Creative Production Lead

About the Role

ABOUT THE ROLE This role is responsible for managing and leading all production within ITG and our creative studio. You will manage the overall workflow across the team to ensure the end to end process, from briefing to delivery is efficient and effective. You will be responsible primarily for managing our third party, ITG, ensuring the operation delivers efficiency across the full workflow as well as with timing and budgets. The role will also manage Packaging. This is a key role and is intrinsic to the successful delivery of all marketing, POS and VM across the business. You will therefore be responsible for the overall creative and production budget.

Expected salary up to - £90,000 depending on experience Contract type - This position is a Permanent contract. Working pattern/flexible working - The Partnership has adopted a hybrid working approach, meaning you'll be able to work a mixture between the office and home based upon your personal needs whilst balancing the needs of the business. Within the Creative team, we believe in the power of connection, which is why our core office days are Wednesdays and Thursdays. We typically aim for around 3 days a week in the office or our Creative Studios to allow for collaboration and attendance of key meetings. Location - This role is based at our London Head Office campus in Pimlico. Please note, any cost incurred as a result of travel to the office is the responsibility of the successful candidate. There is no travel allowance for this role. (FYI)

Key Responsibilities

• Overall management of ITG and our internal creative team for the day to day delivery of all creative and production
• Resource allocation - ensuring resource is allocated effectively across the teams to deliver the content plan
• Quality assurance - working closely with Marketing Planning to ensure briefs are accepted at the right standard and only put into the system if they are planned, completed and needed
• Ensuring all marketing assets adhere to brand guidelines and quality standards before going live
• Supporting the Head of Creative and Production to identify ways to improve efficiencies in the team across people, timing and budget
• Working with ITG to identify opportunity for driving efficiency and cost savings across photography, production and operations overall
• Managing the packaging team and ensuring all packaging briefs are delivered on time and to budget

Key Skills

• Management expertise - Able to manage upwards effectively to ensure deadlines are delivered and teams operate effectively
• Packaging experience - An understanding of the packaging process from briefing to delivery
• Strong leadership - Highly organised with the ability to manage a wide range of stakeholders in a fast paced environment
• Negotiation - Good at negotiation and conflict resolution.
• Problem solving - Ability to solve operational problems and make effective and timely decisions based on the knowledge available.
• Strong analytical and communication skills
• Ability to cut through noise to find root cause of blockers

Core Skills / Experience

• Third-party management expertise - Extensive experience overseeing large-scale external creative studios
• Packaging proficiency - Demonstrated track record in managing the packaging lifecycle from inception to delivery
• Creative operations leadership - Significant experience leading production and operational workflows within a creative team
• Operational breadth - Comprehensive background in managing complex operations within a dynamic creative environment
• Technical aptitude - High level of proficiency across Google Workspace, including Slides, Sheets, and Docs
• Financial stewardship - Proven ability to manage and deliver creative and production budgets to plan
• Large store retail experience - Proven understanding of the complexities of working in a large store format

Closing Date and Salary

• Closing Date: August 16, 2026
• Pay: £71,700.00 - £111,000.00
• Annual Contract Type: Permanent
• Hours of Work: Various hours required
• Job Level: Partnership Level 5
• Where You'll Be Working: London Central Office, 1 Drummond Gate, London, , SW1V 2QQ

Company Overview

We’re the largest employee owned business in the UK and home of our cherished brands, John Lewis and Waitrose. We’re not just employees, we’re Partners, driven by our purpose to build a happier world. As we look to our future, there’s never been a more exciting time to join us. We’re ruthlessly focused on being brilliant at retail. We continue to innovate, adapt and diversify. Never Knowingly Undersold on price, quality and service in John Lewis and passionately serving food-lovers in Waitrose. As Partners we all share the responsibility of ownership and in its rewards. We use our voices to contribute to our success, working together through the good and challenging times, holding true to our behaviours and treating everyone with kindness and respect. We all own making the Partnership somewhere we belong. Embracing our differences and creating an environment where we’re free to be ourselves and can THRIVE. Growing ourselves individually, and as a collective. As Partners, we make all the difference. And, we all own it. Important points to note: It’s important to note that some of our roles are subject to pre-employment vetting (which may include DBS checks for successful candidates). If required, you’ll be informed and provided with information about vetting during the recruitment process and we encourage you to complete any vetting documents quickly to avoid delays. Any DBS checks required will be carried out by a third-party registered body and financial probity checks may also be required for some of our roles. We also recommend that you apply as soon as possible as vacancies can close early if we see a high number of applicants. We want all of our Partners to have a good work-life balance and we support flexible working. This might mean flexible or compressed hours, job sharing or shorter hour contracts, where possible. Please discuss this further with the hiring manager during your interview. At the John Lewis Partnership we’re not just employees; we’re co-owners, and that’s why we’re called Partners. Being a Partner means not only do we all collectively share the responsibilities of being the UK’s largest employee-owned business, but we also share in its rewards and successes. It’s this ownership model that makes the Partnership a very unique place to work.