Production Operations Manager (12 month FTC)

The Production Operations Manager is responsible for the effective operational and financial management of Studios production resources. The role leads a team of four, manages a departmental budget of approximately £13 million, and ensures that people, freelance resource and financial processes are aligned with business priorities. - Lead and develop a team of four direct reports, creating a collaborative, high-performing culture with clear processes and efficient ways of working. - Conduct regular one-to-ones, providing coaching, objective reviews, development planning and progression support. - Own and manage the £13 million departmental budget, including planning, forecasting, reforecasting, allocation and financial governance. - Oversee financial administration, including expenditure tracking, purchase orders, invoicing and monitoring actual spend against budget. - Produce weekly and monthly reports, dashboards and analysis, translating complex data into clear insights for senior stakeholders. - Analyse model expenditure and bookings by shoot category to track performance against forecasts, budgets and production plans. - Lead half-year and year-end budget reviews using multiple data sets, Power Query and Power Pivot. - Maintain a high-quality freelance talent pool through effective vetting, performance reviews and relationship management. - Develop freelance resourcing strategies that optimise allocation, cost and performance, while forecasting future requirements. - Identify cost savings, operational improvements and efficiencies using data-led insights. - Improve and automate team workflows using Power Automate and Power Apps. - Supporting our culture by championing Diversity, Equity & Inclusion strategies. - Experience using Power Automate and Power Apps to improve workflows or reduce manual activity. - Experience working within a studio, fashion, e-commerce, creative production, media or content environment. - Experience supporting organisational change or transformation programmes. - Strong business acumen, with the ability to interpret operational performance metrics to identify opportunities and implement focused action plans - Effective communication and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and resolve escalated customer and team member situations - Adaptable and agile, with the ability to respond to change and leverage technology (including AI-enabled tools) to improve operational efficiency and team effectiveness