Job Description

About Elmwood & MSQ

MSQ Asia & Elmwood Singapore is our hybrid hub for Southeast Asia, where brand distinctiveness meets joined-up activation for greater impact.

MSQ is the world's most AI-enabled challenger group, with AI-powered human creativity at the heart of everything we do. We fuse the right mix of capabilities to unlock momentum for brands, connecting creative performance to business outcomes in real time. We have global specialists across creative, social and influencer, media and commerce, strategy & insights, CX & creative, tech, sports & entertainment, and AI products & data. This is MSQ's Joined-Up Thinking: the scale of a holding company with the agility of an independent.

Elmwood is our global brand and design capability, with almost 50 years of experience as one of the world's most effective brand and design agencies. With studios in London, New York, Singapore and Shanghai, we create brands that are more meaningful, more memorable and built to move faster than the market. Our work covers brand strategy and identity, packaging and experience design for clients across global personal care, food and beverage, financial services and technology. Elmwood is proud of its long track record at the DBA Design Effectiveness Awards, the longest-running awards for design that delivers measurable business results.

The Production Director is a key senior leadership role. You connect creative ambition with flawless real-world execution, and you build the production capability, processes and partnerships behind elmwood's growth. You make sure great ideas reach shelves, screens and spaces exactly as intended: on time, on budget and to the highest quality. You'll oversee production across branding and packaging, from artwork and prepress to print, materials and multi-market rollout, and lead a team of production and artwork specialists. You'll bring technical authority, commercial discipline and real pride in craft.

What you will be doing

People & Team accountabilities

Lead and develop the production, artwork and studio team. Coach, mentor and invest in each person's growth to build a high-performing, technically excellent team.
Own team design and resource planning for production. Work with Creative Operations, client and creative leads so the right skills and capacity are always in place.
Create a culture of accountability, precision and continuous improvement. Set clear quality standards and lead by example.
Take part in recruiting and onboarding production and artwork talent, helping to attract strong candidates and set new team members up for success.
Lead the team through tight deadlines, complex rollouts and change with composure, keeping clarity, momentum and standards high under pressure.

Work/offer accountabilities

Oversee end-to-end production across branding and packaging projects, including final artwork, mechanicals, prepress, colour management, proofing and print, so that every output faithfully delivers the creative intent.
Provide technical stewardship from the start of a project. Partner with creative, design and strategy teams early on so ideas are feasible, cost-effective and built to scale across formats, substrates and markets.
Lead complex packaging rollouts across multiple SKUs, ranges and markets. Manage version control, regulatory and labelling requirements, translations and brand guideline compliance.
Set and maintain production standards, workflows and quality-control processes, including artwork checking, approval gates, press checks and final sign-off.
Champion sustainable packaging and production practices, advising clients and teams on materials, finishes and processes that cut environmental impact without compromising brand impact.
Model effective use of production tools, artwork management systems and digital asset platforms, and drive adoption of AI and automation across artwork, adaptation and production workflows to improve speed, accuracy and output.
Act as the point of escalation for production issues, resolving problems quickly with technical expertise, commercial awareness and confidence.

Client accountabilities

Act as the trusted production and technical partner to senior client stakeholders, including brand, packaging development, procurement and supply-chain teams.
Give expert guidance on print processes, materials, finishes and structural feasibility, helping clients make informed decisions that balance quality, cost and speed to market.
Work proactively with clients printers, converters and manufacturing partners to keep brand integrity consistent across all production runs and markets.
Find opportunities to extend elmwood's production and artwork services within existing accounts, such as artwork adaptation, rollout management, CGI and asset production, to grow revenue and deepen partnerships.
Anticipate client needs, using your industry and supplier knowledge to keep elmwood positioned as a reliable, forward-thinking production partner.

Business accountabilities

Own production budgets and profitability across your portfolio, including cost estimating, quoting, budget control, margin management and proactive risk management.
Play a key part in the annual Studio Business Plan, managing production revenue, EBITDA and recoverability targets and making sure production is scoped and billed accurately.
Build and manage a strong regional network of print, packaging, finishing and production suppliers. Lead supplier selection, negotiation and performance management to secure quality, value and reliability.
Drive operational efficiency through better processes, tools and resourcing models, supporting 95% recoverability and strong commercial performance.
Work with studio leadership as an active contributor to commercial strategy, new business pitches and the development of elmwood's production offer.
Keep up with production technology, materials innovation and industry trends, feeding insights back to leadership and client teams.
Support award entries and case studies by making sure production craft and execution are shown at their best, and represent elmwood's production expertise at industry events.

What you know and bring

The knowledge you'll need

10+ years of progressive experience in production, ideally within a brand, design, packaging or creative agency, with a proven track record at production director or head of production level.
Deep expertise in packaging production, covering both 2D artwork and prepress and 3D structural packaging, with experience leading complex, high-volume, multi-market rollouts.
Strong technical knowledge of print processes (offset, flexo, gravure, digital and screen), substrates, finishes, colour management and press-check standards.
Solid understanding of brand identity implementation across print, environmental, digital and merchandise applications.
Proven ability to manage production budgets with full commercial ownership, including estimating, supplier negotiation, margin management and profitability.
Good working knowledge of packaging regulatory and labelling requirements across Southeast Asian and international markets.
An established network of regional print, packaging and production suppliers.
Strong proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, artwork management and proofing systems, and project management and collaboration tools.
A champion of AI and automation tools in production and artwork workflows to drive innovation, efficiency and better client outcomes.
A degree or diploma in Print Production, Graphic Communication, Packaging Technology, Design or a related field.

The skills that'll set you apart

An exceptional eye for detail and an uncompromising commitment to quality and craft.
A confident, clear communicator who can explain technical complexity simply and influence senior clients, creatives and suppliers.
A natural problem-solver who stays calm under pressure and finds practical solutions without compromising the creative idea.
Strong leadership ability, with the skill to inspire, develop and hold accountable a team of production and artwork professionals.
Commercially astute, able to turn production decisions into cost, margin and efficiency outcomes across a demanding, multi-project portfolio.
A strong collaborator who builds trusted relationships across creative, client services, strategy and external partners.
A forward-thinking, entrepreneurial mindset: curious about new technologies, sustainable materials and smarter ways of working, and keen to grow elmwood's production offer.