Creative Operations Manager

About Toptal Toptal is a global network of top talent in business, design, and technology that enables companies to scale their teams, on-demand. With $200+ million in annual revenue and team members based around the globe, Toptal is the world’s largest fully remote workforce. We take the best elements of virtual teams and combine them with a support structure that encourages innovation, social interaction, and fun. We see no borders, move at a fast pace, and are never afraid to break the mold. Job Summary: We are looking for an organized, adaptable, and proactive Creative Operations Manager to join our dynamic Creative Team. Reporting to the Director of Creative Operations, you will own the operational side of the creative process from intake through delivery, partnering closely with Creative Leads and cross-functional stakeholders to ensure projects are well-defined, appropriately prioritized, and delivered on time and aligned with brief. This is a fast-paced environment where priorities can shift quickly. The ideal candidate is a confident problem solver and strong collaborator who can bring structure to complexity, anticipate challenges, and create clarity across multiple projects and stakeholders. You will also play an important role in identifying opportunities to improve workflows and create more efficient ways of working for the Creative Team. You will provide regular visibility into project health, including work that is missing critical information, behind schedule, at risk, or otherwise impacted, and proactively work with the team to address issues before they become blockers. This is a remote position, but candidates must work within one hour of Eastern Time (US). We do not offer visa sponsorship or assistance. Resumes and communication must be submitted in English. Responsibilities: The following information is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or required skills. • Serve as a primary operations partner for complex creative projects, including advertising campaigns, video, podcasts, social, and other creative initiatives across channels. • Own project planning and execution from intake through final delivery, developing project plans, roadmaps, timelines, and milestones while maintaining accurate project information and status within project management tools. • Review incoming creative briefs and partner with the Director of Creative Operations to manage the Creative Team’s weekly intake process, ensuring projects are clearly defined, appropriately scoped, prioritized, and ready for the Creative Team before kickoff. Identify and resolve gaps or questions early while helping evaluate timelines, team capacity, and appropriate project assignments. • Partner with Creative Leads and cross-functional stakeholders to balance needs, business priorities, resources, and deadlines, while proactively identifying and resolving risks, capacity constraints, dependencies, and potential timeline impacts. • Facilitate project kickoffs and weekly status meetings, ensuring deliverables, owners, timelines, decisions, and next steps are clearly documented and communicated. • Provide regular project updates and reporting to maintain visibility into priorities, project health, as well as overdue, at-risk, blocked, or otherwise impacted work. • Escalate complex or high-impact issues to the Director of Creative Operations with clear context and recommended solutions. • Proactively identify risks, capacity constraints, dependencies, and potential timeline impacts, and develop solutions to keep projects on track. • Identify opportunities to streamline workflows, improve processes, and increase operational efficiency across the Creative Team. • Contribute to a culture of accountability, collaboration, transparency, and continuous improvement. In the first week, expect to: • Meet key Creative Team members, leads, and cross-functional partners. • Gain an understanding of Toptal, our business, and what sets us apart. • Become familiar with our brand strategy, guidelines, messaging, and governance processes. • Learn the team structure, roles, priorities, and ways of working. In the first month, expect to: • Develop a strong understanding of incoming creative briefs and project requirements. • Independently create project timelines and establish clear milestones for deliverables. • Coordinate and facilitate project kickoffs, including documenting key decisions and next steps. • Become proficient in our project management tools and processes. • Establish a regular cadence for tracking and communicating project status with the Creative Team. In the first three months, expect to: • Independently manage multiple creative projects from intake through delivery. Exercise discretion and independent judgment. • Build strong working relationships with Creative Leads and key stakeholders. • Proactively identify workflow challenges and recommend opportunities for improvement. • Establish a strong understanding of team capacity, priorities, and project dependencies. In the first six months, expect to: • Effectively plan and manage timelines across multiple projects and quarterly priorities. • Take ownership of increasingly complex and cross-functional projects. • Contribute to improving and documenting Creative Operations processes. • Help develop scalable onboarding resources and processes for future Creative Operations team members. In the first year, expect to: • Take a strategic view of Creative Operations processes and identify opportunities to streamline and optimize how the team works. • Implement improvements that increase efficiency, clarity, and predictability across the creative workflow. • Build strong partnerships across Creative and cross-functional teams. • Take on additional operational responsibilities and contribute to the continued evolution of the Creative Operations function. Qualifications and Job Requirements: • Bachelor’s degree is required. • 5+ years of project or creative operations experience within an advertising agency, design studio, creative department, or similar environment. • Demonstrated experience managing multiple creative projects with competing priorities and deadlines. • Strong understanding of creative workflows and the ability to translate business needs into clear, actionable project plans. • Experience working with project management platforms such as Asana, Jira, Trello, Monday.com, or similar tools. • Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly communicate project requirements, status, risks, and decisions. • Strong organizational skills and exceptional attention to detail. • Ability to remain calm, resourceful, and solutions-oriented when managing tight deadlines or shifting priorities. • Strong relationship-building and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively across Creative and non-Creative teams. • A proactive mindset and demonstrated ability to identify opportunities for process improvement and operational efficiency. • Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, and take ownership in a fast-paced, highly collaborative environment. • Ability to work in a fast-paced, rapidly growing company and handle a wide variety of challenges, deadlines, and a diverse array of contacts. • At Toptal, you’ll be expected to be a world-class individual contributor. This role is not simply about coordinating work or telling others what to do, you’ll be expected to actively contribute, solve problems, improve processes, and help the team operate at its best. Compensation Additional Information