Sr. Manager, Creative Services

Job Summary:

The Sr. Manager, Creative Services is an expert in the field of creative management and a proven leader who drives creative assets through production. They are a creative concept facilitator; partnering with Marketing and business leads to produce content and assets that can be used for all channels, while upholding and elevating brand standards.

This person is a forward-thinking and agile leader who is able to create, evolve and execute processes, while accessing and mitigating risks to creative, budget and deadline milestones. They are well versed in all end-to-end campaign lifecycle processes for print, video and digital creative production and production strategy from concept phase, execution, shoot, retouching to final delivery of projects. The leader also cultivates a collaborative workplace; and manages, develops and inspires creative teams.

As a “roll up your sleeves” and do leader of our Creative Services department, you will lead a team of enthusiastic and talented creative and design professionals and contractor resources responsible for executing our organization's marketing and advertising initiatives to achieve corporate, sales and branding objectives. You ensure that brand projects are delivered on schedule and within budget.

Major Responsibilities:

• Lead, develop, inspire, empower and train a team of 4 designers and creative production staff 
• Facilitate holistic brand content across all teams and channels (Marketing, Social Media, Design) to tell the AF and WTC Brand story through still and video shoot production 
• Collaborate with Marketing and Business leaders to ensure alignment on content development and production, milestones, budget and expense decisions and risk implications if not met 
• Review and understand creative goals of each Campaign project that has creative content and asset execution 
• Partner with lead designer for recommending and identifying appropriate talent to for projects; identify when outside resources must be utilized to meet project needs 
• Run all day to day aspects Creative Services to take projects from start to finish. Ensure that the creative team is firing on all cylinders, making hand offs on time, meeting deadlines, setting up key creative meetings and with key stakeholders. Make sure all presentations are tight. 
• Forecast, oversee and balance Creative Services project budgets, timelines and resource utilization 
• Create and implement centralized content and asset creation, operations milestone and workflow with Creative staff, identify means to improve processes and management of creative assets with external vendor for Franchise consumption 
• Monitor utilization of creative assets by Franchisees to ensure resources are being spent appropriately, and devise recommendations to change deliverables as needed 
• Negotiate contract rates with external suppliers 
• Create an environment that encourages cross-functional inclusion, collaboration and alignment; in which the creative process operates with high efficiencies 
• Source and manage innovating, efficiency tools for Creative Services team (i.e. DAM Systems, workflow tools, resource utilization) 
• Pattern and understand marketing, digital, photography / video, social media trends to stay relevant and to elevate the AF and WTC Brands

Qualifications:

• 10-15 years of experience focusing on the management of Creative Services, Operations or Creative teams 
• Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing, Production or Business or equivalent experience 
• Experience with creative briefs; ability to recognize a great brief or when the brief needs more work and resolve with business leads 
• Experience and knowledge in print, video and digital production including shoots, retouching and video post-production 
• Network of talent (writers, editors, photographers, stylists etc.) and existing relationships are a plus 
• Experience in leading a creative team 
• Capable of handling numerous projects in a fast-paced, high pressured environment 
• Ability to evaluate, establish and manage process and timelines within a cross-functional environment 
• Strong leadership voice that believes in inclusion 
• Experience providing clarity and direction within a high volume environment; and ability to scrutinize requests and elevate when necessary 
• Detail-oriented with the ability to multi-task 
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills; 
• High comfort level facilitating/running meetings. 
• Ability to work autonomously and demonstrate change agility in ambiguity 
• Proven ability in effective problem-solving 
• Be able to balance corporate and creative culture