Program Manager, Design Studio

The Design Studio, Program Manager is responsible for optimizing creative workflows, managing the internal creative team’s workstreams, and driving process improvements to ensure seamless creative execution. This role requires a strong operational mindset, deep project management expertise, and the ability to navigate complex cross-functional relationships.

As the connective tissue between creative, marketing, commercialization, and external partners, this individual ensures efficient resource management, clear prioritization, and structured project execution—ranging from large-scale 360° campaign integration to single-asset deliveries.

This role reports to the Director, Design Studio.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Project Intake & Resource Management

• Manages intake of all creative and production requests including from Brand Managers, channel leads and internal teams, partnering with the Director, Design Studio to determine the appropriate internal or external resources required.
• Maintains visibility into all creative briefs, including those led by channel teams, collaborating on improvements when necessary to ensure strategic alignment and clarity.
• Oversees creative capacity planning, including resource forecasting and contractor management when needed.
• Owns and optimizes project intake tools to improve workflow efficiency and team visibility.
• Develops, socializes, and maintains RACIs for how the team works cross-functionally, ensuring clear roles and responsibilities across key workstreams.

Project & Workflow Management

• Develops, tracks, and maintains project timelines for creative and production deliverables, ensuring deadlines are met.
• Ensures Asana (or other project management tools) is consistently up to date, providing clear tracking of priorities and progress.
• Coordinates project handoffs, ensuring seamless transitions between internal teams, freelancers, and external partners.
• Maintains ongoing communication with requesting teams and stakeholders, proactively identifying blockers and solving for them.
• Leads Ways of Working updates and shareouts, ensuring alignment on evolving processes and expectations across teams.

Team Support & Studio Operations

• Establishes and facilitates key team rituals, including weekly status meetings, creative reviews, and check-ins.
• Acts as the go-to resource for tracking deliverables, gathering necessary inputs, and troubleshooting project bottlenecks.
• Conducts regular bandwidth check-ins with team members to balance workloads and maintain team health.
• Leads onboarding processes and toolkit development for new hires and contractors.
• Supports the Sr. Producer on asset management when needed, ensuring efficient organization and retrieval of creative assets.

Process Development & Optimization

• Defines and evolves ways of working, in collaboration with the Director, Design Studio, to streamline creative workflows and improve collaboration.
• Partners with cross-functional teams to refine creative briefing, feedback loops, and approvals, ensuring seamless execution.
• Triages creative and production intake questions, ensuring alignment and clarity across the organization.
• Manages relationships with select vendor partners, acting as the primary point of contact when needed.
• Assists the Director, Design Studio in creative shares and quarterly reporting to give leadership visibility into team output, productivity, and resourcing needs.

EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS

• 7+ years of experience in program management, creative operations, or project management within a CPG, agency, or in-house creative team.
• Deep expertise in project management tools (Asana, Monday, or similar) and creative workflow systems.
• Strong cross-functional communication and stakeholder management skills, with experience liaising between creative and marketing teams.
• A strategic problem solver with a proactive approach to process optimization and efficiency-building.
• Experience managing resource allocation, contractor oversight, and capacity planning for creative teams.
• Ability to lead internal meetings and team rituals, fostering clear communication and alignment.
• Strong vendor and partner management skills, ensuring smooth collaboration and project execution.
• Familiarity with creative tools, file management, and deck development (Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, Google Workspace) to support team workflows and share work effectively.

REPORTS TO:

Director, Design Studio

COMPENSATION:

$110,000-$120,000