Designer (Contract)

ABOUT MOONBUG ENTERTAINMENT:

Moonbug Entertainment is an award-winning global entertainment company behind some of the most popular kids’ titles in the world. Moonbug’s line-up includes global sensations CoComelon, Blippi, Little Baby Bum, Oddbods, Little Angel, My Magic Pet Morphle, Supa Strikas, Go Buster, Playtime with Twinkle, Gecko’s Garage, ARPO and many more.

Moonbug’s shows are currently available in 32 languages and feature on more than 150platforms globally, including YouTube, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Sky,  Super RTL, BBC iPlayer, HBO Max, Tencent, Youku and Roku. The company’s portfolio currently stands at 29 IPs and 100+ brand partners. Moonbug is a subsidiary of Candle Media, an independent, creator-friendly home for cutting-edge, high-quality, category-defining brands and franchises.

By bringing together elite talent operating at the intersection of content, community, and commerce, it helps to position leading entertainment businesses for accelerated, sustainable growth in the current market and beyond. Candle is run by its Co-Chairmen and Co-CEOs, leading entertainment executives Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs, and backed by investment capital from funds managed by Blackstone’s flagship private equity business.

The Role:

The Contract Designer / Illustrator will support the development of creative assets for licensed consumer products preschool brands. This role will work closely with the CP&E Creative and Product Development teams to create brand-right, trend-relevant artwork, style guides, packaging, and graphic assets that translate successfully across a wide range of consumer product categories.

The ideal candidate is comfortable trending, designing and illustrating, understands how creative assets need to function in a licensing environment, and can take projects from concept through production-ready execution.

Experience working with kids, preschool, entertainment, character, or lifestyle brands is highly preferred.

This is a 6-month fixed term contract role.

Responsibilities:

• Support the development of seasonal, core, retail, and thematic licensed consumer products style guides.
• Create original graphics, illustrations, patterns, icons, badges, typography treatments, borders, backgrounds, and supporting design elements.
• Develop compelling character compositions and storytelling moments using approved character assets.
• Translate creative direction, seasonal trends, and brand strategy into cohesive visual collections.
• Build color palettes, graphic systems, pattern families, editorial treatments, and product-ready artwork.
• Develop artwork that can translate across multiple categories including apparel, accessories, home, toys, stationery, hardlines, and softlines.
• Prepare organized, production-ready asset packages for licensee and partner use.
• Explore multiple creative directions quickly through sketches, thumbnails, and concept development.
• Incorporate feedback from Creative, Product Development, Brand, Franchise, and Legal teams.
• Support the development and evolution of licensed packaging systems across multiple product categories.
• Work within existing brand standards while identifying opportunities to keep packaging fresh, relevant, and competitive at retail.
• Work closely with Creative Directors, Designers, Product Development, and Project Management to meet project timelines and deliverables.
• Manage multiple assignments simultaneously while maintaining strong attention to detail.
• Participate in creative reviews and respond efficiently to feedback and revisions.
• Ensure artwork meets brand, legal, technical, and production requirements.
• Support special projects including retail presentations, product concepts, key art, trend boards, and partner-facing creative materials as needed.

Requirements

• 4+ years of professional experience in graphic design, illustration, packaging, consumer products, entertainment, or a related creative field.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating illustration, graphic design, layout, pattern development, and packaging capabilities.

• Experience developing licensed consumer products style guides strongly preferred.

• Strong understanding of designing within established brand guidelines while still bringing fresh creative thinking.
• Ability to translate a creative brief into a cohesive visual system rather than simply executing individual graphics.
• Strong understanding of color, typography, composition, hierarchy, pattern, and visual storytelling.
• Experience preparing professional production-ready files for external partners.
• Experience designing collections of digital product mock-ups

• Comfortable working within fast-moving creative environments with multiple rounds of feedback.
• Knowledge of Mac OSX, Adobe Suite Programs (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign)

• Ability to work across the needs of a global team

Benefits

• Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• Retirement Plan (401k, IRA)
• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
• Family Leave (Maternity, Paternity)
• Short Term & Long Term Disability
• Training & Development
• Free Food & Snacks
• Wellness Resources