Full-Time

Creative Operations Director

Creative Operations

Complex

Complex

501-1,000 employees

Pop culture and lifestyle media platform

Compensation Overview

$130k - $160k/yr

+ 401(k) match

No H1B Sponsorship

Los Angeles, CA, USA

In Person

In-office five days per week, with occasional travel or on-site support and possible weekend or extended hours during peak seasons.

Category
Creative Production
Required Skills
Adobe Creative Suite
Figma
Version Control
Risk Management

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Requirements
  • At least 5 years of experience in creative operations, project management, brand operations, production, or a related field.
  • A refined eye and high taste level, with the ability to interpret, communicate, and elevate distinct creative visions.
  • Proven experience managing multiple complex creative projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
  • Strong understanding of creative development processes, branding, marketing campaigns, and production workflows.
  • Demonstrated experience with resource planning, capacity management, and operational optimization.
  • Experience managing freelancers, agencies, and external creative partners.
  • Exceptional organizational, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
  • Highly detail-oriented, with the ability to balance strategic planning and tactical execution.
  • Fluency in Adobe Creative Suite and Figma.
  • Experience managing digital asset management systems in Dropbox or similar platforms.
  • Ability to influence without direct authority and build strong cross-functional partnerships.
  • Ability to defer to and support client vision, even when it may conflict with personal taste.
  • Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States without the need for visa sponsorship.
Responsibilities
  • Lead the end-to-end management of multiple concurrent creative projects from intake through final delivery, ensuring timelines, milestones, and deliverables are met.
  • Develop and maintain detailed project plans, schedules, and workflows that support efficient execution across all creative initiatives.
  • Monitor project health, proactively identify risks or bottlenecks, and implement solutions to keep work moving forward.
  • Balance competing priorities while adapting quickly to changing needs, shifting deadlines, and evolving stakeholder expectations.
  • Ensure seamless project transitions between creative, production, brand, and other internal teams through clear documentation and organized handoffs.
  • Oversee creative resource allocation across multiple projects, balancing team capacity, skill sets, business priorities, and deadlines.
  • Continuously evaluate workloads and proactively reassign resources as priorities shift to maximize efficiency and prevent bottlenecks.
  • Partner with creative leadership to forecast staffing needs and recommend additional support when necessary.
  • Track team utilization and identify opportunities to improve productivity and operational effectiveness.
  • Recruit, onboard, and manage a diverse network of freelance creatives, production partners, and external vendors to support creative output.
  • Build and maintain long-term relationships with trusted creative partners to ensure flexibility and scalability during periods of increased demand.
  • Coordinate contracts, project assignments, timelines, and performance expectations for external resources.
  • Evaluate freelancer and vendor performance to maintain a high-quality talent network.
  • Continuously improve creative operations by identifying opportunities to streamline workflows, reduce inefficiencies, and establish scalable best practices.
  • Develop standardized project management processes, templates, documentation, and operating procedures that improve consistency across the organization.
  • Maintain visibility across all active projects and programs, ensuring stakeholders have timely updates on progress, risks, dependencies, and key milestones.
  • Drive accountability by following up on action items, escalating issues when appropriate, and ensuring projects remain on track.
  • Own and maintain the department's digital asset management structure, including Dropbox and other creative file repositories.
  • Establish and enforce organizational standards, file naming conventions, version control, and archival processes to ensure assets remain accessible and up to date.
  • Partner with creative team members to ensure project files are organized, complete, and ready for downstream production or distribution.
  • Serve as the primary operational partner between the creative team and internal stakeholders, including brand, production, and other business partners.
  • Translate stakeholder objectives, brand requirements, and business priorities into clear project plans and actionable creative deliverables.
  • Lead recurring project status meetings, creative reviews, and cross-functional check-ins to align teams, identify blockers, and establish next steps.
  • Foster strong partnerships by maintaining transparent communication, managing expectations, and ensuring stakeholders remain informed throughout the project lifecycle.
  • Communicate project status, timelines, risks, and resource needs clearly to leadership, internal teams, and external partners.
  • Navigate competing requests with sound judgment, determining true business urgency while balancing overall team priorities.
  • Build trusted relationships with internal creative teams, designers, agency partners, freelancers, and vendors through proactive communication and collaboration.
  • Act as a central point of coordination to ensure alignment across all project stakeholders.

Complex operates a media platform focused on pop culture, music, sneakers, style, and sports, delivering news, features, and trend coverage to a diverse audience. It earns revenue from advertising, branded content, and merchandise, including exclusive collaborations with artists and designers, with editorial content driving traffic and engagement that attracts advertisers. The company differentiates itself by pairing broad culture coverage with a strong emphasis on streetwear and music culture, plus exclusive brand-artist collaborations and limited-edition drops. Its goal is to be the leading source for pop culture and lifestyle trends while building sustainable revenue through ads, partnerships, and merchandise.

Company Size

501-1,000

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

Los Angeles, California

Founded

2002

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • August 6, 2026 adidas streamathon became Complex's highest-performing partnerships livestream of 2026.
  • Complex's August 21, 2026 events page lists ComplexCon 2026 for October 3-4 in Los Angeles.
  • Ideon Media's Canadian reboot expands sponsorship inventory across music, sports, fashion, and entertainment.

What critics are saying

  • BuzzFeed sold Complex for $108.6 million in 2024 after ComplexCon underdelivered sponsorship revenue.
  • NTWRK's commerce model traps Complex inside retail margins, not durable advertising economics.
  • TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram control discovery, so one algorithm change can crater traffic.

What makes Complex unique

  • Complex owns culture-plus-commerce distribution, pairing editorial, live events, and shopping under one brand.
  • ComplexCon 2026 and Complex LA keep direct access to sneakerheads and superfans.
  • Complex Canada's March 31, 2026 relaunch adds localized storytelling and platform-native video.

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Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Health Savings Account/Flexible Spending Account

Paid Vacation

Paid Sick Leave

Parental Leave

Disability Insurance

Life Insurance

401(k) Retirement Plan

401(k) Company Match

Pet Insurance

Commuter Benefits FSA

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

1%

1 year growth

1%

2 year growth

3%
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