Managing Director, Creative Business Operations

Stand Together

$185K — $225K *
Media
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 5-10 years of executive experience in creative or marketing operations.
  • Strong understanding of creative, content, and production workflows.
  • Proven track record in building effective operating systems and reporting processes.
  • Experience managing complex vendor relationships and financial planning.
  • Strong analytical judgment with a focus on systems thinking.
  • Excellent communication and executive presence, capable of advising senior leadership.

Responsibilities

  • Own the systems and workflows for the Creative team to ensure operational efficiency.
  • Partner with leadership to execute creative plans and manage resource allocation.
  • Develop and present reports on team capacity and resource use to senior management.
  • Manage vendor relationships with a focus on accountability and alignment with strategic goals.
  • Identify process improvements to enhance project outcomes and streamline workflows.
  • Prepare formal recommendations for creative investments based on data analysis.
  • Leverage AI tools to improve efficiency while maintaining quality.

Benefits

  • 6% 401(k) match with immediate vesting.
  • Flexible time off policy.
  • Comprehensive health and dental plans.
  • Wellness and mental health support via Peloton and Talkspace.
  • A non-hierarchical work environment that encourages personal development.
Full Job Description
The Managing Director, Creative Business Operations serves as the senior executive responsible for the operating system of the Creative team. This role ensures the team has the financial discipline, resourcing, workflows, documentation, reporting, vendor management, and organizational relationships required to operate as a high-performing creative center of excellence. Reporting to the Senior Vice President of Content & Creative, this role functions as a strategic operator that bridges our Creative Services, Brand Publishing and Media Partnerships teams with our partners in Marketing Strategy, Events, Communications, Finance, and other enterprise functions. The Creative Business Operations leader drives clarity and accountability across these teams, always looking for the next-best opportunity for value creation and how they can drive on it. This leader will oversee the day-to-day business operations of the Creative team at an executive level, including vendor contracts, vendor partnerships, budget pacing, productivity reporting, operational planning, team workflows, and cross-functional coordination. The ideal candidate is someone who can move seamlessly from strategy to execution. They must exercise sound business judgment, lead through influence, manage ambiguity, and foster a culture of collaboration, while providing executive-level visibility into the Creative team's function. This role requires someone who understands how creative teams operate, how to thrive within a matrixed organization, and how to build the infrastructure that enables creative talent to do their best work. How You Will Contribute 3 Serve as the senior business operations leader for the Creative team, owning the systems, workflows, and relationships that enable the department to function efficiently and effectively, both internally and across the organization. 3 Partner with leadership to operationalize creative plans, manage follow-through, and ensure resources are allocated in line with priorities. 3 Develop reports on resource allocation and capacity planning, giving leadership clear visibility into the Creative team's priorities, how resources are being used, and where capacity is constrained. Audit the systems in which these data are tracked, ensuring their accuracy and utility. 3 Support insource/outsource decisions by assessing workload, opportunity cost, and long-term strategic value. 3 Oversee creative contracts and vendor engagements. Manage vendor relationships, ensuring clear accountability, clarity on spending and pacing, and alignment with strategic priorities (in coordination with Finance, Vendor Management, and Vendor Strategy). 3 Build reports that show where Creative dollars are being spent, what value is being created, where tradeoffs exist, and where leadership decisions are needed. 3 Prepare formal recommendations and decision-making frameworks for creative investments in partnership with team leadership. 3 Identify learning opportunities by driving on after-actions and soliciting stakeholder feedback. Ensure insights carry through across projects and workstreams. Similarly, identify process gaps, unclear ownership, and other constraints; working across the whole Marketing & Communications team to identify and implement solutions. 3 Maintain essential documentation, including workflows, decision records, vendor information, reporting, and financial tracking. 3 Leverage AI and other tools to create efficiencies without sacrificing quality. What You Will Bring 3 Executive-level experience in creative operations. Marketing operations, chief of staff, or similar operational leadership roles are a plus. 3 Strong understanding of how creative, content, production, design, marketing, or agency teams operate. 3 Demonstrated ability to build operating systems, processes, and reports that drive executive level decision-making. 3 Experience managing or overseeing large vendor relationships, complex contracts, budgets, and financial planning processes. 3 Proven ability to lead through influence, drive accountability, resolve conflict, and build trust across teams with different priorities and working styles. 3 Superior writing skills and an ability to write a logically sound business case. 3 Strong analytical judgment and systems thinking. 3 Strong executive presence, judgment, and communication skills. An ability to distill the essential from the complex while advising senior leaders. 3 Practical knowledge of emerging AI capabilities. 3 Enthusiasm to contribute to Stand Together's vision and principled approach to solving problems, and a commitment to stewarding our culture, which champions values including transformation and innovation, entrepreneurialism, humility, and respect. What We Offer 3 Competitive benefits: Enjoy a 6% 401(k) match with immediate vesting, flexible time off, comprehensive health and dental plans, plus wellness and mental health support through Peloton and Talkspace. 3 A meaningful career: Join a passionate community of over 1,300 employees dedicated to improving lives and driving innovative solutions to complex social challenges. 3 Commitment to growth: Thrive in a non-hierarchical environment that empowers employees to discover, develop and apply their unique talents. 3 Competitive compensation: Our approach rewards the value you create through competitive salaries and bonus opportunities, allowing you to share in the success you help drive. $185,000 - $225,000 a year For this role, the anticipated base salary range is $185,000-$225,000 per year. This role may also be eligible for additional bonus or variable compensation designed to align total compensation with an employee's overall contribution to the organization. We believe incentives matter. Our Principles-Based Management14 (PBM) compensation philosophy is grounded in an individualized approach that rewards the long-term value each person creates for the organization. Compensation decisions are informed by a variety of factors, including relevant experience, capabilities, demonstrated skills, role responsibilities, and expected contribution. Consistent with this approach, compensation may vary within or outside of the anticipated range based on these considerations. Our Values: Working for an organization within the Stand Together philanthropic community is different from many other places. The culture is deeply rooted in Principle Based Management14 (PBM14), a framework guided by the principles that drive human progress, such as dignity, openness, and bottom-up empowerment. PBM14 empowers employees to be entrepreneurial, to innovate, and to continually drive transformation.

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