Head of Creative Operations - London

Oliver Wyman; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player seeks a Head of Creative Operations to lead their global in-house creative studio. This role requires a blend of operational leadership and creative culture, focusing on optimizing workflows and enhancing team performance. You will manage a cross-functional team, ensuring clarity and efficiency in processes while fostering a positive team culture. If you thrive in dynamic environments and are passionate about both creativity and operations, this opportunity offers the chance to influence and drive impactful projects within a supportive and innovative organization.

Benefits

Hybrid Working Policy

Collaborative Team Environment

Professional Development Opportunities

Inclusive Workplace Culture

Qualifications

• Proven experience in leading operations in a creative or marketing environment.
• Strong understanding of managing creative workflows across multiple channels.

Responsibilities

• Overseeing project managers and ensuring smooth operational processes.
• Developing and maintaining management reporting to track performance metrics.

Skills

Creative Operations Leadership

Project Management

Team Management

Process Development

Communication Skills

Creative Workflows

Tools

Project Management Tools

Resource Planning Tools

Workflow Automation Tools

Job description

Oliver Wyman is a global leader in management consulting. With offices in more than 70 cities across 30 countries, Oliver Wyman combines deep industry knowledge with specialized expertise in strategy, operations, risk management, and organization transformation. The firm has more than 7,000 professionals around the world who work with clients to optimize their business, improve their operations and risk profile, and accelerate their organizational performance to seize the most attractive opportunities.

Oliver Wyman is a business of Marsh McLennan [NYSE: MMC].

For more information, visit www.oliverwyman.com. Follow Oliver Wyman on Twitter @OliverWyman.

About the Role:

We’re looking for a Head of Creative Operations to join our global in-house creative studio in London.

This leadership role oversees our project managers, account managers, traffic managers, and coordinators—ensuring our processes run smoothly, our people are set up for success, and our creative teams can focus on doing their best work.

You’ll be responsible for optimizing the way work flows through the studio, from intake to delivery. You’ll bring structure without adding bureaucracy, and you’ll champion clarity, transparency, and service mindset across every stage of the project lifecycle. This role offers a blend of operational leadership and creative culture, suited for someone who is equally passionate about both.

Oliver Wyman embraces a hybrid working policy, expecting the successful applicant to work a minimum of 3 days a week in our London office.

The weekly contracted hours for this role are 40 hours per week

What the role involves:

Creative Operations Leadership:

• Owning and evolving the operational framework that supports the entire creative department, with a focus on clarity, efficiency, and scalability
• Leading a cross-functional team of project managers, account managers, traffic leads, and coordinators across global time zones
• Developing and maintaining management information reporting to track performance and operational metrics, using insights to drive strategic decisions.
• Defining and enforcing service levels, turnaround standards, and escalation pathways

Process Development

• Auditing and refining existing workflows to reduce friction and improve efficiency and outcomes
• Fostering a continuous improvement mindset by encouraging feedback and regularly reviewing processes for enhancement.
• Developing and maintaining documentation, templates, and operational playbooks
• Partnering with creative and technical leads to ensure handovers are smooth and expectations are clear

Project Oversight

• Ensuring that projects are set up for success through accurate scoping, resource planning, risk evaluation and timeline management
• Monitoring project health across the department and intervene where needed to unblock issues
• Supporting key projects with senior-level coordination, especially those with multiple stakeholders or high visibility

Team Management

• Managing, mentoring, and growing a high-performing operations team that thrives in a fast-paced, creative environment
• Facilitating regular coaching, feedback, and structured development plans for team members
• Promoting collaboration and alignment between operations and creative leads

Collaboration & Culture

• Acting as the bridge between creative, business, and technical teams—ensuring mutual understanding and smooth collaboration
• Championing a client-centric mindset rooted in partnership, transparency, and clear communication
• Fostering a positive, solutions-oriented team culture focused on progress over perfection

You’ll Thrive in This Role If You Are:

• A system-thinker who’s energized by streamlining complexity and designing for scale
• A natural collaborator who can build strong relationships across creative, business, and tech functions
• Experienced in managing creative workflows and cross-functional teams across regions
• Comfortable switching between big-picture planning and hands-on troubleshooting
• Fluent in the language of both creativity and operations—and know how to balance them

Your key skills will be…:

• Proven experience of leading operations in a creative, marketing, or agency environment
• A strong understanding of creative workflows across multiple channels including design, editorial, and media
• Experience of managing globally distributed teams and tools (e.g., project management, resource planning, workflow automation)
• The ability to drive process and implement continuous improvement without adding friction, and bring clarity to ambiguity
• Excellent organizational and communication skills, with a calm and solutions-driven mindset
• You’ll have familiarity with current trends in creative technology, including AI applications in creative processes.

Why Join Oliver Wyman?

• Work as One: Collaborate with diverse, cross-functional teams to create impactful learning solutions that drive our business forward.
• Striving for Breakthroughs: Be part of a culture that encourages innovation and creativity, where your ideas can lead to transformative learning experiences.
• Be Brave: Challenge the status quo and push the boundaries of traditional learning methods. Your boldness in exploring new technologies and methodologies will be valued.
• Lead with Heart: We prioritize a supportive and inclusive environment, fostering personal and professional growth for all our team members.
• Own Our Impact: Your work will directly influence the development of our colleagues, shaping the future of our organization.