Artwork Technologist

Unilever is currently hiring for an Artwork Technologist

Function: Marketing - Global Digital Solutions

Reports to: Artwork Excellence Process Manager / Digital Pack AI Lead

Location: Durban/Johannesburg

Terms & Conditions: Full time, onsite

ABOUT UNILEVER

Be part of the world’s most successful, purpose-led business. Work with brands that are well-loved around the world, that improve the lives of our consumers and the communities around us. We promote innovation, big and small, to make our business win and grow; and we believe in business as a force for good. Unleash your curiosity, challenge ideas and disrupt processes; use your energy to make this happen. Our brilliant business leaders and colleagues provide mentorship and inspiration, so you can be at your best. Every day, approximately 3.5bn households use our products to feel good, look good and get more out of life – giving us a unique opportunity to build a brighter future. Every individual here can bring their purpose to life through their work. Join us and you’ll be surrounded by inspiring leaders and supportive peers. Among them, you’ll channel your purpose, bring fresh ideas to the table, and simply be you. As you work to make a real impact on the business and the world, we’ll work to help you become a better you.

ABOUT GLOBAL MARKETING SERVICES (GMS)

Global Marketing Services (GMS) is a dynamic, collaborative team that partners with Unilever’s brand teams across the globe to deliver high-impact marketing services. Our mission is to drive speed, consistency, and operational excellence at scale, empowering brands to connect with consumers more effectively.

GMS brings together deep expertise across several key domains:

• Artwork Excellence: Our specialists lead the creation of mechanical artworks for both physical and digital packs, ensuring flawless execution and seamless collaboration

• UARM (Unilever Artwork & Records Management): The custodians of Unilever’s corporate memory, UARM protects trademarks and records, offering brand teams historical insights and safeguarding intellectual property

• Consumer Engagement Centres (CEC): These frontline teams engage directly with consumers across digital and traditional channels, responding to queries and feedback with empathy and precision

• Innovation Project Management Office (PMO): A team of expert project managers accelerating innovation speed to market across Unilever’s Business Groups

• Marketing Digital Solutions: Designers and architects of scalable marketing technology platforms, like The Asset Bank, which houses over 2 million assets

• Product Data Management (PDM): Specialists in digitising and orchestrating pack-related data, enabling seamless integration across Unilever’s supply chain and marketing ecosystem

JOB PURPOSE

This role brings together technology powered expertise and solutions to the overall GMS ecosystem transforming how packaging artwork and digital pack assets are created, adapted, reviewed, delivered, stored and maintained across technology, processes and markets. The role must encompass and bring to life the strategy for automation within GMS across the ecosystem This successful candidate must have a good understanding of how general process flows work, as well as be familiar with current market trends/ landscape within the automation and AI ecosystem.

WHAT WILL YOUR MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES BE

• Ownership and delivery - Identify key technology solutions in Market to design and run experiments/POCs to drive efficiency improvements in the e2e Artwork Process (2D + 3D)

• Collaborate with key internal stakeholders to identify bottlenecks/ pain points and opportunities in the current and emerging Artwork Process to feed into the automation pipeline for both 2D and 3D (CGI) asset creation.

• Data driven analytics within the Artwork Process (2D and 3D) to identify bottlenecks/ resource intensive tasks and opportunities for automation

• Work with various vendors, IT business partners, Digital Asset Management teams to prototype valid automated and/or AI solutions to address bottlenecks/ resource intensive activities

• Ensure solutions defined can be scaled globally

• Build evaluation criteria and measure speed, cost, quality and compliance improvements

• Document results, risks, and business value

• Ensure compliance with Unilever Security policies when defining and embedding automation solutions.

• Improve integration between external vendors, artwork tools, Digital Asset Management, Functional Source systems, Power BI etc, by defining requirements for API-driven system integration and orchestration

• Hand over and training of BAU solution to identified stakeholders/vendors

• Drive adoption of and change management for deployed solutions

• Responsible for leading and meeting agreed timelines as per Project scope

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO SUCCEED

Experiences & Qualifications

Relevant Tertiary Degree

A blend of artwork process excellence and Automation/AI fluency

• Experience with technology-driven POCs and delivery using AI, (Generative and Agentic), automation or workflow optimisation.

• Hands-on experience with leading LLMs, multi-modal AI and prompt engineering.

• Experience in AI and automation delivery with 3rd party platforms.

• 5 years in process management, packaging artwork, design-to-print, marketing operations, DAM or related fields.

• A solid and demonstratable understanding of managing projects across multiple markets/agencies.

• Experience working with artwork management systems, Digital Asset Management platforms and creative production tools.

Skills Required:

Ability to prototype use cases using market available technologies

• Clarity in terms of evaluation of models including impact and ROI

• Knowledge of API integrations, metadata governance and workflow automation

• Proficiency in data analytics and data driven decision making

• Deep understanding of artwork and asset lifecycle and design-to-print processes

• Familiar with legal/ regulatory packaging and digital asset constraints

• Proven track record working with Internal stakeholders and external vendors

• Proficiency in Power applications

• High attention to detail, accuracy and quality control.

• Analytical skills to identify root cause and derive technology/AI/Gen AI solutions

• Process-mindset, to identify opportunities for streamlining and enabling efficiencies via technology/AI/Gen AI solutions • Continuous improvement mindset

• General knowledge on systems/ tools and troubleshooting

Critical Behaviours

• Care deeply: caring deeply about how consumers experience our brands every day, everywhere; about our people’s growth and development, and our impact on the planet. You care about your performance, to a point where it hurts when you don’t win.  Always brings their best self. Has emotional intelligence to take feedback, manage mood and motivations and build empathy for others. Sets high standards for themselves. Has humility, understanding that leadership is service to others, inside and outside of Unilever.

• Focus on what counts: we set clear and stretching goals and recognise maximum performance impact.  Generates intensity and focus to motivate people to deliver results at speed.

• Stay three steps ahead: we think boldly and creatively to make breakthroughs in performance. We are always curious and confident – anticipating and staying ahead of consumer needs and external trends to beat the competition. Approaches delivery with an iterative and incremental, test - do - learn approach. Has an owner’s mindset, using data and insight to make decisions.

• Deliver with excellence: we deliver everything we do with excellence and pace. We take personal ownership and hold each other to account – always finding a way to do what we said we will do.  Takes personal responsibility and accountability for execution and results.

Unilever is an equal opportunities employer and committed to diversity and inclusivity in the workplace.  We are intentional in employing the best talent that reflects the demographics of our country and which will help build representation of currently under-represented groups. We therefore invite applications from all candidates representing diversity of age, sex, disability, sexual orientation, race, religion or belief. When appointing potential candidates, the South African Employment Equity and Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment Legislation will be considered.  

We are required by law to verify your ability to work lawfully in South Africa. If you are applying as a foreign national, please note that you may be requested to provide supporting documents supporting this. 

Unilever is an organisation committed to equity, inclusion and diversity to drive our business results and create a better future, every day, for our diverse employees, global consumers, partners, and communities. We believe a diverse workforce allows us to match our growth ambitions and drive inclusion across the business. At Unilever we are interested in every individual bringing their ‘Whole Self’ to work and this includes you! Thus if you require any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of your application so that we can support you through your recruitment journey.