Creative Operations Manager

• Own and stand up a formal resourcing process from the ground up bringing structure to a high-volume currently instinct-driven workflow.
• Analyze incoming creative requests and forecast resourcing needs against team capacity staying ahead of upcoming projects rather than reacting to them.
• Build and maintain a resource allocation/staffing plan using Everest (GALE proprietary tool) Smartsheets and Excel aligned to production timelines and client deliverables.
• Coordinate the flow of work through the creative process (briefing routing reviews approvals) ensuring on-time quality output.
• Monitor workload across designers writers and producers and rebalance assignments as priorities shift including last-minute changes and reprioritizations.
• Maintain granular real-time visibility into team availability skillsets and utilization (e.g. knowing whos a fast copywriter vs. a strong systems designer) to inform staffing decisions.
• Own and lead a weekly cross-functional resourcing meeting with creative leads account leads and PMs; arriving with proposed solutions rather than reacting to issues without a plan.
• Partner closely with the Director of Program Management and resourcing counterparts to flag capacity gaps and build the case for additional headcount when needed.
• Forecast and roadmap staffing needs on a regular basis (weekly quarterly annually)
• Serve as a go-to resource for creative directors and client partners fielding real-time staffing questions as new projects and shifting priorities arise.
• Establish and refine best practices/processes for resourcing and traffic management with the goal of stabilizing the process within the first 30-60 days.

Integrated Project Management (Growing Focus Over Time)

• Manage project estimation understanding objectives and scope and collaborate across domains to develop an integrated approach.
• Create and own integrated project plans.
• Manage daily scrums status reporting and integrated project communications.
• Manage and help resolve project issues across multiple large cross-disciplinary teams.
• Act as a motivating leader setting goals purpose and direction for the team.
• Foster an open communicative and collaborative work environment including global interoffice relationship building.
• Update clients on weekly project developments and manage client communications expectations negotiations and feedback.

• 6 years of experience in creative operations resource/traffic management or project management within a creative or digital agency environment.
• Experience building or managing creative resourcing/staffing processes on high-volume production accounts.
• Genuinely energized by solving the resourcing puzzle. Last-minute shifts competing priorities and demanding stakeholders dont rattle you; you enjoy the game.
• Strong creative intuition able to quickly learn and track who on the team is strong at what and staff accordingly.
• Comfortable being pulled into ad hoc real-time requests from creative directors and client partners and calmly triaging.
• Confident bringing structure and process to a fluid fast-paced environment with tight timelines and competing priorities.
• Experience (or strong working knowledge of) managing digital marketing campaigns and integrated project delivery with interest in growing into that responsibility over time.
• Experience leading or coordinating cross-disciplinary teams (creative production strategy media).
• Strong organizational multitasking and communication skills.
• Proficiency with project/resource management tools; experience with Everest Smartsheets or similar platforms is a plus.
• Agile and digital execution experience is a bonus.
• Eager to learn new skills platforms and methodologies to adapt to the evolving agency landscape.
• Always self-reflecting on how to improve yourself and the teams processes.
• Comfortable leveraging AI tools and process enhancements to drive efficiency and save time keeping the team agile and focused on high-value creative work.