Operations Specialist, Creative Services

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in District of Columbia, +1 more state.

📋 Description

• Manage comprehensive creative production systems across print, digital, video, and various other creative outputs.

• Act as a liaison between creative teams and program stakeholders.

• Enhance resource distribution and standardize creative production workflows.

• Uphold brand integrity and guarantee the timely delivery of high-quality creative outputs.

• Oversee project scheduling, task delegation, resource management, and coordination with vendors and freelance professionals.

• Handle creative projects from the point of content receipt to final distribution and fulfillment.

• Balance the utilization of in-house and external creative resources while anticipating production demands.

• Maintain the creative technology framework, including project management tools, digital asset management systems, and fulfillment pipelines.

• Supervise freelance designers, videographers, editors, production agencies, and other creative collaborators.

• Align projects with creative professionals based on audience, format, and tone.

• Facilitate collaborative creative and video review sessions with program teams.

• Manage relationships with commercial print and production partners.

• Negotiate pricing, oversee contracts, optimize production budgets, and perform prepress/pre-flight checks, rough-cut reviews, digital proofing, and quality assurance.

• Develop interconnected processes and enforce standard operating procedures.

• Create production-ready handoff protocols for incoming content.

• Coordinate the preparation and distribution of creative assets across various channels.

• Direct logistics for fulfillment, distribution, physical mailings, and inventory management systems.

• Monitor inventory levels and distribution metrics, manage reprint cycles, administer creative production and digital asset management tools, and assist staff in ordering materials.

• Provide functional leadership to external creative resources without direct supervisory responsibilities.

⛳️ Requirements

• A minimum of five years of experience in creative operations, project management, or production management within a marketing agency, nonprofit, or publishing sector.

• Proven experience in managing freelance creative talent, negotiating contracts, and procuring commercial print services.

• Proficient understanding of Adobe Creative Cloud workflows, including InDesign, Illustrator, and Acrobat Pro.

• Experience with project management tools such as Asana.

• Familiarity with digital asset management systems and prepress file specifications.

• Exceptional written and verbal communication abilities.

• Strong skills in creative project and production management.

• Excellent organizational and resource management capabilities.

• Capacity to manage tight deadlines, competing priorities, and high-volume production timelines.

• Proficiency in managing budgets, vendors, external agencies, freelance talent, and production partners.

• Advanced skills in contract negotiation, procurement, quality assurance, and production management.

• Ability to connect creative, technical, and operational requirements for non-technical stakeholders.

• Skill in influencing, coordinating, and collaborating across teams without formal supervisory authority.

• Strong problem-solving abilities.

• Advanced understanding of creative operations, production management, and end-to-end creative workflows.

• Advanced knowledge of marketing and creative development processes.

• Extensive knowledge of print, digital, video, and multimedia production processes.

• Advanced understanding of commercial printing, print procurement, prepress/pre-flight requirements, digital proofing, and quality assurance.

• Advanced knowledge of managing creative vendors, freelancers, production agencies, and contractors.

• Advanced expertise in project scheduling, resource allocation, workflow management, and production planning.

• Advanced knowledge of digital asset management systems and multi-channel publishing platforms.

• Advanced understanding of creative technology systems and project management platforms.

• Advanced knowledge regarding fulfillment, distribution, physical mailing, inventory management, and reprint processes.

• Experience in developing and implementing standard operating procedures and production-ready handoff protocols.

• High proficiency in Google Workspace and project management tools such as Asana.

• Strong working knowledge of digital asset management systems, multi-channel publishing platforms, and Adobe Creative Cloud workflows.

• Proficiency in InDesign, Illustrator, Acrobat Pro, Slack, Zoom, and operational reporting dashboards.

• Willingness and ability to travel up to 15% of the time, including overnight travel.

• Professional certifications like CAPM, Adobe Certified Professional in Print & Digital Media Publication, and Asana Project Management Certificate are preferred but not mandatory.

🏝️ Benefits

• Employer-shared medical and dental insurance premiums.

• Employer-covered short- and long-term disability insurance.

• Employer-sponsored life insurance.

• Employer-paid accidental death and dismemberment insurance.

• Flexible spending accounts for medical and dependent care.

• Commuter pre-tax benefits.

• 401(k) eligibility with a 5% employer match.

• Immediate 401(k) vesting upon meeting eligibility criteria.

• Paid holidays.

• Paid time off.

• Personal days.

• Option for remote work.