Project Manager | Creative & Marketing Operations

ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY

We're building talent pipelines for Project Manager roles supporting a Fortune 500 home improvement retailer's creative, marketing, and brand operations. This is not an active requisition-we're identifying qualified project managers now for anticipated opportunities in 2026.

Why register your interest?

• Early access when roles open
• Direct connection to hiring managers
• First consideration before public postings

THE ROLE

As a Project Manager, you'll orchestrate the flow of creative and marketing projects from concept through execution, working across creative teams, brand managers, merchandising, and production stakeholders. You'll manage complex project lifecycles, maintain comprehensive project plans, drive accountability to deadlines, and ensure seamless communication across multiple workstreams.

PROJECT CONTROL & PLANNING (40%)

• Develop and maintain comprehensive project plans for creative deliverables (packaging design, marketing campaigns, brand initiatives, digital assets)
• Define project scope, requirements, timelines, and dependencies through stakeholder collaboration
• Monitor project execution against baseline plans, tracking milestones and deliverables
• Identify and document scope changes, coordinating approval workflows
• Maintain detailed project logs tracking all changes, decisions, and status updates
• Manage project budgets and resource allocation within approved parameters
• Ensure timely handoffs between creative teams, internal clients, and production teams

PROJECT COMMUNICATIONS (30%)

• Serve as central point of contact for all project-related communications
• Develop and distribute regular status reports, scorecards, and project dashboards
• Lead project kickoff meetings, defining goals, objectives, target audiences, and approval chains
• Facilitate follow-up meetings to resolve blockers and maintain project momentum
• Create and present project review documents to senior leadership
• Document and track project issues, driving timely resolution with appropriate stakeholders
• Translate technical/creative details into business language for executive audiences

PROJECT RISK MANAGEMENT (10%)

• Proactively identify potential project risks (timeline, scope, resource, quality)
• Develop mitigation strategies and contingency plans
• Monitor project activities for risk indicators and early warning signs
• Escalate critical risks to project sponsors and leadership with recommended actions
• Document risk events and outcomes for organizational learning

PROJECT LESSONS LEARNED (10%)

• Capture key learnings at project completion or major phase gates
• Document what worked, what didn't, and recommendations for improvement
• Share insights with peer project managers through knowledge-sharing sessions
• Apply lessons learned to improve processes and outcomes in subsequent projects
• Contribute to continuous improvement of PMO standards and best practices

PROJECT ENVIRONMENT & TEAM COORDINATION (10%)

• Foster collaborative, inclusive working environment across project teams
• Ensure roles, responsibilities, and expectations are clearly defined and understood
• Coordinate cross-functional resources (creative, marketing, merchandising, production, agencies)
• Manage relationships with external vendors and agency partners when applicable
• Support team morale and productivity throughout project lifecycle

KEY PROJECT TYPES YOU'LL MANAGE

Depending on team placement, you might oversee:

Creative & Brand Projects:

• Packaging design and redesigns
• Brand identity and visual system updates
• Marketing campaign development (seasonal, promotional, always-on)
• Photography and video production shoots
• Print collateral and in-store signage

Digital & Marketing Projects:

• Website redesigns or feature launches
• Email marketing campaign development
• Social media content calendars
• Digital advertising creative production
• Mobile app updates and releases

Cross-Functional Initiatives:

• Product launch campaigns (coordinating creative, merchandising, operations)
• Private label brand development
• Promotional event planning and execution
• Store experience enhancements (signage, displays, customer-facing materials)

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Experience:

• 3-5+ years project management experience in creative, marketing, or brand environments
• Proven track record managing multiple concurrent projects with competing priorities
• Experience coordinating cross-functional teams (creative, marketing, merchandising, production)
• Demonstrated ability to manage projects from intake through delivery

Skills:

• Project Planning: Scope definition, timeline development, resource planning, dependency mapping
• Stakeholder Management: Influence without authority, expectation setting, conflict resolution
• Communication: Clear written and verbal communication, executive presence, presentation skills
• Organization: Exceptional attention to detail, documentation discipline, process adherence
• Tools: Project management software (Workfront, Asana, Monday.com, Jira, or similar), Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word), collaboration tools (Slack, Teams)
• Problem-Solving: Proactive issue identification, creative solution development, decision-making under pressure

Competencies:

• Ability to ask the right questions to clarify ambiguous requirements
• Research skills to gather missing information and resolve open questions
• Diplomatic persistence to drive accountability without formal authority
• Flexibility to adapt to changing priorities and last-minute requests
• Business acumen to balance creative vision with budget and timeline constraints

Industry Experience:

• Retail or e-commerce background (understanding of merchandising, seasonal planning, promotional calendars)
• CPG/packaging experience (design-to-production workflows, print production, vendor management)
• Agency or in-house creative team experience (creative workflows, review/approval processes)
• Marketing operations background (campaign management, marketing resource management)

Specialized Knowledge:

• PMP, CAPM, or Agile certifications (PMI, Scrum)
• Creative production processes: Print production, photography/video shoots, packaging development
• Marketing technology: DAM systems, project management platforms, workflow automation
• Change management experience (process improvement, system implementations)
• Budget management and financial tracking for projects

Technical Skills:

• Workfront expertise (this is a commonly used tool at large retailers)
• Adobe Workfront, Asana, Monday.com, or Smartsheet power user
• Data visualization for reporting (Tableau, Power BI, advanced Excel)
• Process mapping tools (Visio, Lucidchart, Miro)

IDEAL CANDIDATE PROFILE

You're a strong fit if you:

• Thrive in fast-paced environments with shifting priorities
• Are naturally organized with systems-thinking mindset
• Excel at building relationships and influencing cross-functional partners
• Communicate with clarity and confidence at all organizational levels
• Proactively identify and solve problems before they become crises
• Balance diplomacy with accountability (firm but collaborative)
• Stay calm under pressure and maintain positive attitude
• Take ownership of outcomes and drive projects to successful completion

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Location: Atlanta, GA area
• Work Model: Primarily in-office (4-5 days/week expected)
• Company Type: Fortune 500 retail organization
• Team Structure: Embedded within creative/marketing operations teams
• Pace: Fast-paced, high-volume, deadline-driven
• Culture: Collaborative, values-driven, customer-focused

**About Aquent Talent:**

Aquent Talent connects the best talent in marketing, creative, and design with the world's biggest brands.

Our eligible talent get access to amazing benefits like subsidized health, vision, and dental plans, paid sick leave, and retirement plans with a match. More information on our awesome benefits!

Aquent is an equal-opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics. We're about creating an inclusive environment-one where different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives are valued, and everyone can contribute, grow their careers, and thrive.