Studio Manager, Brand & Creative

Friendsofkerhonkson; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Wood Mackenzie in Edinburgh is seeking a Studio Manager to act as the operational backbone of the Brand & Creative team. You will own day-to-day studio operations, prioritisation and resource management, while working closely with designers, video specialists and the Brand Manager.

This hands-on, high-influence role also oversees freelance and agency suppliers across the UK and abroad, ensuring projects move forward with clarity and momentum.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a studio or creative operations role.
• Experience managing freelance/agency suppliers and budgets.
• Strong project management and stakeholder communication.

Responsibilities

• Own the day-to-day studio operations and project tracking.
• Lead stand-ups, capacity planning, and SLA adherence.
• Manage freelance/agency suppliers and the budget.
• Champion AI tools to improve efficiency across creative workflows.

Skills

Studio management

Project management

Asana

Stakeholder management

Budget management

SLA management

Asset management

AI tooling awareness

Tools

Asana

Job description

Wood Mackenzie is the global leader in analytics, insights and proprietary data across the entire energy and natural resources landscape.For over 50 years our work has guided the decisions of the world’s most influential energy producers, utilities companies, financial institutions and governments.Now, with the world’s energy system more complex and interconnected than ever before, sector-specific views are no longer enough. That’s why we’ve redefined what’s possible with Intelligence Connected.By fusing our unparalleled proprietary data with the sharpest analytical minds, all supercharged by Synoptic AI, we deliver a clear, interconnected view of the entire value chain. Our trusted team of 2,700 experts across 30 countries breaks siloes and connects industries, markets and regions across the globe.This empowers our customers to identify risk sooner, spot opportunities faster and recalibrate strategy with confidence – whether planning days, weeks, months or decades ahead.Wood MackenzieIntelligence ConnectedWoodMac.comWood Mackenzie Brand VideoWood Mackenzie ValuesInclusive – we succeed togetherTrusting – we choose to trust each otherCustomer committed – we put customers at the heart of our decisionsFuture Focused – we accelerate changeCurious – we turn knowledge into actionWood Mackenzie’s Brand & Creative team produces high-quality creative output at pace, supporting the business across a wide range of design, video, motion and brand projects. As Studio Manager, you will be the operational backbone of the team — embedded in the daily workflow, driving prioritisation, managing resources and ensuring projects move forward with clarity and momentum.This is a hands-on, high-influence role. You will work alongside a talented group of designers and video specialists in our Edinburgh studio as well as partnering with our brand manager, providing the day-to-day oversight and direction that keeps the team focused on what matters most. You will also manage our freelance and agency supplier network, which spans the UK and internationally, and act as a key interface and first point of contact between the creative team and stakeholders across the wider marketing function and organisation.Key ResponsibilitiesStudio Operations & Project ManagementOwn the day-to-day running of the studio, ensuring all projects are tracked, prioritised and delivered on timeAdminister and continuously improve the team’s use of Asana as the central workflow management system — ensuring it is kept accurate, up to date and used consistently across the teamMaintain a clear, up-to-date picture of current and future team capacity and workload, flagging risks and resolving bottlenecks proactivelyChair regular team stand-ups and project reviews, ensuring actions are clear and followed throughMaintain and communicate clear SLAs for creative delivery, ensuring stakeholders understand turnaround commitments and that the team consistently meets them — escalating where timelines are at riskBrief Management & Creative Quality ControlAct as the first point of review for incoming briefs, ensuring they are sufficiently developed before creative resource is committedPush back constructively on briefs that are unclear, incomplete or disproportionate in scope — protecting the team’s time and focusIntervene where projects risk becoming overcomplicated, helping the team find practical, efficient routes to strong creative outputDrive internal approval processes, ensuring the right brand and creative leaders are involved at the right points in the workflow and that sign-off does not become a bottleneckWork closely with the Brand Manager to ensure that on-brand templates and common visual assets are developed, properly stored and actively reused across projects — reducing unnecessary rework and ensuring the team’s time is focused on genuinely new creative challenges rather than recreating existing solutionsStakeholder ManagementBuild and maintain positive, collaborative relationships with stakeholders across marketing — including events, content, social, web and other delivery functions — as well as partners elsewhere in the organisationServe as the primary operational point of contact for teams requesting creative support, managing intake, expectations and communication throughout the project lifecycleEnsure stakeholder needs are delivered as well-scoped, actionable briefs and ensure feedback loops are clear and efficientRepresent the creative team’s capacity and priorities confidently, pushing back where necessary to protect quality and focusResource, Supplier & Budget ManagementManage the team’s freelance and agency supplier relationships, ensuring the right resource is engaged at the right time and at the right costOwn and actively manage the freelance and supplier budget — tracking spend against forecast, identifying variances early and making resourcing decisions that keep the