Agency Operations Manager

We are looking for an Agency Operations professional to join the Resource Management team. We are a large global creative group - with hubs in Silicon Valley, Culver City, New York, London, and Singapore, and smaller studios located across the globe. In this role, you will support internal partner teams by driving agency research, evaluating capabilities, fostering connections, and providing end-to-end operational support.

• Location: Remote (must be within 100 miles of Culver City, CA)
• Role Type: Full-Time Contract; 40 hours per week
• Duration: 12 months
• Max Hourly Pay Rate: $90.13//hour
• Pay Comments: W2, weekly pay, benefits, 401k w/ match
• Background screening required

A bit about you

The ideal candidate is a Creative Operations professional who deeply understands the creative process and can easily speak to agency work and capabilities. You are passionate about industry research and have a keen eye for discovering emerging agencies. As a natural relationship builder, you love creating partnerships and empowering teams to do their best work. Furthermore, you are a strong operator who can seamlessly build schedules, define milestones, and drive large-scale operational initiatives from inception to completion.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with creative and production teams to identify, vet, and source new creative agencies based on resource needs.
• Work cross-functionally to capture project feedback and facilitate comprehensive agency debriefs.
• Conduct ongoing market research to discover new agencies that align with our evolving creative capabilities.
• Drive the development and maintenance of preferred partner lists in collaboration with creative and production teams.
• Schedule and coordinate capabilities presentations and general meet-and-greets between internal teams and external partners.
• Maintain detailed operational records and oversee internal database management for external resources.
• Partner with Corporate Procurement to champion, track, and support initiatives.
• Cultivate and maintain strong, productive relationships with external partners.

Key Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience as a creative operations practitioner, creative/design producer, or new business associate/manager (agency or in-house creative team is a must).
• Proven experience managing 3rd-party agency relationships and external resource pools.
• Strong background in business development practices, including scoping, pricing, and SOW negotiation.
• Ability to quickly assess, dissect, and prioritize problems to implement effective operational solutions.
• Experience navigating established company policies and procedures while managing business risk.
• Track record of working with globally distributed teams and managing the complexities of global programs.
• Experience coordinating RFP processes with internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data and generate actionable reports.
• Technical aptitude and willingness to learn and master internal tools and software.
• Inherent curiosity and the strategic foresight to "see around corners" and anticipate team needs.

About Aquent Talent

Aquent Talent connects the best talent in marketing, creative, and design with the world's biggest brands.

Our eligible talent get access to amazing benefits like subsidized health, vision, and dental plans, paid sick leave, and retirement plans with a match. We also offer free online training through Aquent Gymnasium. More information on our awesome benefits!

Aquent is an equal-opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics. We're about creating an inclusive environment-one where different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives are valued, and everyone can contribute, grow their careers, and thrive.