Production Operations Manager

Company description The Production Operations Manager is responsible for ensuring the effective, efficient, and profitable day‑to‑day running of production operations. The role translates operational strategy into executable workflows by managing resources, capacity, processes, tools, and delivery governance across the Production Practice. This is a non‑client‑facing role that partners closely with the Production Operations Director and production leadership to enable high‑quality output, operational consistency, cost discipline, and scalable growth—without compromising craft or delivery excellence. Responsibilities Operational Delivery & Efficiency Own and manage day‑to‑day production operations to ensure work moves smoothly, predictably, and efficiently across teams. Implement and enforce standardised production workflows, ways of working, and operating rhythms. Identify operational bottlenecks and proactively drive continuous improvement initiatives to reduce friction, cost, and rework. Financial and Commercial Enablement Work with Resource Managers to cross-check planning and allocation to ensure optimal utilisation across permanent, FTC, and freelance resources, minimising overtime, burn and underutilisation. Balance workloads across projects, teams, and disciplines to meet delivery timelines and commercial targets. Partner with Resource Coordinators, Client Management and Producer roles to resolve conflicts, manage peaks, and reduce dependency on reactive resourcing. Review recons and approve job closures once work has been delivered and billed correctly. Manage freelancer resourcing in partnership with HR and Finance, including rate validation, hours tracking, and compliance. Production Planning & Timelines Ensure production timelines, delivery plans, and dependencies are visible, realistic, and actively managed. Support leadership in forecasting capacity and aligning demand with available resources. Ensure work is scheduled and delivered within agreed scope, timelines, and operational constraints, forecasting and escalating issues for resolution early. Governance, Risk & Compliance Run and embed operational governance including reporting cadence, delivery checkpoints, and risk management processes. Ensure compliance with industry standards, internal controls, and production governance requirements. Flag and mitigate risks that may impact delivery, cost, or quality, escalating where required. Tools, Data & Reporting Drive consistent adoption and correct usage of production and operations tools to ensure reliable data and reporting. Maintain data integrity across resourcing, delivery tracking, and operational reporting. Produce regular operational insights to support decision‑making around capacity, efficiency, and performance. Stakeholder & Team Enablement Act as a key operational partner to Production Leads, Project Managers, and Functional Heads. Enable cross‑departmental collaboration by aligning processes, expectations, and delivery rhythms. Support the development and upskilling of junior operations and resource team members, fostering an accountable and improvement‑driven culture. Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in Operations Management, Business Administration, Project Management, or a related field. 5–8+ years’ experience in operations, production management, or delivery roles within a fast‑paced production or agency environment. Proven experience managing resources, operational workflows, and delivery governance. Strong analytical, organisational, and problem‑solving skills. Additional information Key Competencies Operational excellence and process orientation Resource and capacity planning Commercial and cost awareness Stakeholder management and collaboration Data‑driven decision‑making Calm execution in high‑volume environments Key Outcomes & Measures of Success Efficient and predictable production delivery Optimised resource utilisation and reduced delivery cost Improved operational consistency and governance adherence High adoption of tools, processes, and reporting standards Strong collaboration between production, project, and operations teams

Bachelor’s degree in Operations Management, Business Administration, Project Management, or a related field. 5–8+ years’ experience in operations, production management, or delivery roles within a fast‑paced production or agency environment. Proven experience managing resources, operational workflows, and delivery governance. Strong analytical, organisational, and problem‑solving skills.

Operational Delivery & Efficiency Own and manage day‑to‑day production operations to ensure work moves smoothly, predictably, and efficiently across teams. Implement and enforce standardised production workflows, ways of working, and operating rhythms. Identify operational bottlenecks and proactively drive continuous improvement initiatives to reduce friction, cost, and rework. Financial and Commercial Enablement Work with Resource Managers to cross-check planning and allocation to ensure optimal utilisation across permanent, FTC, and freelance resources, minimising overtime, burn and underutilisation. Balance workloads across projects, teams, and disciplines to meet delivery timelines and commercial targets. Partner with Resource Coordinators, Client Management and Producer roles to resolve conflicts, manage peaks, and reduce dependency on reactive resourcing. Review recons and approve job closures once work has been delivered and billed correctly. Manage freelancer resourcing in partnership with HR and Finance, including rate validation, hours tracking, and compliance. Production Planning & Timelines Ensure production timelines, delivery plans, and dependencies are visible, realistic, and actively managed. Support leadership in forecasting capacity and aligning demand with available resources. Ensure work is scheduled and delivered within agreed scope, timelines, and operational constraints, forecasting and escalating issues for resolution early. Governance, Risk & Compliance Run and embed operational governance including reporting cadence, delivery checkpoints, and risk management processes. Ensure compliance with industry standards, internal controls, and production governance requirements. Flag and mitigate risks that may impact delivery, cost, or quality, escalating where required. Tools, Data & Reporting Drive consistent adoption and correct usage of production and operations tools to ensure reliable data and reporting. Maintain data integrity across resourcing, delivery tracking, and operational reporting. Produce regular operational insights to support decision‑making around capacity, efficiency, and performance. Stakeholder & Team Enablement Act as a key operational partner to Production Leads, Project Managers, and Functional Heads. Enable cross‑departmental collaboration by aligning processes, expectations, and delivery rhythms. Support the development and upskilling of junior operations and resource team members, fostering an accountable and improvement‑driven culture.