Sr. Manager, Creative Operations

This is a Full Time Job

Universal Products & Experiences Overview:

Universal Products & Experiences (UP&E) globally drives the expansion and elevation of NBCUniversal's iconic collection of brands, intellectual properties, characters, and stories based on the company's extensive portfolio of properties created by Universal Pictures, Illumination, DreamWorks Animation and NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. The division executes this through innovative physical and digital products, engaging retail and product experiences across our expansive global theme park destinations (for both owned and 3rd party IP), location-based venues, e-commerce product platforms, and retailers around the world. Along with global brand strategy and creative, UP&E's three lines of business include Consumer Products, Games and Digital Platforms, as well as Theme Parks Products & Retail. UP&E is a division of Universal Parks & Resorts, part of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation. https://www.universalproductsexperiences.com/

Universal Products & Experiences is committed to attracting and retaining a diverse workforce of the highest caliber. We are committed to fostering equitable and inclusive environments that honor the experiences, perspectives, and uniqueness of each colleague.

It is the policy of NBCUniversal and NBCUniversal's affiliated businesses to consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy) sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status or other characteristics protected by applicable law.

Summary:

Universal Products & Experiences Franchise Management team drives the global vision and strategic development and execution of our franchise strategy and marketing plans to cultivate brand growth and drive revenue throughout the franchise ecosystem. We are a team of makers, thinkers, leaders and rebels whose passion is to ignite ideas every day, in a culture that celebrates creativity, fresh thinking, executional excellence and each other.

The Sr. Manager, Creative Operations will manage a high volume of deliverables for the Live Action creative team, including design guides, packaging guides, retail guides and marketing asset packs, and will partner with the character art project manager on required deliverables for all projects. The role is the lead communicator and cross-function liaison across the business globally with key partners in franchise strategy, category management, product design & development, retail development/marketing, legal and global asset production and management. A master of the Operations craft, this role will report to the Vice President of Global Brand Operations.

Responsibilities include:
• Leads seamless management of projects across Consumer Products and Parks Merchandise businesses in partnership with the Live Action creative lead
• Leads production and execution of the Franchise Creative process to ensure efficient workflow, driving key milestones within project life cycles
• Develops and manages robust project plans and timelines for all Live Action projects; proactively and continuously manages updates to project trackers within the department project management tool
• Partners with strategy team to project business needs up to two years in advance of delivery; regularly connects with global business teams for alignment of creative deliverables to business needs
• Accurately defines scope and timing of creative deliverables based on business priorities
• Defines and manages approvals waterfall for all projects, including executive-level approval moments
• Develops and manages agendas and presentations for cross-functional and executive-level meetings
• Liaison for legal, trademark and 3rd party partner approvals for creative projects, including all creative deliverables (i.e., creative, editorial, social posts, franchise themes, etc.)
• Works closely with Global Asset Production & Management teams for seamless and timely posting of all Live Action creative deliverables
• Manages creative guide audits and/or any research relating to guides developed over the lifecycle of the brand, including but not limited to, identifying past creative thematics in guides, management and knowledge of the style guide inventory, generating reports and/or pulling PDFs of guides
• Facilitates creative reviews and works across lines of business, including but not limited to, Marketing, Parks, Promotions, Strategy, Games, Live Entertainment, and Publishing
• Partners with finance and operations team lead to manage the Live Action Creative budget, including quarterly forecasting and pacing. Ladders up to global Creative budget
• Builds relationships across the organization and with outside agencies to drive efficiency, productivity and executional goals
• Leads meetings including, but not limited to, weekly creative meetings. Provides creative agenda points for POD and/or meetings led by other teams within the organization
• Implements, champions and drives tools and processes that unlock the business and increase partnership and collaboration between teams
• Influences talent, including cross-collaboration with other operations team members as well as other team leadership within the organization
• Supports best-in-class culture for innovation, proactive problem-solving and a positive culture of feedback
• Contributes to the advancement and actualization of Universal's diversity, equity, and inclusion commitments
• Additional duties as needed to meet business needs

Qualifications

Qualifications/Requirements:
• 7 years or more of related work experience, ideally in Creative Operations at a film studio
• Works independently and is self-directed with exceptional ability to execute on tasks and understand their contribution to the bigger picture
• Strategic, critical thinker and creative problem solver
• Effective communication, including speaking, writing and active listening as well as a professional presentation
• Must be self-motivated & enjoy working in a fast-paced, constantly changing environment

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