OluKai Creative Project Manager

Who We Are

At Olu Kai, we build premium products for the ocean lifestyle. Our footwear is created using the highest quality materials and crafted into beautiful, functional and incredibly comfortable designs that reflect the spirit of the ocean lifestyle we all enjoy.

We are committed to creating quality products for our customers while leaving the smallest footprint possible on the planet. Our company philosophy is to be environmentally responsible as manufacturers and to pledge Olu Kai to actively support and work for a clean environment and a better quality of life.

Our customers and staff embody the connection that exists between people and the ocean, it is our Culture. We want to build a team of individuals who embrace this culture and have a passion for providing premium products and service to our customers.

Olu Kai is looking for a Creative Project Manager located in Irvine, CA. This role sits at the intersection of creative and marketing - the person who makes the work happen on time, on budget, and at the standard Olu Kai demands. You will spearhead the operational rhythm of the Creative department: from brief intake through final delivery, from photoshoot pre-production through delivery.

You are not just tracking tasks - you are protecting creative quality by building the systems and schedules that give the team space to do their best work.

• Ensure successful traffic of workflow between Creative and Marketing teams. Manage calendars, budgets and deliverable schedules to ensure projects are executed on time and within budget. Identify, develop and implement processes and procedures as required to streamline work.
• Coordinate with Creative leads to manage creative resources, including staff as well as the freelance roster, against project workflow. Identify and problem-solve any potential bottlenecks in workflow. Manage overall design time allocated for each individual project. Communicate timing, and changes of timing, to project owners.
• Coordinate with creative and marketing staff to ensure individual projects are being executed on time and within budget. Drive projects to completion by providing direction and support as needed. Update weekly project status reports for team briefings.
• Lead pre-production of photoshoots, including coordinating with Creative leads on communication with on-site producers, sourcing products for the shoot, and managing other pre-shoot logistics.
• Manage final file delivery for all projects, print and digital. Maintain a thorough understanding of file types for both forms of creative and all final delivery methods.
• Oversee final project production including printing processes from scheduling, delivering of files, proofing, and overseeing final quality control (ie press checks) of all production.
• Source and manage vendor relationships, including printers, builders and other production partners, as well as materials such as paper stocks and special production techniques.
• Coordinate administrative needs of the department, including sample requests, promo orders, media filing and archiving, supply purchasing and any other general administrative requests.
• Manage digital asset management and DAM software including but not limited to asset uploads and appropriate tagging.
• Track and manage vendor billing from initial estimate through final invoice, including reconciling charges against approved budgets, flagging discrepancies, and maintaining accurate records for all production-related expenditures.

• Bachelor's degree required - BA/BS degree in Business, Marketing, or other related discipline.
• This position requires solid experience as a Project Manager. 3-6 years of related professional experience preferably in footwear or apparel with retail experience.
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced creative environment, without losing detail or composure while maintaining a team first attitude.
• Strong command of Google Workspace and Microsoft SharePoint; proficiency in Adobe Acrobat; working knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite.
• Asana proficiency required. Expected to build and own project workflows, set dependencies, and use workload and reporting views to proactively manage capacity and deadlines across the team.
• Some familiarity with AI-assisted project tools, prompt-based workflows, or emerging production software
• Solid understanding of print production processes -…