Creative Services Lead - 12M Ftc

Who we are looking for
We have identified the need for a Creative Services Lead (Senior Manager) to lead a number of our Creative Services and delivery management teams. The Creative Services team drives creative operations (inc resourcing, data, finance and technology) of our creative teams to deliver a world class customer experience across the firm's creative design and experience needs. You will lead and evolve the Creative Services team to best align to current and future design delivery needs. Overall responsibility for day to day running of all Creative Services and suppliers. Responsible for workflow, ServiceNow, team utilisations, management reporting, feedback tracking, Coupa and finance of all teams (onshore, offshore and agencies). You will be driven by agile delivery of projects, understand analytics and effective use of technology to gain better insight into demand and delivery of the Creative Service.
The role reports into the Head of Creative Solutions. The Creative Services team are responsible for the day to day operations of the team including, booking in process, scheduling of work, reporting and financials. Responsibilities are widening in scope and based on new needs for the team, management and the business. You will be expected to drive innovation via creating / amend processes to find more effective ways for yours and the wider team to operate. A key part of this role is keeping our internal stakeholders informed and working to tight leadership deadlines.
You will be responsible for key programmes and projects such as the development of Creative Solutions reporting, data and insights capabilities; oversight and leading of SDC programme management, and the further evolution of the Creative Solutions team, driving change and transformation.
You will work as part of a wider design team to improve our creative processes across all areas. Sharing knowledge, resources, experience, processes, creative ideas and suggestions with our design team. Working closely with your peers, you will work with them to help deliver the resources / operations they need to lead their design teams.
The role will play a key part within the Creative Solutions Team and part of PwC's in-house creative team within the Sales and Marketing function. A core team of 34 people, including designers, video producers and project managers delivering highly creative design solutions to the UK and global firms.
Responsibilities

• You will be responsible for line managing a number of direct reports to cover all Creative Services for the UK Creative and Visual Design team. You will drive the operational quality of your teams to support our creative offering to the firm.
  
• You will be responsible for quality in team outputs, along with team adherence to key policies and procedures
  
• You will be forward focused, inclusive, able to inspire your direct reports and their reports to work at their highest level. You will actively mentor less experienced reports and coach and develop their skills and career path.
  
• You will enable a constant learning and development environment, driving strategic vision to address skills gaps to support wider team goals and client needs, supporting individuals with goal setting, prioritisation and focus
  
• You will set the current and future vision for your teams, ensuring the service continuously evolves to the changing needs of the Firm. You will spot future areas of focus for the team, help guide the team and ensure they are set up to meet the demands of the business. A key area of focus for the business is future tech / design skills needed and you will help upskill the team and our internal clients in these areas.
  
• Proactively engaging with technologists to understand the wider technological landscape, to understand potential disruptions to Creative operations, mitigate risks and drive forward more effective ways of working with technology, therefore enabling an environment where people and technology thrive
  
• Responsible for development, implementation and delivery of Creative Services strategies and projects
  
• Responsible for actively contributing to engaging and motivating initiatives for Creative Services and Design alike
  
• Proactively identify and create new opportunities for team growth and expanding scope of service to support and enable changing client requirements
  
• You will work closely with our creative leads to support their needs for resource, workflow and project management to produce award winning work.
  
• Demonstrate the ability to articulate to others in the Creative Services team and beyond, bigger-picture ideas and how they impact our team, while managing relevant details within
  
• You will lead a team that is responsible for the booking in process for all requests coming into the Creative and Visual Design Team via ServiceNow. Using associated resourcing tools (Talent Link), you will help align jobs to our traffic light system to best match resources with the job request.
  
• You will lead the management and operations of our offshore and agency teams. Across finance, resourcing, ops and any commercial needs.
  
• Responsible for offshore programme management, setting operational strategy for the programme, driving initiatives and enabling best practices in line with UK and Global standards
  
• Lead operations across all teams within the creative set up including UK and offshore teams.
  
• Lead operations projects across reporting, workflow and resourcing.
  
• Help lead on reporting of management information and insights (including trend analysis) to relevant team leads and leadership and help develop processes to stay agile and improve our ways of working.
  
• Working closely with leadership and Finance on Finance/Budgeting and managing invoices on a regular basis, ensuring we meet budgets and operate in a commercially viable manner.
  
• You will demonstrate the ability to consider profitability and commercial strategy when making decisions or advising on proposals made by others
  
• You will work closely with others to help manage our offshore team. Ensuring they follow the same processes and ways of working established in the UK.
  
• Work with leads from UK / Offshore teams on all operation tasks to further improve the service.
  
• Have a forward looking approach to best organise and future plan the set up the team to be efficient and effective as possible for our clients.
  
• You will be responsible for consulting with the business alongside other team members, often leading the conversation, to help them articulate what channels would suit their projects
  
• Demonstrate understanding of how internal dynamics, disruptions and advancements may impact the Creative Solutions team, and provide innovative solutions to maintain relevance in changing environments
  
• Demonstrate the ability to articulate the firms service offerings and translate this into goals, priorities and trends within the Creative and Visual Design team, while anticipating client needs
  
• Proactively build a profile for the team across Sales and Marketing and beyond, working with appropriate leadership individuals to do so
  
• Proactively reaching out to other territories to share knowledge, ways of working, and insights into how Creative teams operation in other member firms
  
• You will help the design team think bigger, better, bolder, challenging when you feel we could deliver better. You'll help them think 'art of the possible'.
  
• Lead on recruitment into the team, reviewing and optimising resource while intentionally building a highly skilled and diverse team
  
• Supporting Head of Creative Solutions, and Head of Design when reviewing recruitment needs in the team, from a skills and resource perspective, directly advising to foster highest creative quality output of the team
  

Requirements

• Expert organisational skills and project management experience.
  
• Proven experience of managing multiple workstreams/teams at one time and the necessary skills that go with it.
  
• You will have strong strategic and business acumen skills as well as experience in managing commercial teams inline with the changing needs of the business. You will drive improvements in the team's creative processes and capabilities.
  
• Ability to implement and evolve processes to improve service delivery.
  
• You'll have excellent organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise workload and handle several tasks at once within given deadlines and suggesting possible solutions.
  
• The role will suit someone who is calm under pressure, highly organised and methodical and able to make informed decisions rapidly and accurately. You will have a strong attitude to teamwork and professional development.
  
• Strong communication, persuasion and presentation skills, with the ability to explain the value of efficient, agile and resourcing requirements to clients.
  
• Championing effective internal communication within the team, with clear messaging on resource status and operational updates.
  
• Understanding the skillsets across the department to reduce risk and increase opportunities.
  
• The role will suit someone who is calm under pressure, highly organised and methodical and able to make informed decisions rapidly and accurately.
  
• Highly skilled in Microsoft Office (PPT, Word and Excel), experience in PM software, and Google applications.
  
• Drive improvements in the team's processes and capabilities.
  
• Strong attitude to teamwork and professional development.
  
• A flexible 'can do' and 'hands on' attitude, with a client-centred approach, excellent interpersonal skills and a healthy sense of humour.
  
• Experience in a fast-paced environment at an agency or corporate/professional services firm
  
• Have experience managing workflow across artwork, design and creative teams
  
• Ideally experience within an integrated traffic / resourcing / workflow / studio management team.