Design Studio Manager: Creative Ops & Brand Steward

KWV; Paarl; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

KWV is seeking an experienced Studio Manager to lead the in-house Design Studio, owning end-to-end workflow, from brief intake to final artwork delivery, and to bridge Brand Managers, Marketing Leadership, and the design team.

You will manage capacity, mentor designers, optimize workflows, ensure packaging compliance, and coordinate external partners while maintaining brand governance and timely premium output.

Qualifications

• Relevant tertiary qualification in Project Management, Creative Direction, Brand Management, Business Administration, or Design (advantageous, or equivalent practical industry experience).
• Minimum 5+ years’ experience in a senior creative studio management, traffic management, design operations, or agency production role. FMCG/spirit packaging experience highly required.
• Proven track record of managing, mentoring, and developing creative professionals in a high-volume environment.
• Expert proficiency in ClickUp, Asana, Microsoft 365, and studio reporting tools.
• Solid understanding of packaging workflows, pre-press standards, die-lines, substrates, regulated label compliance, and print production processes.
• Experience sourcing, negotiating with, and managing external freelance talent, repro houses, and specialized creative agencies.
• Outstanding communication and negotiation skills with the confidence to challenge briefs and align cross-functionally.

Responsibilities

• Provide line management, day-to-day operational guidance, performance reviews, and career development support for the internal design team.
• Oversee the full lifecycle of creative projects across spirits brands, prioritizing and tracking milestones.
• Vet incoming briefs to ensure clarity, completeness, and brand guideline alignment before work commences.
• Own and drive compliance in ClickUp and studio management systems with real-time dashboards.
• Coordinate packaging workflows, ensure regulatory compliance, and approve final artwork releases.
• Balance internal workload and manage external freelancers, repro houses, and agencies.
• Implement DAM standards and oversee administrative functions including PO generation and invoicing.
• Continuously improve studio processes to reduce turnaround times and enhance cross-functional collaboration.

Skills

People leadership

Stakeholder management

Studio operations

Creative direction

Traffic management

Brand governance

Process improvement

Education

Tertiary qualification in PM/Creative/Brand/Business/Design

Tools

ClickUp

Asana

Microsoft 365

Job description

KWV is seeking an experienced Studio Manager to lead the in-house Design Studio, owning end-to-end workflow, from brief intake to final artwork delivery, and to bridge Brand Managers, Marketing Leadership, and the design team.

You will manage capacity, mentor designers, optimize workflows, ensure packaging compliance, and coordinate external partners while maintaining brand governance and timely premium output.