Producer

Marks; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 55,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health care plans

Dental plan

Vision plan

Life insurance

401(k) plan

FSA/HSA

Job summary

Marks, part of the Propelis Group, is seeking a hands-on Producer in Chicago to manage all aspects of photography production on site, keep multiple teams aligned, and ensure client and supplier coordination.

You will schedule shoots, control the budget, book crews, plot shot counts, oversee post‑production retouching, and relentlessly plan for potential issues while maintaining a positive, collaborative studio culture.

Qualifications

• Creative mindset with a strong visual sensibility.
• Superior time management and organizational skills.
• Sharp attention to detail and accuracy.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong relationship-building with clients and crew.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines.
• Financial awareness to manage budgets and cost tracking.

Responsibilities

• Schedule the shoot and manage all production timelines.
• Run the budget, handle POs and vendor payments.
• Book the team for each role and coordinate crews.
• Plot the number of shots against a production timeline.
• Be the timekeeper, moving on when needed to stay on track.
• Preplan and book pre-pros; send templates to photographers.
• Collect data during shoots and secure client approvals.
• Create contact sheets and distribute assets to stakeholders.
• Ensure products arrive on set and anticipate problems.
• Maintain backup plans for potential issues.
• Compile a contacts list for the shoot and schedule reminders.
• Oversee color retouching tasks during or after shoots.
• Attend briefings with Account Manager and Design Director when photography is scoped.
• Communicate creative intent to ensure photographic alignment with the vision.
• Manage budgets and advise on potential adjustments as needed.
• Document workflows and create WO for tasks like templates and retouching.

Skills

Creative mindset

Time management

Organization

Attention to detail

Verbal and written communication

Multitasking

Relationship building

Working under pressure

Clear thinking under pressure

Financial acumen

Team player

Positive attitude

Self-motivation

Sense of humor

Job description

Marks, part of the Propelis Group, Marks is a consumer experience agency creating engaging moments across the entire brand spectrum—from brand design and packaging, to content and consumer connections. We are a collaborative global network of 1,900+ team members across 25+ studios and 20+ countries, partnering with some of the world’s most recognized brands to solve complex business challenges through design, strategy, and craft.

This role is fully onsite 5 days per week in Chicago, IL.

General Overview:

Working with the Account team, Project Management team and the studio, the role of the Producer is to manage all aspects of photography production, covering specific project deliverables ensuring all departments/teams are kept up to date and clients as well as external suppliers are managed.

Continually striving to push the boundaries of the photography realm and to produce great work! The role of a producer whether on a motion set or a still set is to run everything behind the scenes.

As a Producer you will:

• Schedule the shoot
• Run the budget, get people POs
• Book the team for each role
• Plot the number of shots, based on a timeline
• You are the person saying, okay we have spent enough time on this shot, we have to move to the next one. You are the time keeper
• Preplan / book in the pre-pros
• Make sure the templates are sent to the photographer before the shoot
• Gather all the data once the shoot is happening to get an outside approval
• Create the contact sheets and distribute them
• Ensure the products get to set
• Foresee any problems before they even happen
• Always have a back-up plan
• Create a list of Contacts for the shoot
• Check in with those contacts 3 days, 2 days, 1 day before the shoot to make sure everything is going to run seamlessly
• Manage all colour retouching tasks after or during photoshoot

Being a truly star Producer!

• Attends briefings with Account Manager/ Design Director whenever photography is part of the scope of work to get familiar with and ask from the onset of the project
• Understands the intent of the creative to ensure photography is hitting the mark from a high level (flags any concerns to creative art director on set)
• Quarterback the budget and advises the Account Manager if the estimate requires adjustments
• Writes up WO as needed for the different tasks – pre-pro creation, photo templates, retouching, etc.
• Develops and manages photography timelines, tracking/reporting on time delivery or alterations of the timeline to the key stakeholders
• Manages circulation of shots to client for approval when client is not on set
• Maintains a photography status report to help scheduler in the studio
• Enters requisitions and coordinates outside services as required for shoots (i.e. food stylist)
• Acts as liaison between Marks Account team and Photography Studio to identify resources/requirements for upcoming shoots
• Escalate to Account team any issues or concerns that might affect client relationship
• Attends image turnover meetings with Retouching/Design teams
• Follows through after photoshoot to make sure assets are properly placed on server, and all tasks completed
• Provides input and helps implement any workflow/processes to gain efficiencies

WHAT KIND OF SKILLS SHOULD YOU HAVE?

• Creative mindset with composition skills
• Superior time management skills
• Strong organizational skills
• Sharp attention to detail
• Demonstrated excellence in verbal and written communication
• Ability to manage multiple projects in a fast paced, time sensitive environment
• Be personable and able to build strong relationships
• Ability to consistently perform under pressure in a fast-paced environment as an individual in a team environment
• Ability to think clearly under pressure, remaining flexible and managing challenging deadlines / stressful situations with confidence
• Ability to handle multiple tasks, keeping accurate and detailed records for every project and being financially astute
• A positive approach: a team player with a ‘can-do’ attitude
• Passion
• Ability to work with minimal supervision
• A sense of humor (always a plus!)

About Propelis:

Propelis is a portfolio of global marketing services and technology companies with a combined legacy of 150+ years, 2,000+ clients, 9,000 employees, and operations across 30 countries. Propelis provides the scale and support of a global organization while preserving the unique culture and identity of each company in its portfolio.

For more information visit: www.MakeMarks.com

EEO Statement:

We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need. We offer equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, genetic information, age, disability or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.Equal Opportunity Employer Minorities/Women/Veterans/Disabled.

We strive to make our employment website and application process accessible to all users and applicants. In doing so, we provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you have a disability and require a reasonable accommodation or assistance completing the application process, please contact a member of our Human Resource Team.

Our compensation reflects the cost of labor across several U.S. geographic markets, and we pay differently based on those defined markets. The U.S. pay range for this position is $55,000 USD - $65,000 USD annually. Ultimately, in determining pay, we will consider the successful candidate’s location, experience, and other job-related factors.

Group benefits currently include a selection of health care plans with prescription drug coverage, dental plan, vision plan, basic and supplemental life insurance, a flexible spending account for medical and dependent care expenses or a health savings account based on plan selection, short/long term disability and 401(k) Savings Plan.