Design Operations & Client Delivery Lead

Staffing Global Network; Mumbai; On-site; INR 1,500,000 - 2,200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

In-house leadership role

Exposure to U.S. clients

Competitive compensation

Job summary

Staffing Global Network in Mumbai seeks a mature leader to run design operations, strengthen delivery discipline and serve as a trusted client contact. The role blends client ownership, project management and hands-on production work as needed.

You will coordinate people, projects and priorities, coaching senior designers and maintaining quality, schedule and client satisfaction across U.S. oriented accounts.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of progressive design or production experience with responsibility for projects, people or client delivery.
• Advanced proficiency in Adobe InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop; InDesign is mandatory.
• Strong publication-layout, print-production, prepress, typography and quality-assurance knowledge.
• Ability to manage concurrent projects and stringent deadlines with clear tracking and escalation.
• Experience coaching designers, giving performance feedback and coordinating professionals.

Responsibilities

• Lead Design Operations and the Team, plan and run design-workload across accounts.
• Own client relationships and delivery, translate business needs into briefs and maintain quality.
• Manage high-volume publication programs and ensure accurate, timely outputs.
• Provide hands-on design and production support using InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop.
• Improve workflows, SOPs, templates, and use automation to enhance throughput.

Skills

Leadership

Client management

Project coordination

Mentoring

Strategic planning

Tools

Adobe InDesign

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Photoshop

Job description

Role Overview

We are seeking a mature, commercially aware leader to help management run design operations, strengthen delivery discipline and serve as a trusted client contact. The candidate will coordinate people, projects and priorities while remaining capable of hands‑on publication or graphic‑design work when needed.

This is broader than a conventional Art Director position, combining client ownership, project management, people leadership, reporting, quality control and hands‑on production expertise.

Core Responsibilities

1. Lead Design Operations and the Team

• Partner with management to plan, prioritize and run the full design-production workload across publication and non-publication accounts.
• Allocate work intelligently based on capability, capacity, urgency and client context, and track assignments through completion.
• Lead through credibility and sound judgment, earning the confidence of existing senior and experienced designers on the team.
• Coach newer team members, provide actionable feedback, raise quality standards and help individuals strengthen their technical and client-service skills.
• Anticipate capacity constraints, arrange backup coverage and resolve bottlenecks before they affect delivery.

2. Own Client Relationships and Delivery

• Act as a dependable client-facing representative for assigned design and publication accounts.
• Lead discovery conversations, clarify business needs, scope and specifications, and translate them into clear internal briefs.
• Coordinate team execution, review work before delivery and remain accountable for quality, timeliness and follow-through.
• Build client confidence through clear communication, realistic commitments and timely written updates.
• Apply commercial judgment to feasibility, timelines, revisions and scope, and identify additional support opportunities without overpromising.
• Own issues through resolution and protect the client relationship when requirements change or delivery risks emerge.

3. Manage Publication and Letter‑Production Programs

• Oversee publication‑setup workflows for long-established U.S. community publishers, including publications serving Amish readerships in Pennsylvania and the East Coast.
• Manage high‑volume handwritten‑letter programs that may exceed 1,200 letters per week across one or more publications.
• Coordinate the complete workflow: file intake and logging; AI/OCR‑assisted transcription; human proofreading and correction; typesetting into Word or other required formats; client review; and release for print.
• Maintain accurate status tracking, naming conventions, version control, quality checkpoints and deadline visibility across every stage.
• Plan for volume spikes, weekend intake and urgent exceptions while protecting accuracy, confidentiality and deadlines.

4. Provide Hands‑on Design and Production Support

• Create, revise and quality‑check magazine advertisements, classifieds, newspaper ads, publication layouts and other print or digital collateral.
• Work proficiently in Adobe InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop, using other tools when appropriate to the assignment.
• Prepare print‑ready files with correct dimensions, bleeds, trim, resolution, color profiles, fonts, links and export settings.
• Apply strong typography, hierarchy, layout, design thinking and brand judgment, and step into priority work or coaching reviews when needed.

5. Improve Processes, Controls and Automation

• Document and improve workflows, SOPs, checklists, templates, handoffs and quality‑control standards.
• Use automation and AI to improve throughput without weakening human review, accountability or data protection.
• Investigate recurring errors or delays, determine root causes and implement measurable corrective actions.
• Use delivery, quality and workload data to recommend better processes, staffing decisions and client solutions.

Reporting and Management Visibility

This position reports directly to the Head of Business Operations and must provide disciplined, proactive updates. Management should have a reliable view of client health, delivery performance, team conditions and emerging risks without having to chase for information.

• Immediate reporting: Raise client concerns, deadline threats, quality failures, staffing constraints and other material risks as soon as they become known.
• Weekly operating update: Report on client relationships, projects, deadlines, delivery confidence, workload, quality, employee feedback, coaching, decisions required and next‑week priorities.
• Monthly management review: Summarize trends in client health, delivery performance, team development, process improvement, risks, opportunities and recommended actions.
• Meeting and escalation discipline: Schedule important discussions, capture decisions and owners, communicate early, propose solutions and close the loop on agreed actions.

Required Experience and Capabilities

• Typically 8+ years of progressive design or production experience with responsibility for projects, people or client delivery. Strong leadership evidence may offset fewer years.
• Advanced proficiency in Adobe InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop; InDesign is mandatory.
• Strong publication‑layout, print‑production, prepress, typography and quality‑assurance knowledge.
• Ability to manage concurrent projects and stringent deadlines through clear tracking and escalation.
• Evidence of coaching designers, giving performance feedback and coordinating experienced professionals.
• Confident English communication and experience working with U.S. clients.
• Ability to work traditional U.S. daytime hours, corresponding to a night shift in India.
• A strong publication, print and graphic‑design portfolio.

Preferred Experience

• Newspaper, magazine, classified‑advertising or high‑volume production experience.
• Strong CorelDRAW or QuarkXPress experience is advantageous; neither is mandatory.
• Experience with Word production, OCR/transcription, AI‑enabled workflows, project tools or operational dashboards is advantageous but not required.
• Direct client ownership or measurable process‑improvement experience.

Leadership Qualities We Will Evaluate

• Judgment and maturity: Reads situations accurately and makes proportionate decisions.
• Ownership and problem solving: Takes responsibility and brings solutions, not only problems.
• Business acumen: Understands client priorities and the impact of commitments.
• Communication discipline: Responds promptly and keeps stakeholders appropriately informed.
• Influence and composure: Earns trust across experience levels and remains constructive under pressure.

How Success Will Be Measured

• Delivery: Deadlines are met and risks are surfaced early.
• Quality: Accuracy improves and preventable rework declines.
• Client confidence: Clients receive responsive communication and dependable ownership.
• Team effectiveness: Work is allocated sensibly and feedback improves capability.
• Operational improvement: Reporting is useful and process changes produce measurable gains.

What We Offer

• An in‑house leadership role with exposure to U.S. clients and management.
• The opportunity to shape design operations, team development and delivery standards.
• Varied work, growth potential and competitive compensation aligned with role fit.

Practical evidence matters more than job titles alone. Responsibilities may evolve with business and client needs.