Project Manager - Motion (6mth FTC)

Jones Knowles Ritchie is a branding business, founded in 1990 and proudly independent ever since. We started out in the world of packaging, but now we’re worldwide: from three founders, to more than 300 of us across the UK and USA. Together, we build and deliver brands across the entire consumer experience. But even more important than what we do, is why we do it. We’re here to inspire brands and people to be their true selves. To be brave. Be tenacious. And above all, be yourself. Because we believe that’s the only way to truly be distinctive, everywhere.

At JKR, our Motion & CGI team create best-in‑class motion design for some of the world’s biggest brands. The work is bold, fast, and creatively ambitious. But great work doesn’t happen by accident. It runs on precision. That’s where you come in.

The role involves keeping the Motion team running at its best by building and maintaining the operational set up that allows creativity to thrive, which includes but is not exclusive to:

• Making sure the right people are on the right projects at the right time.
• Ensuring work is properly scoped before it starts and that capacity is managed proactively.
• Bringing order to complexity so the team can focus on making exceptional work.

What you’ll be responsible for:

• Resourcing: Own resourcing across all Motion projects, from incoming briefs to final delivery. Maintain a clear, real‑time view of team capacity. Match talent to projects based on skill, availability and creative fit. Spot gaps early and solve them before they become problems. Navigate competing priorities with clarity and fairness.
• Time quoting & scoping: Build accurate, defensible time quotes for all Motion briefs. Translate creative ambition into realistic plans. Track projects against estimates and flag risks early. Develop a robust quoting library to improve accuracy over time. Partner with Client Services and Production to enable smarter planning.
• Freelance management: Own and evolve the Motion freelance roster. Recommend the right talent for the right briefs. Manage bookings end‑to‑end: outreach, onboarding, delivery. Track performance and continuously raise the bar. Identify and onboard new talent to fill capability gaps.
• Operational health: Own resourcing and scheduling tools, keeping them clean and reliable. Identify inefficiencies and implement practical improvements. Report on capacity and utilisation to senior stakeholders. Support forward planning and forecasting for busy periods. Act as the go‑to for Motion availability and capability queries.

What we’re looking for:

• Proven experience in operations, resourcing or production within a creative or motion environment.
• Strong understanding of motion and CGI workflows and how projects are scoped.
• Highly organised, able to juggle multiple moving parts without losing detail.
• Confident with resourcing and project management tools.
• Clear, direct communicator who manages expectations well.
• Commercial awareness, with a solid grasp of time, cost and profitability.
• Collaborative mindset with the ability to build trust across creative and operational teams.

This role is offered as a 6mth Fixed term contract with a potential to extend to a permanent role. To apply please send a CV and a short note covering your current situation and interest in this role based on your skills and experience to date.

At JKR, our goal is to create an equitable, diverse and inclusive workplace that reflects and creates for the societies we live in. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is a long‑term business imperative and a commitment at JKR. You will demonstrate being a DE+I advocate and champion with your actions and participation.

Competitive salary, lively Shoreditch studio location, hybrid working policy (minimum 2 days pw in the studio), Bupa Healthcare (including dental option), income protection & life insurance, Classpass credits, group personal pension, 25 days holiday + time given at Christmas and New Year, summer Fridays x 2, birthday day off, after probation: season ticket loan, cycle to work scheme, enhanced parental leave policies, referral scheme for new hires, 2 weeks work from anywhere, by agreement with line manager.