Project Manager, Content & Creative Studio

Background/IRC Summary:The International Rescue Committee (IRC) helps people affected by humanitarian crises to survive, recover and rebuild their lives. We deliver lasting impact by providing health care, helping children learn, and empowering individuals and communities to become self-reliant, always with a focus on the outstanding needs of women and girls. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, we now work in over 40 crisis- affected countries as well as communities throughout Europe and the Americas.

Job Overview/Summary:

The Creative Studio Project Manager provides project management for a fast-paced creative and content group that supports the IRC’s External Relations Functions.

This position leads medium to large-sized creative projects, with a primary focus on the communications requests. The Project Manager coordinates the creative development of work for initiatives and works across matrixed teams of channel leads and creatives to drive the production delivery of assets (donor reports, etc.). As a key project lead, this role proactively identifies issues and removes roadblocks, and looks for ways to streamline and improve our production processes.

The position reports to the Associate Director of the Content & Creative Studio Planning and Operations, and works closely with colleagues across Fundraising and Communications teams, and regularly interacts with IRC staff across the organization.

Major Responsibilities:

• Field, evaluate, and quickly respond to Communications project requests by defining project resource requirements and negotiating assignments with functional managers;
• Ensure project feasibility and manage changes in project scope, schedule and costs;
• Develop detailed project plans to track progress and oversee assigned projects from concept to completion;
• Communicate with stakeholders at all levels to lead kickoff meetings, project reviews, and ongoing project updates;
• Represent the Content & Creative Studio team in stakeholder meetings, as needed, to proactively assess needs;
• Provide knowledgeable, professional, and efficient support to various internal stakeholders;
• With the Associate Director, Creative Studio Planning and Operations, review and track creative budgets.
• Establish and maintain relationships with third parties/vendors.

Key Accountabilities:

Creative Development Project Management:

·Lead the management of creative asset and project requests from partners across External Relations and beyond, including Communications, Fundraising, Advocacy, Direct Mail, US Programs, President’s Office, and Ethics & Compliance

·Ensure all requests accurately go through the existing creative workflow, are properly scheduled and relevant partners are engaged proactively

·Lead and organize in-depth production needs for key stakeholders

·Work with creative leads and project team to complete requests on time and within budget

Maintain and optimize coordinated project management processes

·Review and continuously improve processes and integrate with creative workflows

·Engage and train partners on project management tools and processes

·Training and onboarding for current, and roll-out of future, project management tools:

·Lead on supporting the project management platform and ensure all partners are added and trained as needed

Operations Support

·Develop and maintain tools to support the Content & Creative Studio needs such as, RescueNet resource pages, box folders, meeting scheduling and notes taking

·Support the Content & Creative’s content planning efforts, including TORs, Airtable tracking and optimizing Workfront

·Working with Planning & Operations team to ensure key processes are updated and maintained and support on any necessary trainings, including emergency appeal trainings

·Provide emergency backfill support for emergency moments

·Ensure assigned vendor payments are addressed in a comprehensive, timely and accurate manner

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: Associate Director, Content & Creative Studio Planning and Operations
Position directly supervises: none

Indirect Reporting:  Sr. Director, Content & Creative Studio
Other Internal and/or external contacts:

            Internal: Broader Content & Creative Services team, Advocacy, Fundraising and Communications teams

            External: 3^rd party vendors

Job Requirements:

Education:Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Public Relations or related field.

Work Experience: 3-6 years’ experience ideally in project management, creative design production, marketing, fundraising or communications

Minimum:  

·Experience in project management, account management, or production coordination for Marketing/Communications;

·Exceptional organizational skills, including the ability to work under pressure in a deadline-driven environment;

·Outstanding interpersonal skills, including the ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced environment;

·Excellent communication and social skills; ability to work effectively and adaptively in a highly collaborative, interdependent team environment;

·Solid understanding of project management methodology including the ability to develop detailed project plans, budgets, status reports etc.

·Proficiency with Project Management Software/Work platform

·Experience with coordinated creative workflows;

·Knowledge of design and copy writing/editing processes;

·Strong understanding of Microsoft Excel and budgeting documents

Preferred: 

·Familiarity with marketing/fundraising campaigns;

·Experience with non-profit and international contexts;

·Experience with Adobe Creative Suite;

·PMP Certification

Working Environment: Standard Office Environment -This role may require working remotely full or part time and part time remote employees may be required to share workspace.