Creative and Studio Manager in Blackburn

Overview of the Company
Pets Choice is an ever-evolving FMCG branded pet products manufacturer and supplier. As one of the fastest-growing producers in the pet-care industry, we’re committed to elevating our large, diverse portfolio of trusted brands, including Webbox, Bob Martin, Felight, Vets Kitchen, Hownd and Meatiful. Our products range from food, treats, toys, accessories, and healthcare, giving us a uniquely broad presence across the pet-care landscape. We manufacture and supply into a wide range of channels including Grocery, Discounter, Wholesale, eCommerce, Pet Specialist, and Export markets, ensuring our brands reach pet owners across the UK and beyond.

Overview of the Role
This role is a unique opportunity to help build distinctive, loved brands while delivering commercial outcomes. As Creative and Studio Manager, you are the driving force behind our creative department. This is a leadership role designed for a creative leader who balances high-level creative guardianship with operational excellence. You don't just manage tasks; you shape the team environment and lead them to deliver creative excellence. Leading a multidisciplinary team, you will oversee the full lifecycle of brand production from initial concept to final execution. By bridging the gap between strategic brand vision and tangible output, you will ensure every asset across channels meets the highest standards of quality, innovation, and efficiency. You will be part of a multi-functional marketing team based in Blackburn, with occasional travel to other company sites. You should be confident and comfortable around pets (cats, dogs, and small animals) and bring extensive creative experience, ideally including FMCG. Experience in food or pet care categories would be an advantage but is not essential. With ambitious company growth plans, this is a fantastic opportunity to lead and grow our creative and content team and make a meaningful impact on the business.

What will make you successful
You are passionate about developing compelling communications and building brands people love to deliver commercial results. You bring creativity, strong leadership, and organisation skills, a positive and proactive mindset, and the confidence to make things happen. You’re collaborative and enjoy working in a fast-paced FMCG environment, with a balance of creativity and commercial thinking.

Main Responsibilities

• Strategic Creative Leadership: Partner with the Lead Designer and agency partners to translate strategic brand pillars into impactful visual assets across all media. Act as the final gatekeeper for all output, ensuring every piece of work aligns with brand guidelines and maintains a best-in-class aesthetic. Stay at the forefront of creative technology to enhance both the creative process and the final product. Responsible for building and developing the team and infrastructure over time to bring content production in-house, where relevant. Over time successfully migrate content work from external agencies to the internal team, reducing third-party spend while increasing speed-to-market.
• Production Management: Owns the full production lifecycle, from initial scamping and storyboarding to final post-production and delivery, including budget management. Lead and run live productions, including photography shoots, video content creation, ensuring creative vision is maintained on set. Serves as the final sign-off for all technical specifications, including colour grading, retouching, and audio engineering, ensuring 'broadcast-ready' quality across all assets. Co-manages the post-production process with internal and external producers, ensuring seamless editing, motion graphics, and sound design workflows.
• Operational Excellence: Design, implement, and refine the end-to-end creative workflows to eliminate bottlenecks and maximise studio time without compromising quality. Oversee the trafficking of all jobs, utilising data-driven insights to review productivity and profitability. Manage digital asset outputs, including the evolution of our online photo libraries, naming conventions, and 3rd-party release protocols.
• Resource Management: Manage the distribution of internal resources across multiple complex projects. Scope project feasibility, source competitive quotes, and manage production budgets to ensure financial health across all creative ventures. Lead negotiations with external suppliers, directors, and artists’ agents. Oversee the licensing of artistic material across various global territories and formats on a campaign-to-campaign basis.
• PR, Events & Brand Experience: Leads the creative direction and execution of flagship UK and international industry events (e.g., Crufts, Interzoo, PATS), transforming static trade stands into immersive brand experiences. Oversees the PR function, ensuring brand storytelling is consistent across earned media and managing relationships with journalists and industry influencers. Manages the brand’s awards strategy, identifying opportunities for industry recognition and leading the submission process to elevate the company’s profile.
• Team Management: Directly manage and mentor a team of four, fostering a culture of accountability, high performance, and continuous learning. Lead recruitment and selection efforts to build the team with top-tier creative and technical talent (artworker, videographers). Conduct performance reviews and map out development paths for direct reports, ensuring the team’s skills remain industry leading. Build strong working relationships across the business, learning how to influence and gain buy-in from stakeholders.
• Other: Attend events and conferences across the UK and occasionally internationally, representing the brands professionally. Other tasks as necessitated by your role within the organisation and the overall business objectives of the organisation.

Skills and Experience

Essential: 7+ years’ experience in a senior creative leadership or studio management role, preferably within a high-growth brand or top-tier agency. Expert knowledge of the creative production process across digital, print, and motion. A forward-thinking approach to creative solutions, with a proven ability to improve workflows. Strong negotiation and budget management skills. A natural mentor with a track record of managing and developing diverse creative teams. Can translate complex ideas into clear, visually compelling designs. A self-starter who is an enthusiastic team player with excellent communication and interpersonal skills who can work collaboratively across teams and influence at a senior level. Experience of ATL/BTL campaign management end to end. Confident and comfortable around pets (cats, dogs, small animals).

Desired: AI fluency: familiarity with AI tools for content support and workflow automation; commitment to responsible use. Experience in-house or agency-side working on FMCG brand campaigns. Have knowledge of packaging artwork design and implementation processes. Experience of working within an innovation stage gate process.

Qualifications: Bachelor’s/University Degree, or similar qualification, in a design, marketing or production-related subject (required).