Creative Resource Manager

T&Pm; Toronto; On-site; CAD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading full-service creative and media agency seeks a Creative Resource Manager in Toronto. The role focuses on optimizing resource allocation and staffing for creative projects, collaborating with diverse teams to ensure operational efficiency. The ideal candidate excels in organizational and interpersonal skills, with proven experience in a creative environment. This position is pivotal to fostering a productive workplace and ensuring client satisfaction.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in creative resource management within an advertising agency.
• Exceptional organizational and project management skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills with ability to motivate a diverse creative team.

Responsibilities

• Manage resource planning and allocation for creative projects.
• Review and prioritize incoming creative requests.
• Hire freelance creative resources and negotiate rates.

Skills

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Negotiation skills

Interpersonal skills

Problem-solving

Tools

Project management tools

Job description

T&P is one of the world’s leading full service creative and media agencies, connecting talent and tech to drive growth for brands. Formed by the integration of The&Partnership and mSix&Partners, it brings together content and distribution into a single, holistic end-to-end marketing solution. Backed by WPP and GroupM and combined with the agility of an entrepreneurial Partner-led mindset, the multi-discipline agency spans four continents with 45 offices and over $1.25 billion dollars in billings globally. As an early adopter with the first ever AI-generated TV ad for Lexus in 2018, T&Pm is focused on harnessing AI across all its outputs with its 1,900 people already trained on WPP’s proprietary AI platform Creative Studio, to deliver enhanced outcomes for clients.

We believe in The Power of &, connecting talent & tech to fuel brand growth. Our teams blend creative, media, experience and technology specialists from across our marketing practices. The performance mindset of these teams optimises to business outcomes in every channel, fuelled by the latest innovations in AI.

Ultimately of course, we are our people. They’re the most important part of our business, so we want to make a lasting impression on them in the same way they do on us, by striving to become the most important place in their careers.

That’s why we do our best to build strong communities around them; provide the best possible opportunities for them to develop & grow; and empower them to make a difference to their clients and the world at large. Our strengths often lie in our differences, so we challenge and champion each other and our clients, to be the very best we can be.

About the Role:

As a Creative Resource Manager, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring our creative projects are staffed with the optimal mix of talent. You will primarily manage the resource planning, allocation, and high-level scheduling across our Creative department, including art directors, copywriters, and designers. You are the department hub and a forward-thinking leader who ensures projects and teams are properly staffed and run efficiently to meet deliverables. You have an excellent understanding of each creative’s professional aptitudes and a keen knowledge of the timing involved in accomplishing assigned tasks. This role will plan for incoming projects and implement resource changes against evolving priorities. You’ll work closely with our account service teams and producers to ensure that creative resources are correctly allocated and utilized.

This role will report to the Head of Resourcing.

What You Bring:

• A passion for working with people

• An ability to understand peoples’ skills and needs and treat them with respect

• A collaborative approach to work

• The ability to work to tight deadlines

• The ability to work in a fast-moving environment with an agile mindset

• Strong relationship-building skills, someone who can understand the different skills and experience needed for different types of creative work within an integrated marketing team (Media/Social/Creative/Production/Adaptation)

• Excellent communication and negotiation skills

• Superb organisation and time management skills

• Proactive problem-solving, able to spot problems before they become out of control

What You'll Do:

• Reviewing, prioritizing and assessing all incoming creative requests.

• Assign creative teams.

• Attend all status meetings and update project information as needed.

• Liaise daily with Accounts Management and Production to track project progress and stay ahead of resource needs.

• Onboard new full-time and freelance creative and account hires to the Agency processes and best practices.

• Assess creative vacation requests and manage a smooth project transfer process.

• Search for and hire freelance creative resources for current and upcoming needs; negotiate rates and contracts in collaboration with the Finance department.

• Assess employee utilization by analyzing timesheets against expected expenditure of hours.

• Forecast creative resource needs based on monthly and annual planning of incoming work.

• Connect frequently with each creative person in the Agency to ensure their workload is manageable, engaging and satisfying.

• Analyze the health of the department by ensuring an equal distribution of work and providing ample opportunities for improvement and career progression.

• Other administrative tasks as required by your Manager and the growing needs of the Agency.

The ideal candidate will possess:

• Proven experience in creative resource management or a similar role within an advertising agency or creative environment.

• Exceptional organizational and project management skills.

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to manage and motivate a diverse creative team.

• A deep understanding of the creative process and the ability to match project needs with specific talents.

• Proven expertise and ability to drive accurate resource planning, utilisation & forecasting.

• Business acumen to understand how creative workflow management affects the bottom line.

• Experience with project management tools and software