Studio Manager

We are seeking an experienced, high-performing Studio Manager to lead our client's Manila design studio. You will oversee day-to-day operations, client delivery, staffing, capacity planning, and quality control. A key priority will be driving the strategic transition of the studio’s operating model from a 16x5 schedule to 24x5 and 24x7 coverage while scaling operations and managing a multi-layered creative team.

Key Responsibilities

• Studio Leadership & Delivery: Lead daily operations, maintain operational governance, and ensure strict achievement of SLAs, turnaround times, and quality standards.
• Financial & Capacity Management: Optimize staffing costs, utilization, productivity, and gross margin; build business cases for capacity expansion and operational efficiencies.
• Coverage & Scalability: Design shift structures, workflow support, and quality controls to transition delivery from 16x5 to 24x5 / 24x7.
• Client & Stakeholder Management: Serve as a senior escalation point for key client accounts, conduct performance reviews, and build strong relationships with executive leadership.
• Team Leadership & Development: Mentor and develop managers, team leaders, and production staff; oversee hiring, succession planning, and performance management.
• Continuous Improvement & Innovation: Drive workflow automation, process improvement, and the adoption of AI-enabled creative design tools.

Key Requirements

• 10–15+ years of experience in creative studio operations, production management, service delivery, or shared services/outsourcing environments.
• Proven track record leading large, multi-layered creative/design teams and managing SLAs, quality control, and client escalations.
• Strong financial acumen, including P&L management, budget tracking, and productivity analysis.
• Demonstrated experience designing or managing extended-hours, multi-shift, or 24x7 delivery operations.
• Familiarity with creative production environments (e.g., Adobe Creative Cloud, presentation production, UI/UX, motion graphics) and AI/ML-enabled workflows.
• Ability to work full-time, on-site, shifting schedule in the Makati office.