Studio Manager

About the Company

We are a renewable energy and ocean technology company committed to rapidly developing and deploying technologies that will ensure a sustainable future for Earth by unlocking the vast energy potential of its oceans. Our focus is on capturing civilizational levels of ultra-low-cost renewable energy for applications including computing and affordable renewable fuels delivered to shore.

The company is a public benefit corporation headquartered in Portland, Oregon and backed by leading venture capitalists, philanthropic investors, university endowments, and private investment offices. We operate as an idea meritocracy in which the best ideas change the company’s direction on a regular basis.

About the Job

We’re a technology company that believes storytelling is critical to accomplishing our mission. The Creative & Brand Comms team is responsible for building a brand that inspires and educates our communities, team members, investors, and the public at large - helping them understand what we’re doing and why it matters.

As Studio Manager, you will be the operational backbone of this team. You’ll run the Creative Studio like a well-organized, nimble department—balancing large, long-term initiatives with quick-turn needs. You’ll set priorities, manage resources, streamline workflows, and ensure leadership’s focus is spent where it matters most.

This role requires a natural organizer and program manager who thrives in creative environments. You’ll bring structure to ambiguity, translate big ideas into actionable plans, and keep teams and partners aligned. You love solving logistical challenges, driving clarity from complexity, and enabling creative talent to do their best work. We’re a small team, so you’ll also roll up your sleeves and build things yourself.

Responsibilities

• Operate the internal Creative Studio like a well-organized, nimble department—balancing big initiatives with fast-moving daily needs.
• Set and manage day-to-day priorities for the creative team, ensuring workloads are balanced, timelines are met, and stakeholder approvals happen on schedule.
• Anticipate and remove project roadblocks, enabling the creative team to stay focused on high-impact work.
• Build trust and strong relationships with cross-functional partners, acting as the primary connector between creative and the rest of the organization.
• Manage relationships with external freelancers, partners, and vendors—handling scheduling, availability, contracts, and long-term scalability.
• Coordinate site-specific creative projects such as photo and video shoots, ensuring smooth planning and execution.
• Guide projects through all stages—from concept development and scoping to scheduling, internal alignment, and final delivery.
• Organize and facilitate team check-ins and critiques that focus on strengthening the work and supporting shared goals.
• Understand the company’s technology and engineering processes, and translate them into accessible stories and visuals for internal and external audiences.
• Launch new projects with clear scopes and creative briefs, providing structured next steps even when inputs are limited.
• Lead sourcing, selection, and onboarding of creative freelancers, including portfolio reviews, contract negotiation, and integration into team workflows.
• Drive department-wide efficiency by ensuring smooth communication, capturing decisions, and keeping leadership engaged at the right moments.
• Maintain team operating rhythms (planning cycles, status updates, reporting) to keep creative work aligned with company priorities.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of experience in creative operations, studio management, or program/project management within a design studio, creative agency, or in-house brand/communications team.
• Proven ability to manage complex workflows across multiple creative disciplines (design, content, photo/video, motion, digital).
• Demonstrated skill in setting priorities, protecting team focus, and ensuring leadership is engaged at the right level and at the right time.
• Strong organizational and program management skills with a track record of creating structure in dynamic, fast-changing environments.
• Comfortable translating abstract ideas or limited inputs into structured plans, timelines, and next steps.
• Adept at building collaborative relationships across functions and influencing stakeholders without formal authority.
• Experience managing external freelancers, agencies, and vendor relationships, including contracting and onboarding.
• Proficiency with organizational and creative tools such as Google Workspace, Adobe Creative Suite, and Figma.
• Detail-oriented, resourceful, and able to balance strategic priorities with tactical execution.
• Steady under pressure with the ability to problem-solve and keep teams aligned in challenging situations.

Desired Qualifications 

• Experience supporting creative or technical leadership by managing departmental workflows, priorities, and communications.
• Background in or exposure to technical storytelling (science, engineering, or technology sectors).
• A strong professional network of creative talent (designers, writers, producers, directors, photographers, animators, etc.) to help scale the team.
• Familiarity with budget tracking, resource allocation, and reporting at a department level.

The above qualifications are desired, not required. We encourage you to apply if you are a strong candidate with only some of the desired skills and experience listed.

Compensation and Benefits

If hired for this full-time role, you will receive:

• Cash compensation of $85,000 - $135,000
• Equity in the company. We’re all owners and if we’re successful, this equity should be far and away the most valuable component of your compensation.
• A benefits package that helps you take care of yourself and your family, including:
  • Flexible paid time off
  • Health insurance (the company pays 100% of gold level PPO plan for full time employees, their partners, and dependents)
  • Dental insurance (the company pays 33% for full time employees and 100% for their partners and dependents)
  • Vision insurance (the company pays 100% for full time employees, their partners, and dependents)
  • Disability insurance (the company pays 100% for a policy to provide long term financial support if you become disabled)
  • Ability to contribute to tax-advantaged accounts, including 401(k), health FSA, and dependent care FSA
• Relocation assistance to facilitate your move to Portland (if needed).

Location

This is an on-site position. Our offices are located in Portland, Oregon.