Senior Manager Marketing Ops & Creative Services

Express•Columbus, OH

About The Position

The Senior Manager, Marketing Operations & Creative Services is a strategic and operational leader overseeing marketing operations, creative services, and project management across PHOENIX Retail, supporting the Express and Bonobos brands. The role manages the end-to-end operational execution of marketing and creative work, including intake, planning, workflows, reviews and approvals, cross-functional coordination, and process improvement. It establishes the operating rhythm, priorities, and ways of working for the function and oversees its budget, partnering with Finance and the broader marketing organization on tracking and accountability. The Senior Manager works with teams across Brand Marketing, Creative, Merchandising, E-Commerce, Performance Marketing, Retail, Finance, and external vendors to coordinate projects from planning through delivery. The position directly manages the Project Manager, Creative & Marketing Operations and the Senior Project Manager, Creative & Marketing Operations, with responsibility for team effectiveness and operational excellence.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
10+ years of experience in marketing operations, creative services, project management, or related fields.
Significant experience leading complex, cross-functional marketing and creative workflows in a fast-paced organization.
Strong project management experience across marketing execution, campaign development, and creative operations.
Proven ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining attention to detail and executional excellence.
Strong written and verbal communication skills and ability to work effectively across organizational levels.
Ability to serve as a clear point of coordination and single source of truth across departments and stakeholders.
Strong experience partnering across cross-functional teams and aligning diverse groups around shared goals, timelines, and deliverables.
Strategic, highly organized approach and strong project management discipline.
Exceptional attention to detail and follow-through.
Ability to balance big-picture thinking with hands-on execution.
Calm, diplomatic, and solutions-oriented approach under pressure.
Self-directed, resourceful, and accountable.
Strong prioritization and time-management skills.
Process-minded approach and commitment to simplification and continuous improvement.
Financial discipline and comfort managing budgets and operational accountability.
Must be currently authorized to work full-time in the United States; PHOENIX does not sponsor applicants for work visas for this position.

Nice To Haves

Experience within retail, fashion, e-commerce, or consumer marketing environments.
Experience leading marketing operations and creative services across multiple brands or business units.
Strong understanding of project lifecycle management, creative development processes, and campaign execution.
Experience managing external vendors, agency partners, and production-related workflows.
Experience with budgeting, forecasting, and financial tracking in partnership with Finance.
Project management experience in print production, marketing operations, or creative execution environments.

Responsibilities

Lead the Marketing Operations and Creative Services function across Express and Bonobos, coordinating workflows, project management, and operational execution with company go-to-market processes.
Manage and develop the Project Manager and Senior Project Manager, Creative & Marketing Operations.
Set the function’s operating rhythm, priorities, and ways of working, ensuring clear ownership and disciplined execution.
Oversee intake and prioritization of brand and marketing initiatives, ensuring briefs are clear and routed to the appropriate stakeholders.
Translate strategy into actionable project plans with Brand Marketing leaders and cross-functional teams.
Oversee integrated marketing calendars, seasonal processes, and key milestones with Brand Marketing and Merchandising/Design leadership.
Establish project timelines, workflows, milestones, and review and approval processes to support timely delivery and cross-functional alignment.
Create and maintain project roadmaps, priorities, and clear expectations for deliverables, responsibilities, deadlines, and dependencies.
Coordinate marketing and creative projects as a central source of truth, keeping stakeholders aligned on timing, status, risks, and next steps.
Lead project kickoffs, internal reviews, status meetings, and other project touchpoints.
Consolidate and communicate feedback, capture action items, and manage follow-up.
Identify risks, dependencies, and process gaps, and recommend solutions to keep projects moving.
Maintain project status reporting and delivery recaps for teams and leadership.
Conduct post-project reviews and identify opportunities to improve processes, workflows, and team efficiency.
Define and evolve the operating model, governance, and best practices for Marketing Operations and Creative Services.
Partner with Brand Marketing and cross-functional leaders to ensure presentation materials, timelines, creative deliverables, and supporting assets are accurate and aligned.
Coordinate projects and required reviews and approvals with Marketing, Creative, Merchandising, E-Commerce, Retail, and other teams.
Ensure work follows established processes, governance, and review structures, supporting alignment and minimizing execution risk.
Support seasonal initiatives, campaigns, launches, and ongoing brand marketing programs through operational planning and stakeholder coordination.
Partner with marketing leadership to connect strategy, resourcing, and execution.
Manage external vendor and agency relationships as needed to support project execution and timelines.
Oversee the Marketing Operations and Creative Services budget, including planning, tracking, and expense management.
Partner with Finance and marketing leadership to monitor budgets across marketing workstreams and maintain accountability against approved spend.
Support forecasting, accruals, invoice tracking, and budget reconciliation for relevant marketing and creative functions.
Ensure budget implications are considered in project planning and execution and that teams remain aligned to financial targets.
Serve as a key contact for Finance partners, maintaining visibility and rigor in budget management.