Senior Creative Project Manager

Private Company; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Private Company in Chicago seeks a Senior Project Manager to lead complex digital and integrated projects from discovery to delivery. You will align creative and technical teams, manage budgets, and protect scope and profitability while building strong client relationships.

A proven track record in a fast-paced agency environment is essential. You will partner with leadership on contracts and SOWs, balance multiple campaigns across Social, Paid, and CRM, and drive operational excellence across

Qualifications

• 6–8 years in digital or integrated agency environments, agency experience required.
• Experience managing multiple projects and client relationships simultaneously.
• Experience overseeing creative production across Social, Paid, and CRM channels including video.
• Proven ability to develop scopes of work and contracts.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex projects from discovery through delivery, ensuring timelines, budgets, and deliverables.
• Collaborate with clients and cross-functional teams to define objectives, scope, and resources.
• Guide creative and technical teams through concurrent initiatives with clarity and strategic focus.
• Monitor project health, identify risks, and implement solutions to stay on track.
• Maintain project documentation and task management for efficiency and transparency.

Skills

Project management

Client relationships

Budgeting & SOWs

Cross-functional teams

Risk management

Stakeholder communication

Job description

We’re a leading creative agency looking for a Senior Project Manager who’s equal parts strategist, steady hand, and trusted partner to our clients. You’ll lead complex, multi-faceted projects from first conversation to final delivery, keep creative teams and vendors aligned, and protect the scope and profitability of the work along the way. You’ll also build lasting relationships with clients, partner with leadership on contracts and SOWs, and spot opportunities to grow accounts. If you thrive on bringing clarity to complex work and delivering results for sophisticated clients, we’d love to meet you.

• Lead complex projects from initial discovery through successful delivery, ensuring timelines, budgets, and deliverables are consistently met
• Collaborate with clients and cross-functional teams to define project objectives, scope, timelines, and resource requirements
• Guide creative and technical teams through multiple concurrent initiatives while maintaining clarity and strategic focus
• Proactively monitor project health, identify potential risks, and implement solutions to keep deliverables on track
• Maintain comprehensive project documentation and task management systems that support team efficiency and client transparency

Managing Creative Across Channels

• Manage creative production across Social, Paid, and CRM, keeping messaging, timelines, and specs consistent from channel to channel
• Oversee video assets from concept through final delivery, including scripting, shoots, edits, versioning, and platform-specific cuts
• Coordinate creative, media, and lifecycle teams so assets are built to spec, approved on time, and ready for launch
• Track asset requirements, formats, and approval workflows across campaigns, so nothing slips between channels
• Balance fast-turn, always-on content with larger campaign work without losing quality or focus

Program Operations & Resource Management

• Partner with the creative team to properly staff projects from concept to delivery, ensuring the right talent is in place to meet deadlines and deliver quality work
• Partner with finance teams to develop accurate budgets, monitor project profitability, and optimize resource allocation
• Develop and refine project frameworks, processes, and tools to continuously improve operational efficiency
• Manage external vendor relationships to supplement internal capabilities as needed
• Protect project scope and profitability while maintaining flexibility to meet evolving client needs

Strategic Account Management

• Build and nurture long-term client relationships by deeply understanding their business priorities and consistently delivering measurable results
• Partner with senior leadership on contract negotiations, including statements of work, change orders, and scope modifications
• Identify expansion opportunities within existing accounts and develop compelling proposals to grow partnerships
• Establish and track key performance indicators aligned with client business objectives
• Own project budgets from kickoff to close, building accurate estimates and tracking against them throughout delivery
• Monitor burn weekly, flag variances early, and recommend adjustments to keep projects profitable
• Collaborate on drafting SOWs, change orders, and scope modifications that clearly define deliverables, timelines, and fees
• Partner with finance on forecasting, billing, and project profitability reporting
• Review budgets, burn, and contract changes with senior leaders to ensure alignment before anything goes to the client
• Spot out-of-scope requests early and guide clients through change order conversations to protect scope

Experience

• 6-8 years in digital or integrated agency environments (agency experience is required to be considered for this role)
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects and client relationships simultaneously
• Experience managing creative production across Social, Paid, and CRM, including video
• Experience closely partnering with creative staff across the full project lifecycle
• Strong project estimation skills based on real-world experience
• 2+ years writing scopes of work and contracts