Creative Operations Manager

The Creative Operations Manager is a key member of the creative department (inclusive of creative teams, studio production and the video/motion team). You will lead resourcing for our Integrated Production team, matching the right talent to each project to create the best work possible. You will also help develop and roll out key process initiatives within the creative department in collaboration with discipline leaders. This role is integral to the smooth operation of the department and is a key element in helping set creatives up for success and deliver high-caliber creative solutions for our clients. 

The ideal person has worked/works in a creative or agency environment and loves it. Must be equal parts high EQ and digs the details. Likes defining processes but finds joy in solving unique problems. Success isn’t just the management of the task at hand, but developing strong relationships with members of the creative department and throughout the agency. The salary range for this role is $65,000 – 85,000. The individual salary within this range is determined through a wide variety of factors including but not limited to experience, knowledge, skills and location.

Responsibilities

• Lead resourcing of the integrated production team: assigning production artists, designers, producers, animators and editors to jobs and managing studio workflow
• Have an overall understanding of team workload and deadlines for all key projects and alert the team if a deadline looks to be compromised
• Work with account managers to adjust talent as needed based on shifting deadlines and communicate these changes accordingly 
• Lead weekly status meetings for integrated production teams
• Track and manage the freelance talent database and manage all documentation required
• Maintain and communicate creative department time-off schedules 
• Maintain and communicate creative department hours reports 
• Contribute to the creation of overall creative department process and best practices – co-building processes, documentation, and governance 
• Create and maintain project schedules for any departmental initiatives
• Create connections with the creative team and maintain good relations within the agency (listed last but not last in importance).

Qualifications

• Extremely organized, detail-oriented and capable of self-managing to prioritize projects appropriately in a fast-paced environment
• Thrives in a fluid environment — ability to pivot and problem-solve
• Excellent written and oral communication abilities
• Experience with Project Management platforms (like Jira, Smartsheet or Trello)
• Ability to match team members against projects
• Ability to take complex issues or situations and present them in a simple and easy-to-follow manner
• Superb follow-up with strong attention to detail
• Ability to prioritize, monitor and manage workloads
• Able to identify and solve problems and create opportunities independently and simultaneously 
• Maintain poise and calmness amid challenging circumstances

Requirements

• Minimum of 4 years of experience in agency environment: resourcing, operations, and/or project management backgrounds are all welcome and encouraged to apply 
• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications or a related field or equivalent experience
• Knowledge of the production process in multiple areas preferred (i.e., print, video, audio, photography, web development, out-of-home, trade shows, etc.); print production knowledge strongly preferred
• Proven ability to develop creative or production timelines

About us: At HLK we believe in the power of people to drive brands. Together, we shape a brand's identity and inspire its next move. 

We believe that brands have the power to influence people. We create brands in constant motion, on a mission to connect, surprise, and change behavior. 

Our mission is to provide an environment where passionate problem solvers can thrive. Every day we encourage our people to do 3 things: 

Be Curious. Seek out the right problems to solve. Embrace criticism. Dig deeper and dream bigger. 

Be Thoughtful. Approach everything with a sense of humanity. Act with empathy and support one another. And 

Be Brave. Take calculated risks, push the work, and move forward fearlessly.HLK is a creative agency with national accounts but Midwest vibes. We have offices in St. Louis and Chicago and have a hybrid in-office schedule.