Sr. Manager, Creative Operations - Print

Job Description

Under Armour is the chosen brand of this generation of athletes... and the athletes of tomorrow. We're about performance - in training and on game day, in blistering heat and bitter cold. Whatever the conditions, whatever the sport, Under Armour delivers the advantage athletes have come to demand.
That demand has created an environment of growth. An environment where building a great team is vital. An environment where doing whatever it takes is the baseline and going above and beyond to protect the Brand is commonplace.
The world's hungriest athletes live by a code, a pledge to themselves and everyone else: Protect This House... I Will. Our goal is to Build A Great Team! Will YOU...Protect This House?!

SUMMARY:

The Sr. Manager, Creative Operations is responsible for leading the development and execution of Retail Print Marketing. Will ensure all processes, marketing services technologies/platforms and print production business needs are positioned to support the development, production and distribution of all marketing and promotional print materials. Ensures the successful delivery of all print retail collateral and supports Retail Marketing efforts in company owned stores and wholesale retail outlets. Key responsibilities include ensuring content is on Brand, production quality, fulfillment, guidelines development, communication, system maintenance and management, and supplier management through Enterprise Print Partner.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Accountable for ensured success of implementation and execution of the approved print management strategy and successful implementation and execution of the Enterprise Print Manager (EPM)
• Partners closely with marketing channels (instore and events) to understand business objectives, brand/tactical plans, and strategic imperatives for how to successfully execute within marketing services
• Establishes and maintains strategic and trusting relationships with key partners: Global Creative, NA Instore Marketing and Experiential, NA marketing Ops and NA shops team stakeholders to guide and influence business strategies, activities and decisions to deliver the highest quality Brand Moments in retail through Print Marketing.
• Inputs into Global Category and Brand Style guides with regional considerations. On receipt of Style Guides and photography selects: will packaging the assets together, route tactical briefs, and chosen photography selects to give detailed direction to EPM creative production team for asset building and resizing.
• Review and validate tactical brief workbacks with Category leads/Operations – resulting in account selects/copy release in parallel with style guides
• Manage all creative conversations specific to account need accuracy – inclusive of take down’s or custom executions from Global directives
• Manages communication with Global Asset Management and DAM with EPM.
• Serves as an expert in the DAM, including training of teammates to leverage the DAM
• Accountable to proof final assets with EPM partner to be sure resulting creative meets the brief and quality expectations.
• Manages third party relationships with key suppliers required to support requirements of all marketing stakeholders (print management, technology, promotional products, fixtures, distribution partners etc.)
• Works closely with Print Management partner (“EPM Partner”) to ensure access to broader strategy, timeline, and Marketing objectives
• Works with EPM Partner to strategically find opportunities to further transform the operation and deliver additional efficiencies and process improvements to Under Armour
• Helps ensure success of day to day operations of EPM Partner across the retail environment
• Serves as liason to other business partners who may periodically request support of EPM partner (e.g. internal communications and HR teams)
• Works collaboratively with Procurement to measure success of EPM Partner relative to SLAs and contractual commitments
• Attend press checks and retail walks to ensure Brand accuracy and production expectations are executed.
• Supports implementation and troubleshooting of any new technology implementations or integrations required to ensure success of new print strategy in partnership with EPM
• Provides strategic direction and guidance on operationalizing and executing on processes, systems, and tools to support Marketing strategy
• Holds North America Marketing team accountable for adoption of print management model and related technology

KEY SKILLSETS:

• Strategic thinker and visionary
• Capable of challenging status quo, champion new ways of operating, and navigating internal barriers to change
• Skilled at balancing between strategy and execution
• Skilled in Creative Production and creative asset selection to meet creative and tactical briefs
• Extensive project management experience
• Highly competent in planning effectively, managing deadlines, and balancing multiple tasks and initiatives simultaneously, with flexibility to reprioritize as needed
• Resourceful and quick to act if plans change, skilled at building contingency plans.
• Strong customer service and relationship building skills
• Skilled at collaborating with internal teammates at various levels, as well as external partners
• Capable of creating comradery, building trust among team, and inspiring success in others
• Excellent communication skills (verbal, written, and listening)
• Strong work ethic and high level of integrity
• Comfortable in challenging, performance-driven environment
• Able to learn quickly and effectively solve for new challenges and problems not previously encountered
• Demnstrated ability to make unbiased and balanced decisions, even under pressure

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree required
• 6-8 years of Creative, Operations and retail experience

At Under Armour, we are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and teammates without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), national origin, age, physical and mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information (including characteristics and testing), military and veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Under Armour believes that diversity and inclusion among our teammates is critical to our success as a global company, and we seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool.