Senior Production Manager

About us

Indicia Worldwide is an insight and technology led communications agency with global production expertise.

Why we exist: we create new value

At Indicia Worldwide, our philosophy is one of 'creating new value'. We create new value at every step of the journey that a brand takes to market, by driving an increase in marketing performance and reducing costs in marketing execution. For our clients and their customers, we are building mutually-beneficial partnerships. We see this proposition, built around the perfect balance of efficiency and effectiveness, as pioneering, entrepreneurial and, above all else, sustainable.

Our substantial investment in our technology and data science capability, and resource, provides our differentiation in the marketplace. Data insight and marketing technology give us the ability to measure our work, evidencing ROI as the most critical metric in today's environment.

We see ROI where others don't. We are the only agency that combines creative, data and technology talent with production and procurement expertise to improve your marketing performance and efficiencies. We realise ROI for our clients by enabling them to deliver more engaging, cost-effective and sustainable customer experiences.

As a business, we draw on a rich heritage from the worlds of print, creative production, retail, data, digital, tech, and creative, bringing these disciplines together to support global brands with their omnichannel marketing activation needs.

We believe in what we do. We believe this proposition makes us unique. We have the capacity to redefine the way marketing is activated for our clients across the globe. Now, and well into the future.

The output: Improved client performance by engaging consumers with brand ideas better, faster, and more cost-effectively across every step of the journey that a brand takes to market.

Purpose of the role

As a Senior Production Manager (SPM), you will work within your team to provide excellent production delivery services for our clients.

Vision: The SPM manages the production of all level spending and strategic projects to ensure the highest satisfaction of Indicia Worldwide's clients.

Mission: To activate the proposition of Indicia Worldwide through clients delivering both the best quality and price for our clients ́ needs.

Approach: To establish excellence in production delivery through our values - Collaboration, Entrepreneurship, Pioneering, and Accountability.

The SPM manages the end-to-end production of high level spend and strategic projects while facing clients directly supporting both strategy and satisfaction. The SPM will also be expected to mentor and upskill the Production Managers and, at times, manage the project traffic among PMs.

You will be competent in expressing the Indicia proposition and will work with your team members on client production activities with the highest compliance and quality standards.

You will have accountability for the accuracy, quality, timeliness and profitability of multiple campaigns and projects by managing the briefing, scheduling and delivery process on behalf of the client.

You are expected to identify opportunities for harmonisation, best-in-class sourcing and sustainability with your Line Management.

You will work collaboratively and constructively with our expert teams to ensure that our work is of the highest quality and that we harness all the expertise in our business to identify opportunities and offer solutions for our clients.

You will be an effective negotiator with the ability to compromise when required. You will always take a cross-company view.

You will help drive the effectiveness of our internal delivery processes and by doing so maintain client profitability.

Key responsibilities include:

Relationship Management – Client Relations

• Take the lead in overseeing day to day client interaction and briefings
• Maintaining regular client contact with key clients to build awareness of delivery and account status.
• Proactively manage client expectations by providing regular activity updates, advice and recommendations to enhance delivery and campaign performance.

Strategic Thinking

• Create a collaborative environment and stimulate discussion on upcoming projects and requirements in the production space
• Confidently demonstrate your knowledge as a subject matter expert and are happy to field questions and find solutions.

Customer Focus

• Encourage client adoption of key process initiatives including rate cards, order windows, etc.
• Pro-actively propose continuous improvement initiatives to client, as well as provide advice on strategic campaigns

Communications

• Proactively provide visibility on day-to-day topics to your line manager and wider team in the spirit of finding synergies and opportunities for further collaboration and harmonisation.
• Ensure to tailor your messages to your respective audience to get feedback and output you require.
• Be the point of escalation within the delivery team – all the while acting as the bridge with the client services team where required

Campaign Management

• Be comfortable with managing low to high complexity briefs directly with the client
• Be comfortable questioning a client brief to ensure you can clearly communicate the requirements to the production teams.
• Hold discussions with your clients about their brief requirements and add your thoughts, insights and knowledge to help define their brief.
• Provide regular campaign updates and proactively communicate next steps to clients in advance.
• Produce clear campaign plans and manage client expectations confidently throughout the delivery of a project.
• Ensure all activity reports are accurate and deliver value to your client based on their reporting requirements
• Provide the adequate support to the Client Services team when required from thorough spec completion and follow the required ways of working

Analytical Skills: Data Quality, Reporting and Insights

• Understand the importance of data quality and its business impact – follow compliance processes to ensure data accuracy at all times.
• Present monthly review of savings and projects delivered highlighting key achievements, challenges and progress against reciprocal KPI's
• Understand why savings are up/down and proactively take steps to collaborate with key stakeholders to improve performance and ensure data accuracy and completeness

Negotiations Management

· Manage client, team and supplier conversations to find mutually beneficial outcomes, be it in terms of savings, value engineering, quality, etc.

Skills, knowledge, experience, and exposure

• The Senior Production Manager will likely have a minimum of 5 years of POSM/ Retail Displayproduction experience. Relevant project management and supplier liaison experience will be considered positive.
• A strong industry background will be mandatory.
• Fluency in both written and spoken English

Mindset to navigate the role

Managing production projects and facing final clients directly requires:

• Clear and effective communication skills at all levels in the hierarchy
• A solution orientated and resolution mindset, where problems are just the starting point for finding solutions.
• A problem-solving mindset, as the nature of the role will require to navigate different types of challenges and new scenarios.
• A technology-oriented mindset, as you will have to use different technologies in your daily job
• Attention to detail is critical in the Senior Production Managers role
• Strong mediation skills, as you will act as one of the links between Indicia Worldwide, the suppliers and the client
• A customer-centric mindset, as you will be the production expert consultant with our clients, being also able to identify new production opportunities based on their needs.

The softer skills that we believe will help you thrive in this role:

Senior Production Managers work in a very fast, changing and ambiguous environment. For the SPM to succeed, we expect:

• A positive 'can-do' attitude at all times, setting an example for team members
• A high level of energy when delivering and the ability to face challenges in a serene manner. The SPM will be expected to manage all parties when complex situation arise and find a calm resolution that all can agree on
• A curious mind, i.e. wanting to know all about internal operations, listening to client challenges. This is the fuel needed to unlock our proposition.
• Accountability: you are a professional and we will treat you as such. You will be expected to manage your workload and to raise your hand when you need team support
• Collaborative spirit: use we, not me. If someone is in trouble, you will do your best to support.
• A strong communications skillset with both internal and external teams
• Exceptional prioritisation skills
• A strong ability to work under pressure and to comply with deadlines

Role Requirements

• The SPM is required to be present on the client site.
• Travel to conferences or client events will be required on occasion.
• Whilst the contracted hours for the role are 9.00am to 5:30pm, Mon –Fri, the project-based nature of the role requires that some days you will have to work outside of these hours, and you will recover that time in other moments.

We are an equal opportunities employer and as such, will make any reasonable adjustments to accommodate the needs of all candidates. If you have any such needs or requirements in the context of your interview, please notify us so that we can make the appropriate arrangements.