team within budget without compromising on quality or deliveryMaintain and develop the supplier roster, including UK-based and international partnersMonitor supplier output and ensure it meets the team’s standards and project requirementsIdentify opportunities to improve value for money across the supplier base, renegotiating terms where appropriate and reducing unnecessary spendAI & Creative Production EfficiencyChampion the use of AI tools across the creative production process — actively identifying and implementing tools that make design, video, motion and content production faster and more efficient without compromising qualityStay current with the rapidly evolving AI tooling landscape as it applies to creative work, bringing informed recommendations to the team on where and how AI can meaningfully reduce production time or unlock new capabilitiesWork with designers, video specialists and brand managers to embed AI-assisted workflows into day-to-day production — from image generation and asset adaptation to video editing, copywriting support and beyondUse AI tools to improve operational workflows more broadly, including workflow automation, briefing processes and asset managementProactively measure and report on the efficiency gains delivered through AI adoption, demonstrating impact in concrete termsReporting, Measurement & Continuous ImprovementBuild and maintain reporting dashboards that provide clear visibility of team output, delivery performance, capacity utilisation, SLA adherence and freelance/supplier spendDefine and track meaningful efficiency metrics, using data to identify where improvements can be made and to demonstrate the value the team delivers to the businessRegularly report on creative operations performance to the Head of Brand & Creative, providing insight and recommendationsUse reporting and performance data to drive a culture of continuous improvement across studio operationsTeam Support & CommunicationWork closely with the Design & Creative Manager, Brand Manager and report directly to the Head of Brand & Creative to align on priorities and capacitySupport the Head of Brand & Creative in reporting on team output, delivery performance and resource utilisationCandidate ProfileExperienceProven experience in a Studio Manager, Creative Project Manager or similar operational role within a creative, design or in-house agency environmentDemonstrable track record of managing complex project portfolios and competing priorities in a fast-paced settingHands-on experience with Asana or a comparable project and workflow management platform — able to configure, maintain and champion its use across a teamExperience managing freelance and agency supplier relationships, including commercial and quality oversightDemonstrable experience owning and managing a freelance and supplier budget, with evidence of disciplined spend management and cost efficiencyTrack record of building and managing SLAs in a creative services context, with evidence of maintaining delivery standards against defined commitmentsExperience developing and maintaining template and asset libraries in collaboration with brand teams, with a track record of reducing rework through smart asset managementExperience building reporting dashboards and using data to measure and improve operational efficiencyDemonstrated practical use of AI tools to improve creative production — candidates who can show concrete examples of how they have used AI to make design, video, motion or content workflows faster and more efficient will be at a significant advantageSkills & ApproachStrong organisational and project management skills — you plan ahead, anticipate problems and act before they escalateSkilled stakeholder manager, able to build trusted, collaborative relationships with teams across marketing and the wider organisation, and to navigate competing demands with professionalism and clarityConfident communicator who can work influentially with creative professionals, senior stakeholders and external suppliers alikeCommercially aware, with a strong understanding of budget management and how creative operations contribute to wider business performanceWilling and able to challenge — you will push back on poor briefs, question scope creep and have honest conversations when neededA practical problem-solver who can cut through complexity and help the team find the clearest path forwardData-driven mindset — comfortable building dashboards, interpreting operational metrics and using insight to drive continuous improvementGenuinely curious about AI and its application to creative work, with the initiative to explore, test and implement new tools proactivelyWays of WorkingThe Studio Manager will be expected to take an active role in shaping the team’s working patterns — driving a rhythm of on-site collaboration that maximises creative output, team cohesion and efficiency, and ensuring their own on-site presence is aligned to when it matters mostThere will be times when on-site presence beyond the standard pattern is required — for example during busy delivery periods, key project milestones or team events — and the successful candidate will be expected to respond to those needs with flexibilityCollaborative and team-oriented, but equally capable of operating with autonomy and making sound judgement calls independentlyCalm under pressure, with the credibility to provide direction and reassurance when workloads are highThe TeamYou will join a close-knit creative and brand team of eight, comprising specialists in design, brand, video and motion. The team works with a broad network of freelance and agency partners and delivers creative output across the full range of Wood Mackenzie’s commercial and communications needs.Equal OpportunitiesWe are an equal opportunities employer. This means we are committed to recruiting the best people regardless of their race, colour, religion, age, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), national origin, disability or protected veteran status. You can find out more about your rights under the law at www.eeoc.gov