Spark Space Creative (SSC) is a growing design studio working with nonprofit organizations to educate, empower, and advocate for the upcoming workforce of entrepreneurs, inventors, game-changers, and trailblazers to both dream and achieve. We are currently seeking a Design Studio Project Manager (PM) who will help drive our work forward through studio-wide and client communications, project planning, process improvement, and creative solutions.

This is a hybrid, full-time salaried position for a highly organized individual who loves to keep things moving. You’ll be herding clients, designers, and maybe a few cats in the Dayton, Ohio area. A local candidate is important to us as we meet in person regularly and occasionally participate in client events. The PM reports to our Operations Manager.

About You

You’re passionate about creating a positive impact every day through the work you do, treating our clients as partners, and fostering close-knit relationships with the studio’s staff, clients, and other collaborators. You care about the work you do and the people with whom you work. You’re efficient and effective. You love being a project manager!

About the position

• • The primary goal of the PM will be to help keep the creative team, our clients, and projects organized, on track, and within budget
  • The PM needs to be able to work with the often-changing timelines of our clients while keeping both the client and our internal team on the same page
  • The ideal PM candidate will have the ability to manage the studio’s clients and projects while communicating effectively and efficiently in a friendly, proactive manner at all times
  • The PM also helps with other studio needs such as getting vendor quotes, coordinating internal projects, and other tasks

Responsibilities

• • Project Management (85%) 
  • Monitor and manage the scope of work and timeline for multiple concurrent projects to keep them on track and within budget
  • Proactively communicate concerns, challenges, or changes in the scope, as they arise
  • Coordinate day-to-day activities for studio projects, including facilitating client kick-off calls, creating project schedules, and following up with clients, designers, and operations as needed to ensure everyone meets their deadlines
  • Effectively and strategically manage studio PM tools such as ClickUp, Slack, Google Sheets/Docs, and Dropbox to keep workflows streamlined
  • Take detailed notes during internal and client meetings, capturing these in a way that designers can easily reference later
  • Draft creative briefs based on these notes and add to ClickUp so tasks always have the most recent information
  • Communicate clearly and effectively with clients, team members, contractors, and vendors
  • Share feedback and questions with the relevant team members
  • Help finalize printing specifications, request quotes, and facilitate proof review and final delivery of files
  • Business Development/Marketing (5%)
  • Assist in the preparation of business proposals and help coordinate visuals/designs that need to be included
  • Bring new ideas for promoting our studio through other creative avenues
  • Other Responsibilities (10%)
  • Contribute positively to the team by embracing a respectful, supportive internal culture and vibe, as well as helping to create and maintain a well-organized studio
  • Work with the design team to keep our files organized: archiving them, checking naming conventions, etc
  • Assisting the design team to ensure all client edits have been captured

Skills and qualifications 

• • Must have 2-5 years of PM experience in a design studio/creative agency environment
  • Must be able to thrive in a fast-paced environment
  • Meticulous attention to detail
  • Passion for well-organized systems and processes, as well as a proactive approach for improving such systems and processes
  • Robust understanding of the life cycle, processes, and challenges related to branding, print, and digital projects
  • Must be an extraordinary and articulate communicator, both in writing and verbally, with an ability to lead and facilitate meetings
  • Excellent time-management skills, with the ability to juggle many projects with varying and sometimes challenging timelines, think independently, use good judgment when some factors are unknown, troubleshoot issues, and anticipate problems before they arise
  • Strong interpersonal skills are vital, as is a curious mind that is actively engaged in keeping up with evolving print and digital trends and user behavior
  • True problem solver – able to anticipate roadblocks and offer solutions
  • Experience in Microsoft Word, Excel or equivalent Google applications
  • Experience with ClickUp or any PM software preferred
  • Experience with nonprofit companies and/or early childhood education preferred

Interview Process

• • We’ll send all applicants a short list of questions.
  • Select applicants will be interviewed by our founder and our operations manager.
  • The second interview will be with our team.

Typical work hours

• • Spark Space works a 4-day work week with Fridays off
  • Flexible work schedule to account for occasional weekend and evening work commitments

Travel required 

• • Travel within Ohio and out-of-state may be required for select training events, conferences, professional development and partner events. 

Non-discrimination policy

SSC/SFC shall not discriminate because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, ancestry, national origin, military status, place of birth, age, marital status, or disability in any of its activities or operations. These activities or operations include actions against any employee, applicant for employment, subcontractor or vendor. 

Benefits

• • Health insurance, dental, vision
  • Paid sick, personal, and vacation time
  • Birthdays off!
  • 10 paid holidays
  • Low-stress work environment and focus on wellness
  • Work from home or in our downtown co-working space

Salary $40,000-$45,000

To apply, please email hello@sparkspacecreative.com and include your cover letter, resume and anything else that may set you apart.