Account & Operations Lead

Account & Operations Lead (Creative Studio)Job Description20 hours per week (possibility toswitch to full-time later)Remote2,250 USDAbout the roleA fast-growing creative studio is hiring its first Account & Operations Lead: the person who owns client relationships day to day and runs the studio's delivery engine.The studio builds and refreshes consumer brands, many of them preparing major launches at big-box retailers such as Target and Walmart. Work spans brand strategy, packaging, retail activations, websites, social media, influencer campaigns and paid media. Today the two founders handle both the creative work and all project management. This role takes operations off their plate so they can focus on ideas, big pitches and growth.In one sentence: you'll be the person clients love and trust, and the one who makes sure everything the studio promises gets delivered on time, on budget and with a clear process.
What you'll doOwn the client relationship. Be the main point of contact for every client on Zoom, email and Slack. Handle requests, expectations and the hard conversations, so the founders can stay focused on the creative side.Manage budgets, estimates and scope. Build estimates and proposals, track budgets, and make sure the studio is paid properly for its time, including when scope grows.Run delivery. Plan timelines, assign tasks and deadlines to everyone (founders included), build in time for reviews, and keep projects moving on very tight schedules.Build the operating system. Set up the processes, tools and rituals the studio runs on. Lean, AI-friendly and with as few meetings as possible.Find, staff and manage teams. Assemble and manage project teams of freelancers, contractors and partners (designers, developers, Shopify, social, production) for each project.Handle two client rhythms. Some clients work fast and almost entirely on Slack; others follow a plan, present and approve cycle for strategy, websites, TikTok Shop and social campaigns.
Your first 90 daysBy day 90, clients call you first when they have a problem, and trust that it will be handled with care.First 30 days: take over day-to-day operations on one client account, learn how the studio works and map current projects, budgets and deadlines.Days 30 to 60: put a simple operating system in place (task assignment, timelines, review cycles, budget tracking) and start leading client communication.Days 60 to 90: own the client relationships across accounts, staff new projects with the right partners, and free the founders to focus on client strategy, big pitches and new business.
Must-haves5 to 8 years of experience in account management, project management or operations at a creative, branding, marketing or digital agency.Proven experience as the main client contact: running calls, managing expectations and negotiating scope and budget.Hands-on experience building estimates and tracking project budgets.Experience managing freelancers, contractors or external partners across several projects at the same time.Fluent, confident English for daily client-facing calls and emails with US clients.Strong with modern tools and AI (project management, Slack, Google Workspace or similar), and comfortable setting up new systems.Available to work with solid overlap with US Eastern and Pacific hours (roughly Central Time).
Nice-to-havesExperience with consumer goods (CPG) brands, especially retail launches at Target, Walmart or similar: packaging updates, product photography, in-store activations and launch timelines.Experience with websites and e-commerce (Shopify), TikTok Shop, social media campaigns or influencer programs.Spanish, for occasional translations and Spanish-speaking clients.Experience at a small studio or startup, where you built processes from scratch.
Who will thrive hereYou get it fast. You understand the business and the clients in weeks, not months. There's no time for a long ramp-up.You lead with calm. When everything is urgent, you don't panic. You set priorities, see the bigger picture and bring order to the chaos.You have authority. You're comfortable telling the founders what to do, when, and why, and pushing back respectfully when you see a better way.Clients love working with you. You're warm and trustworthy, and firm on budget and scope when you need to be.You value time. Yours, the team's and the founders'. You protect the studio's margins and make sure its work is valued.This role is not a fit if you:Rely on rigid, old-school processes and many meetings to get things done.Are slow to adopt new tools, technology or AI.Need detailed training or close supervision to start delivering.
PROFILES THAT ARE NOT RELATED TO THE REQUIREMENT AND POSITION WON'T BE CONSIDERED