Senior Creative Operations Manager

Starling; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Living Wage employer

Flexible working

Pension 7% employer

Private Medical Insurance

Birthday day off

Life Insurance 4x salary

Volunteer time

Perkbox discounts

Job summary

Starling Bank is seeking a Senior Creative Operations Manager to oversee creative workflows, schedules and operational processes within the in-house Creative Studio. You will ensure briefs are clear, resourcing is adequate, and timelines are realistic.

This role partners with senior leaders to optimise efficiency, drive high‑quality outputs across channels, and integrate AI tools into daily work while maintaining rigorous project governance.

Qualifications

• Solid understanding of end-to-end creative and production processes.
• Proven track record of managing operations across multiple concurrent creative projects and teams.
• Strong attention to detail and organized execution, with a focus on driving tasks through to final completion.
• Ability to thrive in a fast and sometimes stressful work environment.
• Proficient in managing project timelines, budgets, and operational dependencies.

Responsibilities

• Oversee creative operations end-to-end, including project setup, brief intake, quality checks, workload traffic, resource allocation, and final project delivery.
• Lead critical brief assessment meetings, working with Head of BI/Production and 2 x Executive Creative Directors to assess briefs, agree production and creative team allocation, as well as time required to deliver.
• Implement a new workflow management platform and integrate practical AI tools into daily processes to improve efficiency.
• Track team capacity, workload requirements, and resourcing to ensure smooth project delivery.
• Manage stakeholders effectively by enforcing deadlines, securing necessary approvals on time, and resolving delivery issues as they arise.
• Collaborate closely with Producers, Creatives, Channel Owners, and Brand Integration teams to produce effective creative assets.
• Maintain a clear overview of all active projects and prioritise high-impact work when demand is high.
• Use AI tools to automate routine tasks and streamline project management workflows.
• Convert creative briefs into structured project plans, schedules, and resourcing models, while maintaining clear dependency maps and status updates.

Skills

Creative operations

Operations management

Stakeholder management

Attention to detail

Project timelines

Tools

Jira

Monday.com

Job description

Senior Creative Operations Manager

Location: London

Reporting to: Head of Integrated Brand and Production

Closing date: Thursday, 15th October at 5pm

About Starling

At Starling, we are on a mission to provide people with a fairer, smarter, and more human alternative to traditional banks. We are building a leading digital bank, driven by fast technology, fair service, and honest values. Our vision is to create a banking industry that serves everyone, which we accomplish by developing best-in-class proprietary technology, offering an exceptional customer experience, and establishing a strong, sustainable business.

Our five core values – Listen, Keep It Simple, Do The Right Thing, Own It, and Aim for Greatness – are at the heart of everything we do, guiding our strategy and shaping our culture. We're a branchless, largely paperless bank, committed to responsible banking, sustainability, and fostering an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive.

Working Hours: You will work a 37.5 hour week, with shifts between the hours of Monday - Friday 9am - 5:30pm

Hybrid working: All Starling colleagues spend a minimum of 10 days per month in the office with flexibility to work the rest from home.

The Opportunity

The Senior Creative Operations Manager manages creative workflows, project schedules, and operational processes for Starling’s in-house Creative Studio. Operating independently, this role ensures every project has clear briefs, adequate resourcing, and realistic timelines to deliver effective creative work across all channels.

What You'll Do

• Oversee creative operations end-to-end, including project setup, brief intake, quality checks, workload traffic, resource allocation, and final project delivery.
• Lead critical brief assessment meetings, working with Head of BI/Production and 2 x Executive Creative Directors to assess briefs, agree production and creative team allocation, as well as time required to deliver.
• Implement a new workflow management platform and integrate practical AI tools into daily processes to improve efficiency.
• Track team capacity, workload requirements, and resourcing to ensure smooth project delivery.
• Manage stakeholders effectively by enforcing deadlines, securing necessary approvals on time, and resolving delivery issues as they arise.
• Collaborate closely with Producers, Creatives, Channel Owners, and Brand Integration teams to produce effective creative assets.
• Maintain a clear overview of all active projects and prioritise high-impact work when demand is high.
• Use AI tools to automate routine tasks and streamline project management workflows.
• Convert creative briefs into structured project plans, schedules, and resourcing models, while maintaining clear dependency maps and status updates.

Requirements

Behaviours & Competencies:

• Solid understanding of end-to-end creative and production processes.
• Proven track record of managing operations across multiple concurrent creative projects and teams.
• Strong attention to detail and organized execution, with a focus on driving tasks through to final completion.
• Ability to thrive in a fast and sometimes stressful work environment.
• Proficient in managing project timelines, budgets, and operational dependencies.

Essential Skills & Experience:

• At least 5 years of experience in a creative operations role within an in-house studio, agency, or production environment.
• Hands-on experience using AI software to improve workflow efficiency.
• Proficient with workflow management platforms such as Jira or Monday.com.
• Experience collaborating with senior stakeholders and navigating corporate structures.
• Experience working in structured, process-oriented, or regulated business environments.

Benefits

Why Join Starling?

• Make an Impact: Work on projects that directly shape the future of banking and improve the financial lives of our customers. Starling is technology-led, and you'll have the freedom to accomplish your goals in innovative ways.
• Culture of Excellence: Be part of a collaborative, empowered, and forward-thinking team. We encourage experimentation, ownership, and a relentless focus on "doing the right thing."
• Growth and Development: We are committed to your professional growth, offering opportunities to learn new technologies, take on new challenges, and own interesting things from day one.
• A Bank That Cares: We're a Living Wage employer, committed to flexible working, and dedicated to creating a fair, open, and safe working environment with compassion and inclusion at its core.
• Comprehensive Benefits: We offer a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Company-enhanced salary sacrifice pension scheme (7% employer contribution)
• Private Medical Insurance with Vitality including mental health support and cancer care. Partner benefits include discounts with Waitrose, Mr&Mrs Smith and Peloton.
• 25 days holiday (plus take your public holiday allowance whenever works best for you)
• An extra day’s holiday for your birthday
• Life Insurance at 4x your salary.
• 16 hours of paid volunteering time a year
• Ability to buy or sell annual leave.
• Generous family-friendly policies.
• Annual leave is increased with length of service, and you can choose to buy or sell up to five extra days off
• Incentivised refer a friend scheme
• Perkbox membership giving access to retail discounts, a wellness platform for physical and mental health, and weekly free and boosted perks
• Access to initiatives like Cycle to Work, Salary Sacrificed Gym partnerships and Electric Vehicle (EV) leasingOur Commitment to Equality

Starling Bank is an equal opportunity employer, and we’re proud of our ongoing efforts to foster diversity & inclusion in the workplace. Individuals seeking employment at Starling Bank are considered without regard to race, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, medical condition, ancestry, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. When you provide us with this information, you are doing so at your own consent, with full knowledge that we will process this personal data in accordance with our Privacy Notice. By submitting your application, you agree that Starling Bank will collect your personal data for recruiting and related purposes. Our Privacy Notice explains what personal information we will process, where we will process your personal information, its purposes for processing your personal information, and the rights you can exercise over our use of your personal data.

We use AI tools to support various parts of our recruitment process, helping our team manage applications and assessments more efficiently. These tools are strictly used for support and do not replace human judgment with all final hiring decisions being made by our team. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please reach out to us.