Senior Project Manager - Branding & Design Agency in Cardiff

One of our exceptional clients is looking for a Senior Project Manager to join their independent studio based in Central London. This is an incredible opportunity to join a very creative studio that works on high-end clients and only the most interesting projects. They are well respected, and the quality of work and output is at the highest level. Design sits at the heart of everything they do. They specialise in creative direction, motion and design and have worked with influential brands, artists and organisations from high luxury to successful music artists and filmmakers.

The Senior Project Manager role is key at the studio. Working alongside the Founder/Creative Director, Business Partner/Strategy Director and the wider design team, the successful applicant will be responsible for managing and delivering multiple projects across a range of sectors, spanning culture and commerce. The Senior Project Manager will need to deliver on projects end to end.

What the day to day will look like:

• Define project scopes, budgets and key objectives/deliverables
• Create written client-facing project proposals, clearly articulating key stages of work
• Create project timelines and internal design briefs
• Set-up and maintain all new project folders and filing systems
• Manage projects from inception to delivery across multiple client accounts
• Run weekly internal project planning sessions
• Run weekly internal resource sessions with the design team
• Manage studio workflow, including long-term resource planning
• Schedule key client and internal meetings/reviews
• Capture and document all client updates clearly for wider team review
• Filter and distil feedback where relevant, to relevant team members
• Review all client-facing materials before work leaves the studio
• Ensure projects are delivered on time and on budget
• Support Senior Management team in developing and building new projects
• Develop and maintain long-lasting client relationships

Production:

• Liaise with clients to determine and manage production budgets and schedules
• Liaise with external suppliers/contractors on all areas of production (print, digital, photography etc)
• Managing licensing to include: typefaces, stock imagery, stock footage, sound

Financial Administration:

• Financial reconciliation across all projects, i.e.: Tracking project expenditure
• Raising and issuing client invoices
• Management of external supplier costs across each project (with support from the Senior Management team)

HR:

• Issuing NDAs as required across projects
• Issuing employee and freelance contracts
• Onboarding new employees

The ideal candidate will need to live and breathe project management, timelines and possess exceptional organisational skills and the ability to run projects end to end and be able to be the lynchpin in the studio and communicate effectively.

Key skills required:

• Clear communicator with excellent written and verbal skills
• Exceptional organisational and interpersonal skills
• Strong multi-tasker used to working in a fast-paced environment
• Confident in managing a wide range of projects and personalities
• Pragmatic approach when it comes to tackling challenges and problem solving
• Show initiative and decisiveness under pressure, demonstrating autonomy and agency when required
• Demonstrate the foresight and ability to identify and mitigate potential project delivery issues, before they occur
• Natural ‘can do’ attitude when it comes to supporting project delivery and the team
• Leading internal team meetings and briefings on workflow and project updates
• Personable and confident approach to in-person client communications of all levels from marketing managers to senior leadership members, as required
• Passion for design and culture with a strong understanding of the creative process

Experience:

• Minimum 5 years within the creative industry (ideally within a design/branding agency)
• Experience in delivering product campaigns across multiple platforms
• Apple/Mac literate, with a fluent understanding of Outlook Office Suite, Google Suite and project management tools such as Float, Asana, Trello, Monday
• Understanding and experience of using Adobe Creative Suite (i.e. Acrobat & InDesign)
• Experience working across the following disciplines, due to the diverse nature of the studio’s output: Branding, Packaging, ATL & BTL Advertising Campaigns, Experiential, Digital & App Design, Stills, Motion and CGI

This is a wonderful opportunity for someone who loves project management and high-quality design and branding! The role is an ASAP start!