Operations Manager, Mid-level

At AKQA, we believe in the imaginative application of art and science to create beautiful ideas, products and services. With an entrepreneurial and collaborative approach, we design adaptive digital services and applications that capture the imagination, delivering impressive returns for our clients.

As Operations Manager, you will work in a multidisciplinary environment to support operations and financial efforts for the AKQA team. You must demonstrate initiative in service to the team, quality and thoughtfulness into the work, and acute attention to detail. Outstanding organisational skills are required to keep abreast of the current studio processes and to juggle multiple needs simultaneously. 

You will be responsible for the effective utilisation of our talent pool, working with client services and project management to effectively resource our projects. You will ensure that our casting practices uplevel the potential of our teams, that we operate nimbly and flex at pace with client needs, and that we have appropriate billable headcount to achieve our business goals. This means vigilant balancing of the supply and demand of our most important asset, our people.

This role requires close collaboration with multiple Departments and cross-functional teams. The ideal candidate will be comfortable with ambiguity and change, able to focus on the smallest detail as well as drive to project completion.  Your time will be split between operations process oversight, resource management  and financial tasks.

Contributing to AKQA’s founding values: innovation, service, quality and thought, you’re excited to be part of our success. You will thrive when faced with new challenges and will constantly strive to improve the way things are done to enable the business to be successful.

ROLE REQUIREMENTS

Operations:

• Present effective Operations point-of-view and recommendations to improve and enhance the studio’s ways of working.
• Liaise with the Delivery team to provide Leadership with detailed weekly reports on program burn and profitability.
• Identify and evaluate capacity constraints and opportunities within the organisation (bandwidth and burnout), making data-driven recommendations for resource allocations and utilisation optimization.
• Support recruitment efforts, in collaboration with the Talent Team.
• Ensure compliance with company policies and guidelines.

Resource Management:

• Be the point of contact for resource requests.
• Maintain and manage day-to-day resourcing needs, inputting all bookings from Project Managers and approved absences.
• Be the point of contact to share resource capacity and needs across the AKQA network, especially with the other European studios. 
• Match resource requests to skill sets for optimal use of resources, being aware of the current skills and career aspirations of team members.
• Resolve resource conflicts with support as required from the Department Leads. Effectively problem-solve on issues such as prioritisation challenges, or overlapping project demands, ensuring equitable distribution of resources.
• Identify resource gaps and collaborate with the Talent Team to source and secure freelance resources.
• Ensure freelancers are managed well from initial contact, to hire and studio onboarding.
• Manage and arrange freelance contracts and invoice approval.

Financial Tasks:

• Work closely with various departments, to develop accurate financial forecasts, encompassing both short-term and long-term commercial pipelines, and ensure alignment between Capacity Planning and Project requirements.
• Build weekly, monthly and quarter reports which track studio billability, utilisation against revenue forecast.
• Identify and evaluate capacity constraints and opportunities within the organisation (bandwidth and burnout), making data-driven recommendations for resource allocations and utilisation optimization.

QUALITIES AND CHARACTERISTICS

• A background in operations, project management, creative services or traffic management in a digital or creative agency industry.
• Strong understanding of creative services and how projects are delivered and staffed to meet client expectations, on time and on budget.
• Proficiency in resource management software and tools.
• Strong analytical and quantitative skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate across various departments.
• Strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities.
• Well organised, proactive, process-driven and dedicated, with an outgoing personality and can-do attitude.
• Exceptional diligence and attention to detail as well as resourcefulness and quick, practical thinking in a demanding environment.

Explore our extensive range of benefits here.

AKQA is an Equal Opportunities Employer, we believe that diversity is vital to AKQA’s ability to provide our clients with the best recommendations and are committed to fostering a varied and inclusive work environment. Your race, color, ancestry, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability or veteran status have no bearing on our hiring decisions. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.