Design & Production Planning Senior Lead (12-Month Fixed Term Contract)

This is a 12-Month Fixed Term Contract.

You are responsible for delivering an exceptional, right first time, service to our clients in line with the client’s contractual requirements and ITGs own KPI’s.  Providing both strategic and operational leadership to your teams to deliver customer service excellence. You will actively understand and promote the wider ITG offering to deliver continuous improvement initiatives, develop and grow the account.

In this role, no day is the same which makes the role both exciting and interesting. You will have complete exposure to the wider M&S marketing mix as well as other functions in the business including Retail and the Buying Teams. With this in mind, there is plenty of scope to grow in this role and really make it your own.

The Client:

Marks and Spencer is a unique British heritage brand with a history of ‘firsts’ and everything they do has the potential to impact millions of customers daily. They hold a special place in the hearts of the public, and it’s a role we all take very seriously.

As Senior Lead in the Design and Production Planning Team you’ll play an important role in managing creative output and production budgets across multiple Clothing and Homeware campaigns, all the way through from creative concept through to production and delivery. Coordinating with multiple stakeholders in the Marketing function to ensure creative briefs are delivered effectively and to the correct vision, on time and within budget.

Managing your direct report(s) and ensuring the team deliver on time and on budget, to the highest standard. You will also support with forecasting, front-end planning and capacity within the design and copy teams.

Key Responsibilities:

• You will need to build and maintain positive working relationships with key stakeholders / decision makers to ensure you fully understands your client’s strategy, aims and goals enabling ITG to deliver the best service. 

• Professional adherence to all processes and best practice to ensure every project is produced impeccably, is right first time, every time and is always on-time.
• Respond to all client requirements within the designated SLA frameworks.
• Mange and develop your team including their personal development, supporting them to perform at their best, in a fast pace reactive environment and always leading by example.
• Ensure supplier resources are performing to their KPI’s and also provide insight into recruitment needs.
• Lead on allocation of workload and resources across the design, artwork, digital, print and distribution functions to meet business deadlines.
• Manage resource to ensure work is delivered and issues of non-delivery/late delivery of projects are escalated ensuring we are hitting all deadlines and FTPS ahead of launch
• Work closely with our in-house Design and Copy Teams to supports the business needs. Allocating relevant resource to multiple marketing activities.
• Develop ways of working with all Marketing stakeholders to ensure the right resource supports their needs in the most cost-effective way.
• Manage the Design & Production budgets, carrying out monthly review of budgets and making recommendations to secure adequate funding.
• The identification, resolution and escalation of issues associated with the delivery of digital and print projects. Ensure the M&S can make the best commercial decisions on resolution.
• Ensure all information is documented on all key projects and all stakeholders are updated on the progress of their projects including costs incurred where relevant.
• Proactively provide information to enable understanding of issues as well as providing solutions.

• Lead on all timings, resource and delivery of POS, Stores, Windows & VM, Digital & any Templates.
• Manage, coordinate and facilitate the M&S Campaign ATL and BTL deliverables.
• Campaigns to be delivered on time to the deadlines set/agreed.
• Build and share detailed post-production schedules associated with key deliverables across ATL, BLT, VOD, TV, OOH, hi fi and lo fi Social, stills etc.
• Lead work in progress meetings with key stakeholders including senior clients.
• Attend and support M&S through seasonal creative briefing and stages of their marketing process.
• Taking bespoke creative briefs from client and brief wider ITG team, pulling on relevant resource and making sure briefs are complete and correct.
• Monitor time expenditure versus time allocated where relevant to ensure budgets are met and inform the relevant Brief Owner of overruns where this may impact on critical path or cost adherence.
• The analysis and provision of up-to-date information on the project status of all work both planned and in progress to allow the optimal use of resources.
• Ensure design files and documents are filed and stored on Monday.com & MASIE where appropriate.
• Identify and progress areas for personal development.

• A service minded approach with proven customer management skills
• Experience of creative/ art working/ photography/ print processes
• Project management & organisational skills – you will be operating in an environment of ever-changing priorities.
• Good problem-solving skills, especially under pressure
• Strong written, oral and interpersonal skills
• Experience of POS within a retail business
• Highly numerate and commercially aware
• Computer literate with good knowledge of Microsoft and Apple systems – Keynote, PowerPoint, Excel etc. Monday.com or similar project management tool and please note we use cloud-based tech platforms to drive our workflows.

• 5+ years’ experience and knowledge of windows & VM, print, digital and design techniques and best practice.
• Line Management experience.
• Demonstrates an expert working knowledge of the Retail marketplace and Design and Print.
• Drives the analysis and exploitation of data through budget plan, tracker, briefing documents.
• Management of critical paths through a program of work.
• Experience forecasting and managing capacity planning and resource.
• Defines and implements auditable processes that deliver the necessary financial and legal controls against op plan.
• Demonstrate customer centric, clear thinking, strong commercial acumen.
• Able to set your own agenda and prioritise, identify new opportunities and spot potential issues before they happen.

Work’s a treat!

On top of a competitive salary, you can expect a whole load of perks:

• 25 days’ holiday + bank holidays – we understand the importance of you getting some down time.
• Annual Wellbeing Day – enjoy an additional day on us to look after your physical and mental wellbeing.
• Pension Scheme – helping you save towards your retirement home in the sun!
• Corporate Medical Cash Plan – claim back the cost of your medical treatments.
• Smart Working Options – spend up to 40% of your working week from home.
• So many savings – through our online community platform, you can access dozens of daily deals, from money off top brands to discounts on days out.
• Employee Assistance Programme – our people are at the heart of everything we do, so if you’re happy, we’re happy.
• Cycle to Work Scheme – save on the cost of biking to work.
• Monthly Employee Awards - Employee of the Month programme with £250 bonus
• Raising money for charity including a paid Volunteer Day – we’re all about giving back… and having lots of fun in the process!
• Referral scheme – know the perfect person to join the team? You could bag £1,500 for a putting a good word in.
• Wellbeing Programme – giving you the opportunity to join regular, interactive Wellbeing Workshops or join our 30 plus Wellbeing Champions.
• Enhanced Family Friendly Leave – support for you and your family to help you navigate through the craziness of family life.

We Value Diversity

We champion and welcome diversity in our workforce and ensure all job applicants receive equal and fair treatment, regardless of age, race, gender or gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or nationality.

We are not only committed to increasing the visibility and recognition of talent from under-represented groups within our organisation, but the wider industry too.

At the end of the day, we make sure we take time to look after ourselves, each other, and the planet, because we’re always stronger together.

ITG have a number of community groups available to employees and exist to offer a safe space for like-minded colleagues, with shared interests to connect, socialise and check in with each other.

These include Black ITGers Together, LGBTQ+ Together, Mens Health Together, Muslims Together, Neurodiversity Together, Working Parents and Carers Together and Women In Tech Together.

What next?

If you found yourself interested in knowing more, drop us your application and someone from our team will be in touch.

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