Creative Operations Lead

Northern Trust•Chicago, IL

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

About Northern Trust: Northern Trust, a Fortune 500 company, is a globally recognized, award-winning financial institution that has been in continuous operation since 1889. Northern Trust is proud to provide innovative financial services and guidance to the world’s most successful individuals, families, and institutions by remaining true to our enduring principles of service, expertise, and integrity. With more than 130 years of financial experience and over 22,000 partners, we serve the world’s most sophisticated clients using leading technology and exceptional service. Role/ Department: Creative Operations Lead/Digital Marketing We’re evolving our Creative organization and investing in modern, technology enabled operations that allow our teams to move faster, work smarter and scale with impact. We’re looking for a Creative Operations Lead to build and oversee the systems, tools, processes, and operational frameworks that power our entire Creative function. The Creative Operations Lead is a pivotal role responsible for the day to day operation of the Creative organization — spanning technology management, workflow orchestration, financial oversight, vendor management, resource planning and governance. Reporting to the Head of Creative, you will establish the operational backbone of the Creative team, ensuring projects move efficiently through the pipeline, technology investments deliver value, and processes are clear, consistent, and well-governed. You’ll work closely with the Visual Identity Lead, Designers, Marketing partners, and external vendors to create a frictionless, scalable creative ecosystem. The key responsibilities of the role include: Lead Creative Operations • Build, own and continuously improve the operational framework that supports all Creative functions. • Develop clear processes, governance models, and documentation that scale with team growth. • Establish KPIs and reporting structures to track efficiency, throughput and quality. Enable Technology & Modernization • Lead adoption and management of creative technology platforms — including workflow automation, AI tools, and creative software. • Oversee Workfront configuration, queue setup, intake, assignment and prioritization models. • Establish metrics and creative dashboards to drive optimization. • Identify opportunities for automation that improve speed and reduce manual effort. Own Creative Workflow & Project Management • Ensure projects are assigned effectively, resources are balanced and deadlines are consistently met. • Run daily Creative stand ups to ensure no issues in the priorities for the week. • Partner with creative leads to resolve bottlenecks and optimize cross functional collaboration. • Establish and maintain SLAs, intake standards and review/approval workflows. Budget, Licensing & Asset Oversight • Manage Creative project budgets, including software spend, licenses, subscriptions and production costs. • Oversee asset licensing, renewals and compliance with usage rights. • Track operational expenses and forecast future needs. Vendor & Partner Management • Manage relationships with external creative, production and technology vendors. • Oversee procurement, SOW creation, resourcing decisions and quality control for outsourced work. • Ensure vendor partners meet standards, budgets and delivery expectations. Support Digital Asset Management (DAM) • Partner with the Visual Identity Lead to maintain and evolve the DAM platform. • Ensure assets are properly tagged, organized versioned and governed. • Drive adoption and training across Creative and Marketing partners. Governance, Quality & Compliance • Create and enforce operational policies and governance frameworks. • Ensure adherence to compliance requirements, including asset usage, brand standards and regulatory considerations. • Support the conducting of audits and implement continuous improvements.

Requirements

8+ years of Creative Operations, Marketing Operations, or Marketing Project Management experience
Deep familiarity with Workfront (or similar tools) including setup, workflow design and administration
Strong command of the MS Office Suite
Strong understanding of creative processes across design, copy, production, and advertising
Experience with creative technology platforms, automation tools, AI solutions and resource management systems
Proven ability to manage budgets, vendor relationships and licensing agreements
Highly organized, process oriented and governance driven
Excellent communication and influencing skills
Systems-oriented problem solver focused on scalability and efficiency.
Clear communicator who can translate operational and technical concepts into value.
Continuous improvement mindset across processes and tools.

Nice To Haves

Experience in financial services or regulated environments is a plus
Curiosity-driven exploration and proactive research into emerging tools and trends.
Technological agility with AI, automation, workflow, and creative technology platforms.
Culture builder who models experimentation and innovation.

Responsibilities

Build, own and continuously improve the operational framework that supports all Creative functions.
Develop clear processes, governance models, and documentation that scale with team growth.
Establish KPIs and reporting structures to track efficiency, throughput and quality.
Lead adoption and management of creative technology platforms — including workflow automation, AI tools, and creative software.
Oversee Workfront configuration, queue setup, intake, assignment and prioritization models.
Establish metrics and creative dashboards to drive optimization.
Identify opportunities for automation that improve speed and reduce manual effort.
Ensure projects are assigned effectively, resources are balanced and deadlines are consistently met.
Run daily Creative stand ups to ensure no issues in the priorities for the week.
Partner with creative leads to resolve bottlenecks and optimize cross functional collaboration.
Establish and maintain SLAs, intake standards and review/approval workflows.
Manage Creative project budgets, including software spend, licenses, subscriptions and production costs.
Oversee asset licensing, renewals and compliance with usage rights.
Track operational expenses and forecast future needs.
Manage relationships with external creative, production and technology vendors.
Oversee procurement, SOW creation, resourcing decisions and quality control for outsourced work.
Ensure vendor partners meet standards, budgets and delivery expectations.
Partner with the Visual Identity Lead to maintain and evolve the DAM platform.
Ensure assets are properly tagged, organized versioned and governed.
Drive adoption and training across Creative and Marketing partners.
Create and enforce operational policies and governance frameworks.
Ensure adherence to compliance requirements, including asset usage, brand standards and regulatory considerations.
Support the conducting of audits and implement continuous improvements.

Benefits

Northern Trust provides a comprehensive benefits package including retirement benefits (401k and pension), health and welfare benefits (medical, dental, vision, spending accounts and disability), paid time off, parental and caregiver leave, life & accident insurance, and other voluntary and well-being benefits.
Northern Trust also provides a discretionary bonus program that may include an equity component.

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