Contract Creative Project Manager Jobs in Durham, NC

ABOUT LUCID DREAM

Lucid Dream is a creative studio focused on life science and healthcare customers. We produce immersive simulations (VR/AR/XR) and game-based experiences that educate physicians and patients on complex science. Our work sits at the intersection of creative craft, emerging technology, commercial strategy, scientific communication, and disciplined production.

Located in the heart of downtown Durham, NC, our office at the historic American Tobacco Campus is a short walk from world-class dining and entertainment venues including the Durham Bulls Athletic Park and the Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC).

ABOUT THE ROLE

We're looking for a skilled project manager who has thrived in a creative agency or production environment and knows how to move complex, multi-disciplinary deliverables from brief to delivery. You'll run our projects end to end: writing clear briefs and storyboards, keeping artists, designers, and developers aligned, managing client relationships, and shepherding creative through rounds of feedback and approval on time and on budget.

Our work focuses interactive and XR formats, but you do not need a background in games or XR to succeed here. If you've managed creative production and client relationships in an agency setting, we'll teach you the medium. What matters is that you can hold a project together, translate client feedback into clear direction, and protect quality and efficiency under real deadlines.

Please note this is a hybrid position requiring three days of in-office work per week in Durham, NC, and two days work-from-home.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Client & Stakeholder Management:

• Serve as the primary liaison between clients, partners, and internal teams, leading kickoffs, progress updates, and reviews
• Facilitate clear communication and expectation alignment throughout project lifecycles
• Collaborate with both internal and external stakeholders to align on strategy, project objectives, and deliverable timelines
  

Creative Process & Feedback

• Bring enough design fluency to enforce brand and style-guide adherence, spotting inconsistencies in typography, color, composition, layout, and visual tone before they reach the client
• Support creative leads on storyboards, concept art, and visual development reviews, keeping narrative and visual direction aligned with client objectives from concept through production
• Ask the right clarifying questions to turn subjective feedback ("this feels off," "it needs more energy") into direction that artists, designers, and developers can execute against
  

Project Management & Oversight

• Develop and manage detailed project schedules with realistic, achievable deadlines
• Break complex, multi-disciplinary projects into clearly scoped tasks with defined owners, dependencies, and acceptance criteria
• Maintain momentum by tracking progress, holding the team to the schedule, and keeping all parties focused on project goals
• Proactively identify bottlenecks and implement strategies to keep projects on track while protecting quality
  

Resource & Budget Management

• Support capacity planning and resource allocation so projects are staffed effectively
• Manage project budgets, flagging variances early and recommending adjustments to protect margins
• Partner with the team to evaluate completed projects and identify opportunities to improve efficiency and effectiveness
  

Delivery & Logistics Coordination

• Manage logistics for video shoots and app deployments, coordinating internal teams and external vendors
• Manage and coordinate with contractors, defining scopes of work and holding quality standards throughout execution
• Oversee build delivery, submissions, and deployment logistics, ensuring technical and compliance requirements are met
  

WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO SUCCEED:

• 3-5+ years of project management or production experience in a creative agency, digital agency, or creative production studio
• A track record of managing creative talent and creative deliverables for multiple clients in a fast-paced environment
• Excellent written, verbal, and visual communication skills
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to juggle multiple client projects at once
• Comfort with ambiguity and evolving requirements: you know when to hold the line on scope and when to flex
• Familiarity with project management tools such as ClickUp, Monday, Trello, or similar
• A professional, proactive attitude with strong attention to detail and a desire to learn
  

Nice to have (a real plus)

• Experience in a healthcare, pharmaceutical, medical device, or other regulated or scientific industry. If you've navigated MLR or regulated-industry review and know how to keep creative moving through approval, we especially want to hear from you.
  

WHAT WE OFFER:

• Robust company culture committed to our core mission and values
• Amazing group of talented colleagues, and a management team dedicated to transparent leadership and helping everyone grow and thrive
• Competitive salary
• Employer-sponsored health, vision, and dental
• 401(k) Retirement Plan with company match
• Responsible Paid Time-Off Policy
• Hybrid Work policy
• Parental Leave Policy
• Downtown Durham office with parking
• Monthly team-building events
  

Lucid Dream is an Equal Opportunity Employer that gives all qualified applicants consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees based on mutual respect. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.

No recruiters - principals only please!