Creative Operations Director - Global Studio Excellence

Pearson Education; City Of London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global education company is seeking a Creative Operations Director to oversee the internal creative studio. The role demands extensive experience in agency leadership and operations management, ensuring seamless project delivery and enhancing stakeholder relationships. The ideal candidate will thrive in dynamic environments, balancing creativity with rigorous operational standards. This position offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of creative operations at scale.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in an agency or in-house creative environment.
• At least 5 years of account or studio leadership.
• Proven success managing client or stakeholder relationships.

Responsibilities

• Build and run a creative operations engine.
• Lead the operations teams that power the studio.
• Elevate the stakeholder experience and uphold Studio excellence.

Skills

Agency account leadership

Operations management

Stakeholder management

Creative workflows

Communication skills

Problem solving

Education

8+ years in creative environment

Job description

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Job Description

Job Title: Creative Operations Director - Global Studio Excellence

Location: UK
Team: Global Brand
Reports to: VP Global Brand

About Pearson Studio

Pearson's Studio is the in-house creative engine powering Pearson's global brand. We bring ideas to life‑connecting creativity, strategy, and execution to build one unified Pearson brand experience across every touchpoint. The Studio operates as a center of excellence‑partnering with Pearson's business units worldwide to deliver world‑class creative, marketing, and brand expression.

Be the operational powerhouse behind Pearson's new creative studio.

Pearson is transforming how creative work is delivered across the organisation - building an internal creative studio supported by an offshore production hub, designed to deliver brilliant work at scale. To bring this to life, we're hiring a highly skilled, calm‑under‑pressure, systems‑minded Creative Operations Director to run the studio with clarity, pace, and precision.

This is a pivotal moment in our evolution. Our Creative Director, Global Brand leads the creative vision, craft, and output. You will be the operational heartbeat - the yin to their yang - building the structure, processes, and rhythm that ensure the studio functions as a high‑performing, unified team.

This role requires a blend of agency account leadership, in‑house operations management, and organizational finesse – someone who thrives in complex environments, knows how to manage competing priorities, and can navigate the political realities of a global enterprise with empathy and confidence.

If you love bringing order to creativity, designing systems that empower great work, and running a studio that feels frictionless, this is your role.

Key Responsibilities

1. Build and run a world‑class creative operations engine

• Work in‑tandem with the Creative Director, Global Brand to uphold and evolve Studio processes, ensuring projects flow smoothly from intake to delivery.
• Design and continually refine the operating model that underpins Pearson's internal creative studio.
• Own the end‑to‑end workflow: intake, trafficking, prioritisation, scheduling, and delivery across all briefs.
• Ensure the right creative team (in‑house or offshore) works on the right brief at the right time, maximising talent and efficiency.
• Create the processes, checklists, templates, and QA steps that keep work moving smoothly without slowing down creativity
• Track capacity, identify bottlenecks early, and make proactive resourcing recommendations.
• Implement and optimise tools and systems that elevate speed, visibility, and accountability.
• Champion clear briefs, strong scoping, and well‑defined deliverables across the organisation.
• Oversee Studio capacity, prioritization, and resource allocation in partnership with the Strategic Creative Operations Manager.

1. Lead and inspire the operations teams that power the studio:

• Lead and mentor the Strategic Creative Operations Manager and Project Manager to ensure seamless project intake, workflow, and delivery across all creative disciplines.
• Lead the offshore creative hub partnership – ensuring seamless workflows, strong quality control, and consistent performance.
• Coordinate studio and offshore resourcing, balancing workloads and ensuring deadlines are met without compromising quality.
  Build strong rituals (stand‑ups, status reviews, retrospectives) that keep the studio aligned and firing.

1. Elevate the stakeholder experience & uphold Studio excellence:

• Act as the Studio's main point of contact for Pearson's business units – owning communication, expectations, and alignment between stakeholders and creative teams.
• Provide internal stakeholders with a best‑in‑class experience – clarity of timelines, smooth handoffs, and exceptional service.
• Navigate complex organizational relationships, helping to manage and diffuse political challenges while maintaining trust and transparency.
• Represent the Studio in leadership meetings, business reviews, and cross‑functional planning sessions.
• Ensure the studio consistently meets high standards of quality, craft, and brand alignment.
  Monitor key KPIs (throughput, quality, speed, stakeholder satisfaction) and optimise continually.
• Foster a culture of partnership – ensuring the Studio is seen as a proactive, strategic ally across all Pearson pillars and initiatives.

About You

You're an experienced studio or agency professional who knows how to make creative work work. You balance creative empathy with operational rigor, and you're just as comfortable managing timelines and budgets as you are navigating personalities and politics. You understand how to support great creative–and the people who make it.

What you'll bring:

• 8+ years of experience in an agency or in‑house creative environment, with at least 5 years in account or studio leadership.
• Proven success managing client or stakeholder relationships within complex, global organizations with outstanding communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Deep understanding of creative operations, project management, and brand systems.
• Exceptional communication and diplomacy skills – you know how to say "no" in a way that still moves things forward.
• Experience managing direct reports and fostering professional growth.
• Strong understanding of creative workflows across design, digital, motion, and content.
• A passion for creativity and an appreciation craft – paired with a love of structure and efficiency.
• Experience managing offshore or external production partners is a plus.

Why You'll Love This Role

This is a rare opportunity to shape the heartbeat of a global in‑house studio. You'll help define how creativity operates at scale – bridging strategy, structure, and storytelling to help Pearson Studio thrive. You'll work with a talented team of designers, writers, and operations leaders – all united by a shared mission to build a stronger, more connected Pearson brand.