Director, Brand Studio Operations

Celsius•Louisville, KY

9h•Onsite

About The Position

The Director, Brand Studio Operations is a strategic and operational leader responsible for building and scaling the infrastructure that powers a high-performing in-house creative agency. This role blends business acumen, financial rigor, production expertise, and cross-functional leadership to ensure the Brand Studio operates with efficiency, transparency, and measurable impact. This leader will architect systems, processes, and financial frameworks that enable the studio to deliver best-in-class creative across packaging, print, digital, and branded merchandise—while maintaining cost discipline, compliance, and speed-to-market.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in agency operations, brand studio management, or production leadership roles, preferably in-house at a brand or agency model
5+ years in a senior management or director-level role overseeing multidisciplinary teams
Deep expertise in project lifecycle management, workflow systems, and creative/production pipelines (print, digital, apparel)
Strong business acumen and ability to translate creative needs into scalable, efficient operational solutions
Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills; comfortable navigating ambiguity and leading change
Familiarity with creative and production tools (e.g., Adobe Creative Suite, DAMs, PM tools)

Nice To Haves

MBA or advanced business degree preferred; equivalent experience in finance, consulting, or agency operations highly valued

Responsibilities

Lead and manage operational leads across multiple pillars, including project management, systems/tools, and branded apparel
Build and implement scalable operational systems for an in-house agency
Build financial models to support headcount planning, budget forecasting, and ROI tracking
Partner with Finance to align cost centers, track project-level investment, and prepare executive-level reporting.
Design and manage workflow frameworks, intake processes, prioritization models, and resource allocation tools.
Establish performance dashboards and tracking systems to measure output, efficiency, and capacity utilization.
Create standardized documentation and SOPs across the studio.
Build an internal tracking structure that supports transparency, efficiency, and scale. Partner closely with Brand Marketing, Marketing Operations, Innovation, Shopper Marketing and Legal/Regulatory teams to align creative execution with business needs
Facilitate intake and prioritization processes for creative workstreams, ensuring capacity alignment and appropriate resourcing
Drive cross-departmental coordination, especially for high-impact initiatives requiring packaging, print, and digital deliverables
Lead strategic resourcing across disciplines, identifying gaps and collaborating with department heads to address bandwidth constraints
Monitor operational budgets for annual launches as determined by stakeholders and the finance department
Guide leads in the execution of print, packaging and digital workflows, and branded merchandise/apparel production
Champion high-quality, on-time delivery for all creative outputs, maintaining alignment with brand standards and compliance requirements
Provide escalation support and guidance for complex or high-risk initiatives
Foster a culture of operational excellence, continuous improvement, and collaboration