We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Senior Director, Creative Operations to support initiatives with our mainline collections, content creation, and brand moments. This position serves as the business and operating mind for the creative output of ALD. The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of the fashion and lifestyle industry, and the ability to work cross-functionally to manage projects across various departments and timelines. This person thrives as the hub of the marketing team and is valued as the team's go-to resource on strategic priorities and project overviews; this holds true both within the creative team as well as for external stakeholders. They have expert knowledge of the creative process and strong instincts on how to create a plan of action that fits each project, including the uncanny ability to spot and resolve issues before they impact the creative team and business. Thriving in our team's start-up culture requires a growth mindset, exceptional communication skills, and an innate ability to thrive in situations of ambiguity. While a majority of the marketing budget goes towards content production, there are about six consumer-facing experiences per year.

Duties and Responsibilities

Oversee the end-to-end creative ops and production process, aligning with our marketing goals and prioritizing timing and seamless flow.
Responsible for marketing production budgets; manage the content and activations budget(s) and provide accurate estimates for all aspects of production – by tracking costs, submitting invoices, and preparing actuals – to ensure production dollars are utilized in the best way possible.
Sit in the Executive Creative sessions to track outcomes, flag risks, and delegate tasks accordingly.
Oversee production partners and ensure scheduling, retouching, and delivery of creative assets is on track to flow into the larger Brand calendar.
Design, implement, and continuously improve marketing processes to streamline workflows and enhance productivity.
Develop and maintain marketing operations best practices, including campaign management, process implementation and change management.
Continuously identify process enhancement opportunities and areas of opportunity to foster an environment of collaboration across the organization.
Determine and implement key production and creative operations vendor relationships, e.g., project management systems, video production systems, budgeting programs, etc.
Act as a primary liaison between the creative team and internal and external leadership partners to establish expectations, vet briefs, provide status updates, and field feedback.
Collaborate with other team leads to provide appropriate strategic thinking in all phases of business and project development.
Oversee and hire agency partners for experiential and large-scale shoots.
Manage the RFP process for creative & experiential projects; review bids and cut costs from both experiential and production partners to ensure the best path forward.
Assess and manage risks, foresee and resolve bottlenecks, and proactively escalate potential issues.
Constantly push for best rates, fee terms, usage, and contracts for all talent and crew.
Disambiguate situations that impede creatives and other stakeholders.
Work with the Partnerships team to seamlessly incorporate partner milestones, contractual obligations, and activity into the content & rollout process.
Manage the Creative Operations team, providing leadership and direction to Art Directors, Studio team, and other Creative Operations roles.
Lead the team by communicating expectations, providing guidance, delivering feedback, and empowering the team to be their best.
Balance focus for the team across multiple planning cycles including current year, short-term, and future.
Direct operational processes & practices across Marketing organization, focusing on greater agility and improved efficiencies, determining how all the pieces come together for maximum productivity.
Provide strategic leadership to outside Marketing/PR agencies.
Train and mentor other department leads on project management processes and best practices, including creative brief creation.

Qualifications

10+ years of experience in marketing/creative with a strong understanding of the fashion and lifestyle industry.
A clear communicator with demonstrated experience in managing a direct report, and working cross-functionally.
Familiarity with current industry norms, rates and best practices; Deep understanding of usage and how that affects rates.
Experience working with international teams and across multiple time zones.
Well-versed both in experiential marketing and content production.
Proven experience in managing annual seven-figure marketing spend.
Exceeds in project management; able to manage competing priorities, knows the status of all projects at any given time, and able to effectively convey the impact of pivots, delays, or other changes.
Experience in photo/video production and creative ops experience in studio and on location.
Deeply familiar with marketing calendars and creative team workflow, with a knack for assessing what’s necessary to accomplish various types of projects.
Equipped with strong agency relationships and knowledge about photographers, videographers, directors, models, illustrators, and artists, both up-and-coming and established.
Proven ability to negotiate for best rates at all times, and to deliver projects on time and on budget.
A strong team manager, self-manager, and leader of freelance partners who can organize workflows effectively—sometimes with minimal direction.
Driven by a sense of urgency (you're always the first to follow up) and capable of balancing competing priorities.
Passionate about executing superior creative work on time, on budget, and with consistently high standards.
An understanding of digital marketing, both paid and organic.
Excellent communication, negotiation, and project management skills.
Ability to think operationally, creatively and strategically.
Strong attention to detail and ability to work in a fast-paced environment.

Salary Range: $110,000 - $130,000

Created in 2014, Aimé Leon Dore is a lifestyle, sport and ready-to-wear brand based out of Queens, New York. With a strong focus on simple yet powerful design, we are driven to create timeless work by portraying an aesthetic that is uniquely our own

Aimé Leon Dore jobs

Senior Director, Creative Operations