Production Solutions Manager - Chicago/Virtual

Direct Travel; Schaumburg (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Creative Group seeks a Production Solutions Manager to bridge business development and production delivery during the pre-sales cycle. You will translate client challenges into executable production solutions, enabling the sales team to position event production as a strategic driver of impact and ROI.

You will hand off to delivery after contract signing. The role is consultative and client-facing with no post-award execution; you will partner with BD, Event Strategists, and Designers to ensure

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in communications, business administration, theatre/production, or a related field is required.
• Minimum 7–10 years of experience in event production, AV production, show production, experiential marketing, or related.
• Experience in a client-facing, consultative role supporting business development in an agency or production environment.
• Strong understanding of live event production including audio, video, lighting, staging, LED, scenic, projection, content management, and streaming tech.
• Experience developing scopes of work, production budgets, and technical approaches for complex events.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially PowerPoint and Excel; comfortable using CRM and project management tools.
• Comfort presenting to C-suite client stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Partner with Business Development during discovery to understand client challenges, objectives, and audience engagement goals.
• Translate client objectives into production solution recommendations across staging, lighting, AV, LED, scenic, and other technologies.
• Design production approaches, scopes, and budgets during the pursuit phase that are feasible and profitable.
• Develop and deliver capability presentations and production-focused proposal content to differentiate services.
• Serve as the production SME during client pitches, answering technical questions clearly.
• Identify risks and alternative approaches to ensure solutions fit client timelines and budgets.
• Collaborate with Production leadership to validate solutions against capacity and resources.

Skills

Client-facing

Solution design

Pre-sales

Budgeting

Presentation skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in communications, business administration, theatre/production, or related field

Tools

PowerPoint

Excel

CRM software

Project management tools

Job description

The Production Solutions Manager is a consultative, client-facing individual contributor who bridges business development and production delivery. This role translates client business challenges into compelling, executable production solutions during the pre-sales cycle - enabling the sales team to position Event Production as a strategic driver of event impact and business ROI. The Production Solutions Manager does not carry a sales quota, does not manage staff, and does not execute programs post-award. They operate exclusively in the pursuit and solution-design phase, handing off to the production delivery team upon contract signing.

Position Summary

The Production Solutions Manager is a consultative, client-facing individual contributor who bridges business development and production delivery. This role translates client business challenges into compelling, executable production solutions during the pre-sales cycle - enabling the sales team to position Event Production as a strategic driver of event impact and business ROI. The Production Solutions Manager does not carry a sales quota, does not manage staff, and does not execute programs post-award. They operate exclusively in the pursuit and solution-design phase, handing off to the production delivery team upon contract signing.

Essential Functions

Pre-Sales Solution Design & Sales Enablement

• Partner with Business Development to participate in discovery calls, understanding client business challenges, communication objectives, and audience engagement goals.
• Translate client objectives into production solution recommendations - articulating how staging, content delivery, lighting, AV, LED, scenic, event technology, media create strategic impact beyond basic technical execution.
• Work with the Director of Production to design production approaches, scopes of work, and budget frameworks during the pursuit phase that are feasible, profitable, and aligned with client goals.
• Develop and deliver compelling capability presentations and production-focused proposal content that position Creative Group's production services as a strategic differentiator.
• Serve as the production subject matter expert during client pitches, answering technical and capability questions with confidence and clarity.
• Identify risks, constraints, and alternative approaches during the scoping phase to ensure solutions are executable within the client's timeline and budget.
• Collaborate with the Director of Production to validate proposed solutions against team capacity, available resources, and operational feasibility.

Revenue Growth Support & Market Intelligence

• In partnership with the Director of Production, assess market trends, competitor activities, and client feedback to inform go-to-market positioning and pricing strategies for production services.
• Support the development of effective and profitable pricing strategies that inform SOW and budget parameters during pursuits.
• Contribute production-specific content to RFP responses, ensuring technical accuracy and strategic positioning.
• Track win/loss outcomes on pursuits involving production services; analyze patterns to refine solution approaches and value messaging.
• Identify upsell and cross-sell opportunities where production services can expand scope or deepen client engagement.

Cross-Functional Collaboration (Pre-Sale)

• Partner with Business Development team members in relationship building and discovery conversations to present Creative Group's Production capabilities, understand client needs and identify areas of alignment.
• Partner with Event Strategists to ensure Production solutions align with the program's strategic narrative and audience journey.
• Collaborate with Creative Designers to understand visual and environmental concepts, then validate technical feasibility and recommend production methods to bring designs to life.
• Partner with the Strategic Sourcing Manager to ensure venue selections incorporate production needs, on budget entry in order to capture all line items and maximize spend.
• Work alongside the Production delivery team (Technical Directors, Production Managers) to ensure proposed solutions reflect current capabilities and best practices.
• Create clear handoff documentation for the delivery team upon contract award, including scope, assumptions, technical approach, and risk considerations.

Thought Leadership & Production Positioning

• Evangelize the strategic value of Production services internally and externally - reframing production from "AV support" to "content delivery strategy that brings an event's communication strategy to life."
• Stay current on emerging production technologies, techniques, and industry innovations to inform solution recommendations.
• Contribute to the development of Production service collateral, case studies, and capability materials used by Business Development.
• Represent Creative Group at industry events, conferences, and partner meetings as a production thought leader.

Minimum Requirements/Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in communications, business administration, theatre/production, or a related field - or a combination of education and experience.
• Must possess a minimum of 7-10 years of previous experience in event production, AV production, show production, experiential marketing, or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated experience in a client-facing, consultative role - presenting solutions, leading discovery conversations, or supporting business development in an agency or production environment.
• Strong understanding of all areas of live event production including audio, video, lighting, staging, LED, scenic, projection, content management, and streaming technologies.
• Experience developing scopes of work, production budgets, and technical approaches for complex corporate events, conferences, and experiential activations.
• Must be proficient in Microsoft Office products, especially PowerPoint and Excel. Comfortable learning CRM and project management tools as needed.
• Comfortable working closely with senior-level executives and presenting to C-suite client stakeholders.

Non-negotiable Hiring Criteria

• Models behavior that reflects our organization's Vision and Core Beliefs.
• Excellent interpersonal skills to relate well with individuals at all levels of the organization and client organizations, including senior-level management.
• Exceptional presentation and storytelling skills - able to articulate complex production concepts in compelling, non-technical language that resonates with clients.
• Strong analytical skills to assess project requirements, identify risks, and develop accurate budget estimates during the pursuit phase.
• Must be able to collaborate within cross-functional teams (strategy, creative, production, sales) to deliver successful outcomes.
• Creative problem-solving skills, with the ability to design alternative approaches when constraints arise.
• Comfortable in a results-oriented, fast-paced environment with competing priorities across multiple pursuits.
• Must be able to work effectively in an environment that isn't bound by the traditional '9 to 5' mentality.