Design Operations Manager
Walker & Dunlop

Job Info

---

Department:
Marketing

We are looking for an experienced Design Operations Manager to join Walker & Dunlop, one of FORTUNE Magazine's 20 fastest growing public companies and a Great Place to Work®. This role will report to the Creative Director and serve as a highly collaborative partner, working in lockstep to support the day-to-day workflow of a fast-growing creative team. As the design ops lead, you understand creative work and how to create effective operations to unleash creativity. You will help develop and refine the processes that will enable the design team to focus on design critical activities required to scale. If you are a self-starter with a passion for operations and project management, this is a rare opportunity to join a growing in-house agency in a successful company intent on building an industry-leading marketing program.

Ready to bring your whole self to work every day? At Walker & Dunlop, we didn't get to where we are by hiring ordinary individuals. We got here by hiring the exceptional! WD is looking for individuals who are caring, collaborative, driven, insightful, and tenacious to join our team!

WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING:

• Analyze and provide recommendations to make our end-to-end creative process efficient and effective
• Conduct post-project reviews with all stakeholders to analyze project successes and opportunities for improvements
• Constantly tweak the design process, optimizing for team collaboration and raising the design bar
• Document and communicate how the Creative team works so that there is a shared understanding on process
• Help manage work intake, timelines, and check-in points for execution of various project types
• Drive weekly project status reviews with the Creative Director to align the design team on priorities and schedule
• Collaborate daily with the Creative Director to ensure efficient assignment of all projects, identify excessive or under-utilization of talent, and help solve any potential resource gap areas
• Act as a bridge/liaison between the Creative team and any other team requesting work
• Collaborate with and support the Creative team in delivering best-in-class work
• Monitor and advocate for design team health and help facilitate mentoring and coaching support to continually improve it
• Assist the Creative Director in shaping resource management tools, systems and templates - constantly striving to improve processes and workflow standardization
• Define an improved capacity planning model to assist the Creative Director in prioritization of projects and proper allocation of creative support
• Iterate on processes that optimize designers' day-to-day workflow to maximize engagement and reduce duplicated efforts
• Ensure systems for design process documentation, assets, and file management are effective and design new ones where gaps or inconsistencies exist
• Identify and champion process development and improvement opportunities for the design operations function to drive efficiency and quality in our work product
• Develop relationships within the design organization to understand each team and stakeholders needs
  

THE EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE WE'RE LOOKING FOR:

• Bachelor's degree in design, business or equivalent experience
• 7+ years relevant experience in a project management role within a creative or marketing organization
• In-house creative team or agency experience preferred

WHAT SKILLS YOU SHOULD HAVE:

• Thorough understanding and appreciation of design processes and disciplines
• Excellent project management skills with the ability to work quickly, efficiently, prioritize tasks and workload on behalf of the team, and keep track of multiple streams of work
• Experience working with creatives leading to an understanding of how creatives work, their needs and their mindset
• Strong operational and facilitation skills, with a proven ability to plan, coordinate and execute on continual process improvement
• Sophisticated understanding of technology within an in-house team at scale
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy, with an affinity for maintaining consistent branding and the ability to evangelize consistent design standards
• Excellent communication and diplomatic skills, possessing the ability to quickly develop rapport with team members
• The presence and maturity to lead team members without direct reporting authority
• The nimbleness to adapt and thrive in a growth organization, with an eagerness to tackle new challenges as they arise
• Strong design acumen, with a passion for design, culture, trend, and sustainability - all of which helps you to successfully advocate for and represent design with other teams
• Knowledge of Adobe CC and other relevant design tools
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite
  

WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT YOU BECAUSE:

• You are inspired by the health and happiness of the creative team (and yourself)
• You have a high bar for quality and attention to detail
• You are an effective listener and can be easily emphatic
• You love operations and are proactive, organized, and thrive in the details, especially as you work in a fast-paced environment
• You are an excellent communicator and know how to connect with people throughout the company, at various levels of seniority
• You can strike the balance on just the right amount of process - understanding what will help the team run effectively, as well as knowing where and how to introduce change in ways that help make the team more efficient and confident
• You are highly collaborative with excellent interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills
• You demonstrate curiosity and desire to learn and guide
• You have exceptional organizational and time leadership skills
• You are energetic, enthusiastic and positive
• You take pride in courtesy, respect, and thoughtfulness when teaming with colleagues and other stakeholders

Still reading? Then we think you should apply!

EEO Statement
Walker & Dunlop is an equal employment opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, sex, age, disability, veteran or military status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

SPAM
Please be wary of recruitment scams. An indication of a scam might be a request for sensitive or bank information at the time of application or emails coming from a non walkerdunlop.com email address. Please call us at 301.215.5500, if you have any concerns about information requested during or after the application process.

This job has expired.