Executive Director, Creative Operations

Description
Operations & Production

· Own the operating model for creative development — workflow design, resourcing, and review and approval processes — that allows brands move through high-volume production without sacrificing creative quality.

· Continuously evolve the operational infrastructure; identify opportunities to improve and refine the brief/review/approval processes and communication cadences to increase efficiency and scale creative output.

· Continuously assess and refine both internal and external production workflows. Identify and propose improvements that increase production efficiency and content quality over time.

· Develop strategies for situations where processes do not exist; identify out-of-date processes and work with the internal team to develop new ones.

· Build and maintain relationships with a reliable network of freelancers and production agencies and partners; assess and onboard new vendors when needed and as the team and creative needs expand.

· Provide leadership and guidance to the Operations and Production Directors and their teams and serve as an escalation point when needed.

Planning & Team Leadership

· Partner with the VP of Creative to:

o Implement the next iteration of the team’s operating model through organizational redesign, refined processes and ways of working, and integrating external agency partnerships where needed.

o Shape the strategy for creative development and serve as partners to brand GMs and leadership teams to align brand vision and creative execution with broader business goals.

o Lead, coach, and grow the team, scaling capacity with full-time, freelance, and agency resources as creative needs develop.

· Apply data-informed insights and KPIs to connect creative decisions to sales profitability, brand growth, and customer engagement.

· Forecast and manage operational and production budgets, scoping all initiatives with full accountability to ROI.

· Evaluate and integrate AI and emerging technology into creative workflows to help expand the team's capabilities and optimize efficiency.

· Establish and develop strong relationships across brands, cross-functional teams, and with outside creative and production agencies

· Develop budgets and cost analyses and partner with finance and procurement on planning and execution for special initiatives.

Operations & Production

· Own the operating model for creative development — workflow design, resourcing, and review and approval processes — that allows brands move through high-volume production without sacrificing creative quality.

· Continuously evolve the operational infrastructure; identify opportunities to improve and refine the brief/review/approval processes and communication cadences to increase efficiency and scale creative output.

· Continuously assess and refine both internal and external production workflows. Identify and propose improvements that increase production efficiency and content quality over time.

· Develop strategies for situations where processes do not exist; identify out-of-date processes and work with the internal team to develop new ones.

· Build and maintain relationships with a reliable network of freelancers and production agencies and partners; assess and onboard new vendors when needed and as the team and creative needs expand.

· Provide leadership and guidance to the Operations and Production Directors and their teams and serve as an escalation point when needed.

Qualifications
Qualifications

· 12+ years of experience in creative operations or creative project management either from within an agency or brand environment.

· Deep understanding of best practice creative and production processes. Experience implementing process changes/improvements and setting strategic goals.

· Excellent written and verbal communication skills

· Experience interfacing and building relationships with multiple stakeholders and functions across a large, matrixed organization.

· Excellent knowledge of 360 campaign execution formats including social, digital, print, events, etc. Ability to take ownership of projects and follow through.

· Excellent knowledge of digital formats for ecommerce, online ads, social, etc.

· Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment, juggling multiple projects and priorities at all times, with resilience, adaptability, and a solutions-oriented mindset.

· Proactive, problem solver with a can-do approach.

· Deep appreciation for beauty, culture, design, and consumer trends, with a constant curiosity for what's next.

· Passion for exploring AI as a tool to improve workflows, efficiency, and innovation.

· Experience working with agency relationships, creative production, talent, and external partners.

· Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent.