paid volunteer day, holidays and summer Fridays, Benefits; medical, dental, vision, life, and AD&D insurance, 401k; tuition reimbursement, mental health and financial wellness programs and professional development opportunities including tuition reimbursement. Certain revenue-generating positions may be eligible for incentive compensation.