At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a creative team to deliver impactful projects for a beloved education brand.
- Company: Join Twinkl Educational Publishing, a friendly and inclusive workplace.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, flexible remote work, and professional development opportunities.
- Why this job: Shape the future of education while inspiring creativity in a dynamic environment.
- Qualifications: Experience in managing creative projects and a strong eye for design.
- Other info: Be part of a global mission that makes a difference to millions.
The predicted salary is between 41500 - 55000 ÂŁ per year.
Join to apply for the Studio Creative Manager (Maternity Cover - 12 months Fixed Term contract) role at Twinkl Educational Publishing.
Location: Twinkl HQ, Sheffield (on-site) or Remote (UK-based)
Contract Type: Full time, Fixed-term (12 months mat cover)
Annual Salary: ÂŁ41,500 to ÂŁ55,000
Hours: 37.5h per week - Monday to Friday
The Role
Help shape the creative direction of one of the UK’s most loved education brands. We’re looking for a highly collaborative and strategically minded Studio Creative Manager to join us during a pivotal phase of growth. This isn’t just about managing projects; it’s about leading and inspiring a talented in-house team to deliver consistent, high-quality, and impactful creative across all brand, campaign, and marketing materials, ensuring our brand identity consistently resonates with our audience.
In this unique role, you’ll be the crucial link between strategy and execution. You’ll draw on your extensive experience with integrated campaigns to take a first look at strategies, identifying key questions and ensuring clarity before our creative pods are even briefed. Your keen visual eye, firm grasp of copy and messaging, and storytelling expertise will be vital as you provide art direction, constructive feedback, and unwavering support, ensuring our creative bar remains exceptionally high and bold thinking flourishes across the team, driving innovation in how we connect with our users.
Beyond the creative output, you’ll ensure our team is harnessing the power of the latest technology and making the most of software and tooling, specifically Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, and Canva, to build robust workflows and efficient templates. This is a unique opportunity to step into a key leadership position, empowering our creatives and significantly contributing to Twinkl’s brand and marketing evolution.
How You’ll Spend Your Day
- Reviewing new campaign strategies to identify core creative challenges and opportunities.
- Working with our Creative Technologist to champion adoption of tools like Figma and automation-based processes, embedding them into the creative workflow to improve speed, scalability, and collaboration.
- Offering hands‑on art direction and visual guidance where needed — from layouts and visuals to campaign storytelling — drawing on your own creative background.
- Guiding the in‑house creative team through projects, ensuring high quality, brand consistency, and timely delivery.
- Collaborating closely with marketing, production, and other teams to align creative output with broader objectives and improve workflow efficiency.
- Supporting and managing a multidisciplinary creative team, including designers, copywriters, and motion specialists — setting clear priorities, timelines, and expectations.
- Identifying and implementing new tools and technologies (including AI) to boost creative efficiency and scalability.
- Developing and refining creative templates, scalable processes, and studio systems to streamline production.
- Mentoring and supporting individual creatives to foster growth, skill development, and a creative‑first culture where experimentation and originality are encouraged.
- Staying on top of creative trends to inspire innovative thinking within the team.
- Acting as a creative quality gatekeeper, providing constructive feedback across brand and marketing projects to ensure visual consistency and impact.
To Succeed in the Role, You Will
- Have proven experience managing creative projects and people in a busy studio environment, ideally in‑house or within a fast‑moving brand or agency.
- Possess strong creative instincts and a sharp eye for design, layout, branding and visual storytelling.
- Be confident offering hands‑on creative direction and strategic input, even when not executing directly.
- Be a skilled traffic and resource manager – able to prioritise, balance multiple workstreams, and adapt quickly when things shift.
- Understand brand marketing, campaign rollouts and creative for digital platforms.
- Be a positive, proactive team leader who brings out the best in others – with strong mentoring and communication skills.
- Have a collaborative, ego‑free approach and a passion for solving problems creatively and strategically.
KPIs
- Work closely with team leads across design, copy, motion, and production to ensure projects are well‑shaped from the start, enabling the Head of Creative to review work at a more polished stage and with fewer reworks.
- Champion and embed the use of tools like Figma and automation‑based processes (in collaboration with the Creative Technologist) to improve speed, consistency, and cross‑team collaboration.
- Support the creative studio in running efficiently and effectively, with projects delivered on time, to brief, and supported by streamlined, scalable workflows.
- Maintain consistent creative quality across all outputs, with strong feedback from stakeholders.
- Support creative team members in their development – measured by team feedback, output improvement, and adoption of new tools and processes.
- Help evolve and embed best practice in creative workflows, tooling, and studio operations.
Who This Is Perfect For
This is ideal for a senior‑level creative manager with art direction / creative experience, ready to step into a leadership role during an exciting chapter at Twinkl. You’ll balance creative direction and project oversight with people‑focused leadership – helping a team thrive while shaping how our brand looks, feels and performs across channels. We’re looking for someone who can keep the whole creative operation running smoothly – part creative lead, part process champion.
This person will sit between the creative and production teams, helping to shape briefs, spot gaps early, and make sure the creative team has everything they need to do their best work. They’ll work closely with project managers and production to streamline workflows, build smart systems, and make the most of AI‑powered automation tools to keep delivery efficient without ever compromising quality. They won’t be doing hands‑on creative every day, but they do need to understand what great work looks like, and know how to help others get there. Someone who can balance creative direction with people management, process, and production. Ultimately, we need someone who’s organised, collaborative, and confident – a calm, creative eye who can keep projects moving, raise the bar on quality, and make sure the studio runs like clockwork.
Why Twinkl is a Great Place to Be
- A friendly, people‑first culture
- Flexible, remote‑first working
- An inclusive environment supported by Employee Networks (LGBTQ+, People of Colour, Women in Tech, Working Parents, and more)
- CPD, mentoring, and development opportunities
- A global mission that makes a difference to millions of educators, parents and children
If you require a reasonable adjustment to the application/selection process to enable you to demonstrate your ability to perform the job requirements, please include this at the foot of your covering letter.
Additional Details
- Seniority level: Mid‑Senior level
- Employment type: Full‑time
- Job function: Design, Art/Creative, and Information Technology
- Industries: Primary and Secondary Education
Studio Creative Manager (Maternity Cover - 12 months Fixed Term contract) in Sheffield employer: Twinkl Educational Publishing
Contact Detail:
Twinkl Educational Publishing Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Studio Creative Manager (Maternity Cover - 12 months Fixed Term contract) in Sheffield
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the industry, attend events, and connect with potential colleagues on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its culture. Understand their values and how they align with your own. This will help you tailor your responses and show that you're genuinely interested in being part of their team.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! Be ready to talk about your experience and how it relates to the role of Studio Creative Manager. Highlight your leadership skills and creative vision, and don’t forget to showcase your knowledge of tools like Figma and Adobe Creative Suite.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining Twinkl and contributing to our mission of making a difference in education.
We think you need these skills to ace Studio Creative Manager (Maternity Cover - 12 months Fixed Term contract) in Sheffield
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Creative Side: When you're writing your application, let your creativity shine through! Use engaging language and showcase your unique style. Remember, this role is all about creativity, so don’t hold back!
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Studio Creative Manager position. Highlight relevant experience and skills that align with the job description. We want to see how you can contribute to our creative team!
Be Clear and Concise: While we love creativity, clarity is key! Make sure your application is easy to read and straight to the point. Use bullet points where necessary to break down your achievements and experiences.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets into the right hands. Plus, it shows us you’re keen on joining the Twinkl family!
How to prepare for a job interview at Twinkl Educational Publishing
✨Know Your Creative Stuff
Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of design principles, branding, and visual storytelling. Be ready to discuss your past projects and how you've led creative teams to success. This role is all about inspiring others, so show them you know what great work looks like!
✨Familiarise Yourself with Tools
Since the job involves using tools like Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, and Canva, it’s a good idea to get comfortable with these platforms. If you can, bring examples of how you've used these tools in previous roles to streamline workflows or enhance creative output.
✨Show Your Leadership Skills
This position requires a strong leader who can manage a multidisciplinary team. Prepare to share examples of how you've mentored creatives, set clear priorities, and fostered a collaborative environment. Highlight your ability to balance creative direction with people management.
✨Be Ready for Strategic Discussions
The role is not just about creativity; it's also about strategy. Be prepared to discuss how you approach campaign rollouts and how you ensure that creative output aligns with broader marketing objectives. Show them you can think critically and strategically about creative challenges.