Design Production Manager

Springer; Manchester; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A global medical communications provider is seeking a design professional to manage and coordinate design production effectively. The role involves overseeing internal designers and a network of freelancers, ensuring high-quality outputs while meeting deadlines and budget requirements. Ideal candidates should have strong organizational skills, proven project management experience, and the ability to manage creative workflows efficiently. The company values diversity and inclusion, promoting a workplace where colleagues can thrive.

Qualifications

• Strong organizational and project management skills.
• Ability to assess and benchmark vendor/freelancer capabilities.
• Competence in translating scientific content into compelling design outputs.
• Familiarity with online project management tools and design processes.
• Clear understanding of financial considerations in creative projects.

Responsibilities

• Manage workloads of internal creative designers.
• Oversee and maintain a vetted network of freelancers and agencies.
• Implement and maintain workflow systems for transparency and efficiency.
• Ensure all creative briefs are clear and actionable.
• Conduct quality checks on first drafts to minimize rework.

Skills

Strong organizational and project management skills

Ability to assess and benchmark vendor/freelancer capabilities

Competence in translating scientific content into compelling design outputs

Familiarity with online project management tools and design processes

Job description

Job Overview

We are looking for a design professional eager to further their skills in managing and coordinating design production within a growing medical communications and education agency. In this role, you will organize and oversee design output from our internal creative designers and a growing network of external freelancers and agencies serving our international businesses. In addition, you will use your existing creative design skills to take on selected projects that complement your responsibilities in coordinating the overall design output of the business. Working closely with multiple internal stakeholders across global and local account teams, you will help build processes and workflow tools that streamline operations and deliver an efficient, high‑quality design production service to deadlines and within budgets agreed with clients by the internal delivery teams. You will ensure that all work moving through the design pipeline meets quality standards, reducing review cycles, and optimizing time for busy medical writers and account managers. You will also develop strong relationships with internal designers and external suppliers to secure best value and ensure all stakeholders understand our practices and processes‑delivering high‑quality outputs consistently and efficiently, to deadlines and within budgets provided to you by the delivery teams.

Responsibilities

• Manage workloads of internal creative designers.
• Take on selected design projects where appropriate.
• Oversee and maintain a vetted network of freelancers and agencies.
• Implement and maintain workflow systems for transparency and efficiency.
• Ensure all creative briefs are clear and actionable.
• Conduct quality checks on first drafts to minimize rework.
• Curate and maintain creative output libraries for showcases.
• Monitor own adherence to budget and utilisation rate.
• Regularly check‑in with client services regarding the financial health of the account, ensure accurate timesheet completion by all creative team, including assessing project "burn rates" and investigating reasoning for any overspend.
• Contribute to revenue targets by ensuring that projects are progressed according to schedules and budget.

Qualifications

• Strong organizational and project management skills.
• Ability to assess and benchmark vendor/freelancer capabilities.
• Competence in translating scientific content into compelling design outputs.
• Familiarity with online project management tools and design processes.
• Clear, demonstrable understanding of financial considerations in delivering creative projects in healthcare.
• Previous experience in a MedComms agency setting.
• Proven ability to manage creative workflows and resources at scale and within budget parameters.
• Track record of delivering high‑quality design outputs under tight deadlines.

Desired Skills

• Understanding storytelling principles in medical communications.
• Experience managing creative teams and external vendors.
• Knowledge of compliance and brand governance in pharma communications.

Company Background

Springer Nature Group opens the doors to discovery for researchers, educators, clinicians and other professionals. Every day, around the globe, our imprints, books, journals, platforms and technology solutions reach millions of people. For over 175 years our brands and imprints have been a trusted source of knowledge to these communities and today, more than ever, we see it as our responsibility to ensure that fundamental knowledge can be found, verified, understood and used by our communities - enabling them to improve outcomes, make progress, and benefit the generations that follow. Springer Health+ is a leading global medical communications and education provider. Working in partnership with pharmaceutical companies and key opinion leaders, we see beyond the data – we see the people behind every breakthrough. We do more than help experts across the medical community keep up with science; we help them move it forward, making healthcare smarter and more human. At Springer Nature we value and celebrate the diversity of our people. We recognise the many benefits of a diverse workforce and strive for an inclusive workplace that empowers all our colleagues to thrive. Our search for the best talent fully encompasses and embraces these values and principles.