Creative Studio Manager (Full-Time / Permanent) - London Zoo

Overview

Are you as passionate about spreadsheets as you are about sloths?

We're looking for a new Creative Studio Manager, to help our in-house creative team produce great work, and to liaise with all the other departments around the organisation who want their ideas brought roaring to life. 

It’s ZSL's purpose to inspire, inform and empower people to stop wild animals going extinct. Our Creative Studio help achieve this goal by producing original and high quality copy, design, exhibition and multimedia content that engages different audiences with the natural world. As studio manager you will be responsible for the scheduling, monitoring and delivery of all of this work.

Role Profile

We’re looking for an experienced, confident, and dynamic studio manager to join ZSL’s creative studio, based at ZSL London Zoo.

Comprising design, live content, interpretation and multimedia, the creative studio is an advocate for creativity across the board, advising on the most creative approach and delivering creative content to meet the needs of the entire organisation.

The perfect candidate will have a creative agency background, a high degree of emotional intelligence, and be willing and confident to engage with colleagues at all levels. You will be flexible and approachable, helpful and accommodating – but always realistic about what can be delivered and able to manage expectations with tact and diplomacy.

In short, you will be the studio glue! You will hold everything together, making sure work that comes in has been properly briefed and well understood, keeping track of it and making sure our internal clients are kept informed on progress. You will keep tabs on who is doing what and herd the creative team in the right direction as required.

You will report in to our Creative Manager of Exhibitions, but with a dotted line direct to the Head of Communications and Content, who will need to be kept up to date with studio workflow and key projects.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• To be the first point of contact for the Studio, advocating the purpose and work of studio and ensuring it is seen as a professional, friendly and highly creative resource.
• Ensuring the correct amount of resource is allocated to each project and that projects are time managed efficiently.
• Create and implement workflow and project management processes to make for a smooth, efficient project lifecycle
• Closely monitor and assist with managing budgets across the creative studio, keeping track of spends and ensuring relevant budget managers are reviewing up to date accounts. Make suggestions for savings where appropriate.
• Check and work with internal clients on briefs and copy instructions for incoming jobs and distribute to the appropriate designers and directors.
• Arrange freelance cover if required, and help manage freelance designers.
• Planning of project resources in collaboration with Creative Managers
• Ensure projects in the studio are delivered on time and budget

Person Specification

• Substantial experience of working in a deadline-driven (ideally creative) environment.
• Previous experience as a studio manager preferable
• Exceptional organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple design projects.
• Exceptional communication skills
• Experience of working in teams and driving efficiency
• The ability to utilise management systems to accurately assess workflow and identify bottlenecks.
• A strong grasp of project controls; budget monitoring, status reporting, risk and change management and production arrangement
• Interest in creative work desirable

To Apply

Applicants will need to upload their CV and covering letter (detailing relevant experience and skills, stating why they want the position and including details of availability) by clicking the "Apply for this job online" button.