One of the best things to happen to marketing and creative teams in the last few years is the maturation of the creative operations discipline. The addition of creative operations managers was a desperately needed evolutionary step, as the demand intensified for innovative content that needed to get out the door quickly. It’s hard to see how else these teams could handle the increasing complexity of managing creative projects, timelines, and stakeholder expectations.
Creative operations managers bridge the gap between creativity and efficiency, guiding creative and marketing teams to get exceptional work done while maintaining creative integrity. To be great at their job, they need a unique set of skills and qualities that make them both a leader and a conduit of creativity.
We’re going to explore the top traits and skills to look for in a creative operations manager, outlining what makes them effective leaders and invaluable assets to your creative organization. Let’s take a look!
What we'll cover
Table of contents
What exactly does a creative operations manager do?
A creative operations manager keeps an eye on the processes, resources, and systems that support creative projects, ensuring that teams work at peak efficiency while putting out high-quality work. Their role fits more or less into the following key areas:
- Strategic planning and implementation: They work with creative directors and stakeholders to define project goals, timelines, and budgets, ensuring that creative initiatives align with broader business objectives.
- Process optimization and workflow management: In 2023, 78% of creatives witnessed an upswing in their workload; optimization is more important than ever. Creative ops managers develop and refine workflows to streamline production, removing bottlenecks and creating repeatable, efficient processes for creative teams.
- Project coordination and delivery: They manage the progress of multiple projects, ensuring that teams stay on track, meet deadlines, and deliver assets that meet quality standards.
Say you have a creative agency — your creative operations manager would oversee the entire production pipeline for one of your big clients, coordinating across teams to deliver assets on time, handling client feedback, and ensuring every stage of the process aligns with brand guidelines. They’re the first line of defense, the gatekeeper, the linchpin that keeps your creative or marketing team focused and steaming along at full power without distraction.
Traits and qualities to look for in a creative operations manager
You can’t just reach into a LinkedIn hat and pull out a creative operations manager. You have to find someone who has the right mix of strategic vision, creativity, and management prowess. Here are the top traits we think you should look for:
1. Understanding of the creative process
A creative operations manager worth their weight should have a deep understanding of the creative process, from ideation to final production. They should know what goes into producing various types of creative work, like video, digital, and print content, and be familiar with the common challenges that come up in creative workflows. That way, they can empathize with creative teams and set realistic expectations.
2. Leadership and management
Great creative operations managers have solid leadership skills, particularly when it comes to motivating and guiding creative teams (you know well the deflation that happens with poor creative leadership). They need experience in areas like delegation, team-building, and setting clear goals. In the world of creative, leadership doesn’t just give orders, they inspire team members, encourage open communication, and lead by example. Managers who are transparent, approachable, and receptive to feedback tend to foster a positive work culture, helping the team feel supported and valued.
3. Organizational qualities
It seems counter-intuitive, but creativity needs structure to thrive, and the creative operations manager is the one who brings the structure. They have to be highly organized, with the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously. Your ideal creative ops manager is on top of timelines, coordinating with different departments, and ensuring that everyone has what they need to do their best work. If you want to keep complex creative processes running smoothly, pick someone who has their organizational stuff together.
4. Creativity and innovation
Don’t get us wrong, a great creative operations manager should still have a creative mindset. They should be open to innovative solutions and be able to contribute ideas on how to make processes more efficient or effective. It wouldn’t be out of place to see a creative ops help with brainstorming sessions or suggest new approaches to content creation, driving originality in both processes and deliverables.
5. Adaptability and resourcefulness
Darwin said “It’s not the strongest that survive… but the most responsive to change.” It’s a heavy quote, but it still applies — a creative operations manager should be adaptable and resourceful, capable of pivoting when projects change direction or new challenges arise. For instance, if you have a major client request a last-minute revision, the manager should be able to reorganize priorities and resources swiftly to accommodate the change without compromising other projects. Adaptability allows them to handle pressure gracefully and keep the team moving forward.
6. Assertiveness
Creative operations managers can’t really be a timid bunch — managing competing demands effectively requires assertiveness. They often have to make tough calls, including saying "no" to additional requests that could lead to creative burnout or missed deadlines. This assertiveness is essential to protecting the team’s focus and energy.
Essential skills of a creative operations manager
We’ve seen some of the personality traits a creative operations manager should have, but there are also a few practical skills that help them to manage and support creative processes. You should look for:
Exceptional communication and collaboration
Clear communication is at the heart of any successful project, and a creative operations manager must be an excellent communicator. They should be able to convey project expectations, updates, and feedback to both the creative team and stakeholders. Additionally, they should have the ability to “speak creative” as well as business, acting as a bridge between artists and executives to align goals and priorities.
Creative process management
Managing the creative process involves guiding projects from conception to completion, ensuring that each step is completed on time and meets quality standards. This requires an understanding of different creative phases, from brainstorming and initial drafts to final approval. The manager should know a thing or two about optimizing each stage, allowing creativity to flourish without sacrificing efficiency.
Resource management
Resource management is what makes balancing the demands of multiple projects possible. A creative operations manager should be able to allocate resources, including time, budget, and personnel. For instance, they could decide which team members are best suited to specific projects based on their strengths and availability, or they might get your team access to necessary software and tools within budget constraints.
Prioritization
With multiple projects running simultaneously, the ability to prioritize is monumental. A creative operations manager must weigh stakeholder requests, deadlines, and the creative team’s capabilities to prioritize tasks. And if a campaign deadline is tight, they should be able to make quick decisions on which tasks are essential and which can be postponed, ensuring that the team meets deadlines without compromising quality.
Conflict resolution
No one is better at stirring the pot than marketing and creative teams. Many times these conflicts are due to differing opinions and styles. A creative operations manager should be skilled in conflict resolution, helping to mediate disagreements and find solutions that keep projects moving forward. Your creative ops manager might negotiate between a designer’s vision and a client’s request, finding a compromise that satisfies both parties while maintaining the creative integrity of the project.
Technical proficiency
Technical skills are a must for creative operations managers, who should be comfortable using various tools and platforms to streamline workflows. We’re talking about project management software, like Asana or Trello, as well as creative software like Adobe Creative Suite. This technical proficiency helps them support the team by simplifying processes, managing assets, and keeping track of project milestones.
Learn how Ziflow empowers Creative Operations Managers
A great creative operations manager is a gift for any creative or marketing team. They bring that all-important structure to the creative process while enabling higher-quality work at a faster pace. With the right traits and skills, they help bridge the gap between vision and execution, making creative teams more productive and cohesive.
But even the best creative operations managers still need the right tools for the job. Ziflow is the ultimate tool for creative operations managers, providing an all-in-one platform to streamline the review and approval process. With features like automated workflows, robust version control, and real-time collaboration, Ziflow empowers creative operations managers to oversee projects with ease and deliver exceptional results.
