Creative Studio Manager in Leeds

SALARY - £37,000 - £45,000

CONTRACT - Full-time, permanent. Part-time (school hours, Monday–Friday) will also be considered.

BENEFITS - Enjoy a share in our success with an EOT bonus, healthcare scheme, enhanced pension, unlimited holidays, and the freedom of a flexible working environment.

LOCATION - Based in North Leeds, with the flexibility to work remotely or in a way that works best for you.

REPORTING TO - Head of Tech & Innovation

About the role: As Creative Studio Manager, you will play a pivotal role in overseeing the day-to-day operations of our studio and ensuring that projects are executed seamlessly. This role acts as the bridge between Creative, Production and Operations Teams, ensuring the right resources, timelines and behaviours are in place to set each project up for success. This position will directly report to the Director of Experiences and will work closely with the wider Experience Team to drive the success of our company strategy.

Role Purpose: Our Experience Team is Operations, Creative Strategy, Design, Production and Event Technology who combine to create world-class experiences. The Creative Studio Manager will knit the needs of the non-Operations teams together with those of the Operations team, working alongside the Operations Resource Manager. As work flows into the Creative Studio you will review the requirements, help define the brief deliverables and determine the timescale, resources and workflow.

Profile:

• A 'can-do' attitude that is relentlessly focused on finding solutions and keeping momentum.
• Friendly, approachable, and expert at building strong networks and lasting partnerships.
• People-focused with a commercial understanding of managing resources wisely and effectively.
• Confident in our vision, but always pragmatic and open to the best, most effective approach.
• Deeply empathetic; we genuinely care for our team, our partners, and our clients.

Operational and Production Leadership:

• Lead and streamline the creative & production daily operations, taking full ownership of resource allocation, scheduling, and workflow processes.
• Be the go-to contact for all creative and production resourcing needs.
• The Production resourcing falls under the remit of the Technical Director, so you will provide support communicating, contracting and onboarding freelancers.
• You will bring your own network of trusted freelancers to add to our own roster.
• Confidently challenge timelines, briefs or resourcing requests where they are not feasible or commercially viable.
• Track and report on studio utilisation, delivery performance and resource efficiency, using data to inform planning and continuous improvement.
• Quickly onboard and coordinate all agency creative freelance requirements.
• Develop and implement smart operational approaches and processes that proactively improve productivity and drive down costs.
• Proactively identify obstacles, risks, and issues, and immediately communicate them to key stakeholders to limit project impact.

Team & Resource Scheduling / Management:

• Partner with the project management team to ensure our creative output directly aligns with project goals.
• Direct and manage the creative team's resource and workflow, acting as the immediate point of contact for any issues.
• Welcome and support the seamless onboarding of creative freelancers and new permanent team members.
• Build strong, trusting relationships with the creative team to understand and support their workloads effectively.
• Support the Creative Lead & Head of Creative Strategy in identifying any skills or competency gaps and recommending appropriate training.

Budget and Resource Management:

• Ensure all required resources align perfectly with budgets for both internal pitches and external client projects, embodying our commercial understanding.
• Prepare budgets and time estimations for internal and design-only projects.
• Examine shape and scope of creative briefs to understand the outcome and output, before work is scheduled, budgeted and delivered.
• Explore repeat project delivery history, profitability and any project over-run which may impact future costing.
• Maximise the effectiveness of internal team time versus freelance investment.
• Implement strategic time management and actively book freelance resources well in advance to prevent delays and secure the best talent.
• Continuously seek out and refine operational processes to enhance overall efficiency and quality.
• Target and solve bottlenecks, implementing fixes and monitoring their effectiveness to prevent projects stalling.
• Foster clear and consistent communication systems and processes with both internal teams and external partners.
• Alongside the Operations Resource Manager and Process Director develop and deliver internal training required which supports best practice.

Partnership with Project Management:

• Connect and partner with the Operations Resource Manager and team to align on project timelines, budgets, and client expectations.
• Work closely across the Client Services & Account Owners to get advance notice of potential projects, allowing us to line up the right resources immediately.
• Serve as a core connector between the creative and project management teams to facilitate smooth, rapid project execution.

Additional areas to consider:

• Experience with Project Management software beneficial.
• First event use Paprika & Asana.
• Experience with interpreting and applying Brand Guidelines.

Personal Specifications:

• Attitude is everything. We love working with positive people who will bring a great energy to the role and the company.
• A proactive, solutions-driven person with a passion for detail excellence and continuous improvement.
• Significant experience working within an event agency or creative environment.
• Strong understanding of Creative processes, workflow design, resource planning, and quality assurance within events.
• Exceptional organisational skills with the ability to design, document, and communicate clear processes.
• An excellent communicator who builds bridges, not barriers, and clearly articulates the ‘why’ as well as the ‘when’ and ‘how’.
• Tech-savvy, with a strong aptitude for learning new tools and driving user adoption across the team.
• Can translate clients briefs from impossible to plausible.
• We would love to hear from candidates who demonstrate awareness of sustainability and contribute to promoting environmentally and socially responsible practices within their role.