Manager, Creative Operations

Job Details

Job Location:

NC - Durham, NC 27709

Position Type:
Full-time

Travel Percentage :
Remote

Job Shift: Traditional (Monday-Friday: 8am-5pm)
Job Category:
Marketing

Implus Footcare, LLC is an industry-leading global consumer packaged goods company with 16 brands in fitness and athletic performance, movement and flexibility, lifestyle hosiery and footwear accessories, and outdoor. Our product categories are sold in over 80,000 retail locations worldwide. Implus is headquartered in Research Triangle Park in Durham, NC with locations in the United States, Australia, Canada, Europe, Hong Kong, South Africa, and Japan.

Our brand family includes SKLZ, Perfect, Balega, Trigger Point, Harbinger, Rock Tape, Sport-Brella, Yaktrax, Dry Guy, Little Hotties, Sof Sole, Spenco, Airplus, Sof Comfort, Force Field, and Sneaker Balls.

At Implus we are committed to creating and sustaining an inclusive culture. We encourage & value different perspectives and are seeking a Manager, Creative Operations, who shares our commitment to inclusivity and enjoys working collaboratively with colleagues from diverse backgrounds

The Manager, Creative Operations is responsible for building and optimizing the operating system that powers the Creative Studio. This role owns the processes, workflows, prioritization, systems, and operational excellence that enable the creative team to consistently deliver high-quality work on time and at scale.

Serving as the operational hub between Marketing, Product, Sales, Digital, Packaging, and Creative, this individual ensures projects are properly scoped, prioritized, resourced, and executed while continuously improving the way work moves through the organization.

Success in this role means creating greater visibility, accountability, and predictability across the creative process, allowing designers and creatives to spend less time managing projects and more time creating exceptional work.

• Own the front door of the Creative Studio by ensuring every project enters the workflow with the clarity needed for successful execution.
• Own the end-to-end creative intake process across all brands and channels.
• Partner with project stakeholders to gather missing information, clarify objectives, define deliverables, and ensure briefs are complete before entering the creative queue.
• Improve briefing quality to minimize revisions, reduce rework, and eliminate unnecessary back-and-forth between stakeholders and designers.
• Ensure every project is aligned to business objectives, timelines, and launch priorities before work begins.

• Own the day-to-day flow of work across the Creative Studio.
• Manage the creative project portfolio from intake through final delivery.
• Balance workload across designers, creative resources, freelancers, and agencies, where applicable, to maximize efficiency and utilization.
• Continuously evaluate priorities and proactively adjust project sequencing based on evolving business needs.
• Own the governance of the Creative "Fast Lane" process, evaluating urgent requests and balancing business impact against existing commitments.
• Clearly communicate project priorities, resource constraints, and delivery expectations to stakeholders.

• Build scalable systems that improve visibility and operational excellence.
• Serve as the business owner and administrator for  and future creative workflow platforms.
• Develop dashboards, workflows, automations, reporting, and resource management tools that improve transparency and efficiency.
• Establish andmaintainstandard operating procedures (SOPs), templates, and project governance standards.
• Continuously evaluate opportunities to streamline workflows through automation and process improvement.

• Drive predictable, on-time execution across all creative initiatives.
• Develop project plans, milestones, and work-back schedules that support seasonal campaigns, product launches, retail initiatives, and marketing activations.
• Monitor project health, proactivelyidentifydelivery risks, and remove blockers before theyimpacttimelines.
• Ensure creative deliverables are completed on time and in full (OTIF) whilemaintainingquality standards.
• Facilitate regular project status meetings and communicate progress, risks, and mitigation plans to stakeholders.

• Act as the operational bridge between Creative and the broader organization.
• Partner closely with Marketing, Product, Sales,Digital, Packaging, Regulatory, Manufacturing, and external partners to align project priorities and timelines.
• Facilitate cross-functional planning sessions, status reviews, and launch readiness meetings.
• Establish clear ownership, accountability, and communication throughout the creative process.
• Improve stakeholder experience by creating transparency around project status, timelines, priorities, and resource availability.

• Continuously…