Creative Operations Manager

About Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Founded in 1980 by Ken Grossman with a pioneering spirit, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. has been a catalyst in shaping American craft brewing. Renowned for its innovation and dedication to environmental sustainability and community care, the company fosters a culture that values diversity and inclusion, constantly pushing the boundaries in brewing and sustainability efforts.

Role Overview

The Creative Operations Manager plays a crucial role in steering the planning, allocation of resources, and execution of all creative projects within the company. This position ensures optimal deployment of in-house talent, freelance professionals, and vendors, all aligned with business needs to produce timely and high-quality creative deliverables. As a pivotal operational leader, this individual collaborates closely with creative leadership to convert briefs into actionable project plans, overseeing workflows, vendor collaborations, budgets, and production schedules.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and sustain master project templates that link strategic initiatives to tactical content projects, providing regular stakeholder updates on project progress, timelines, and resource use.
• Collaborate with creative leadership to synchronize resource allocation and project strategies with company priorities.
• Guide and support the internal creative team through coaching and resource connection.
• Manage end-to-end production, ensuring delivery aligns with timeframes, budgets, and quality standards.
• Serve as the primary contact for creative resource management, balancing internal and external capacities, including freelancers and agencies.
• Work with brand, innovation, and marketing leads to define project scopes, timelines, and required resources.
• Establish and maintain strong vendor partnerships, negotiate contracts, and optimize use of external resources.
• Monitor team workload and capacity actively, addressing resource shortages proactively.
• Coordinate across departments such as compliance, supply chain, quality assurance, and brewing to maintain quality control and packaging standards.
• Lead by example, embracing creative challenges and transforming issues into innovative solutions; develop and distribute a creative process playbook for internal stakeholders.
• Oversee the selection, supervision, and budgeting of external vendors including photographers, designers, and printers.
• Ensure delivery of all creative outputs meets Sierra Nevada’s brand and quality expectations through collaboration and review processes.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Business Management, Creative or Project Management, or equivalent knowledge gained through experience and education.
• Minimum of 7 years in project management, creative operations, or production management within an agency or in-house setting; Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) experience preferred.
• At least 4 years in leadership roles overseeing teams or projects.
• Basic proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, able to navigate and check creative files.
• Strong organizational and project management capabilities, with experience handling multiple complex projects, vendor relations, production scheduling, and budget management.
• Excellent communication skills for clear and effective updates across creative and commercial teams.
• Understanding of creative workflows and production methods across print, digital, packaging, photography, video, and HTML content.
• Familiarity with project management software (such as Wrike, Workfront, or Smartsheet) is advantageous.
• Ability to build cross-functional relationships and influence stakeholders without formal authority.
• Comfortable working in fast-paced, deadline-driven settings.

Additional Conditions

• Applicants must be at least 21 years old.
• Employment contingent on passing a pre-employment background check.
• The position remains open until filled, with weekly review of applications.

Compensation & Benefits

This role offers a base salary range from $98,279 to $153,315 annually, commensurate with skills and experience. Candidates may also be eligible for a performance bonus. Benefits include a 10% company match on 401(k) contributions, comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, access to an onsite medical clinic, mental health services, paid sick leave, learning and development opportunities, workplace safety programs, and a culture supporting work-life balance with paid time off.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to fostering diversity and inclusion.