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Creative Operations Manager Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Harvey

Head of Creative Operations

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$221K - $332K/yr

Role Overview We are looking for a Head of Creative Operations to build the infrastructure, people ... You have run complex productions, managed teams, and built the systems that make a creative ...

Ride Aventon

Creative Producer

Brea, CA

$80K - $120K/yr

The Creative Producer is responsible for helping transform ideas into executable creative work ... also managing the operational realities of bringing high-quality content to market. The ideal ...

Ride Aventon

Creative Producer

Brea, CA

The Creative Producer is responsible for helping transform ideas into executable creative work ... also managing the operational realities of bringing high-quality content to market. The ideal ...

Ride Aventon

Creative Producer

Brea, CA · On-site

The Creative Producer is responsible for helping transform ideas into executable creative work ... also managing the operational realities of bringing high-quality content to market. The ideal ...

Hinge Health, Inc

Sr. Lead Creative Ops

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$186K - $256K/yr

About the Role We are seeking a Senior Lead of Creative Ops to drive operational excellence on our Growth Creative team. In this role, you will coordinate program management, resourcing, capacity ...

DoorDash

Sr. Creative Project Manager

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

Brand & Creative Operations is the connective hub of the Brand & Creative org. Our team - Business ... This role manages a portfolio of 10-20 projects in a quarter spanning quick-turn content, paid ...

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All JobsCreative Operations JobsCreative Operations Manager JobsCreative Operations Manager Jobs in California

Creative Operations Manager information

See California salary details

$30.6K

$62.6K

$116.9K

How much do creative operations manager jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 18, 2026, the average yearly pay for creative operations manager in California is $62,625.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $40,500.00 and $76,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

How does a Creative Operations Manager typically collaborate with creative and non-creative teams to streamline project workflows?

A Creative Operations Manager acts as a bridge between creative teams (like designers, writers, and producers) and non-creative departments (such as marketing, project management, and finance). They facilitate clear communication, set up efficient processes, and ensure everyone is aligned on timelines, resources, and deliverables. By implementing project management tools and standardizing workflows, they help teams avoid bottlenecks and achieve project goals more effectively. Regular status meetings, feedback loops, and performance metrics are common tools they use to keep all stakeholders informed and engaged.

What kind of jobs in media bring in $150,000 a year?

In media, roles such as Creative Director, Senior Producer, or Media Executive often earn $150,000 or more annually, especially with extensive experience, leadership skills, and industry connections. These positions typically require advanced knowledge of industry tools, strategic planning, and sometimes a relevant degree or certification.

What is the difference between Creative Operations Manager vs Creative Producer?

AspectCreative Operations ManagerCreative Producer
Primary FocusOversees workflows, processes, and resource management for creative teamsManages the production of specific creative projects from concept to completion
Skills & CredentialsProject management, organizational skills, industry experience, often with certifications in project managementCreative vision, project coordination, client communication, often with experience in media or advertising
Work EnvironmentCollaborates across departments, manages teams, and optimizes operational efficiencyWorks closely with clients and creative teams to deliver projects on time and within budget

The Creative Operations Manager focuses on streamlining processes and managing resources across multiple projects, while the Creative Producer handles the execution and delivery of individual creative projects. Both roles require strong organizational skills, but their scope and responsibilities differ significantly.

What's the highest paying creative job?

The highest paying creative job is often a Creative Director or Chief Creative Officer, roles that oversee branding, advertising, and design strategies at a senior level. These positions typically require extensive experience, leadership skills, and a strong portfolio, with salaries reaching into the high six or seven figures in large organizations. Compensation varies based on industry, company size, and location.

What are Creative Operations Managers?

Creative Operations Managers are professionals responsible for streamlining and optimizing the processes, workflows, and resources within creative teams or agencies. Their main goal is to enhance productivity, ensure timely project delivery, and facilitate effective communication among team members, clients, and stakeholders. They often oversee project management, budgeting, resourcing, and the implementation of best practices, allowing creative teams to focus on producing high-quality work. Creative Operations Managers play a key role in bridging the gap between creativity and operational efficiency.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Creative Operations Manager, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Creative Operations Manager, you need strong project management skills, a solid understanding of creative processes, and often a degree in marketing, design, or a related field. Familiarity with project management tools like Asana or Trello, digital asset management systems, and workflow automation platforms is typically required. Excellent communication, problem-solving abilities, and leadership are crucial soft skills to effectively coordinate teams and manage multiple projects. These skills ensure efficient project delivery, foster team collaboration, and drive the overall success of creative initiatives.

What is a creative operations manager?

A creative operations manager oversees the planning, coordination, and execution of creative projects within an organization. They manage workflows, allocate resources, and ensure deadlines are met, often using tools like project management software and collaborating with creative teams to improve efficiency.

How to become a creative operations manager?

To become a creative operations manager, candidates typically need a bachelor's degree in business, marketing, or a related field, along with experience in project management, marketing, or creative roles. Developing skills in leadership, communication, and familiarity with project management tools like Asana or Trello is essential, and some roles may require advanced certifications such as PMP or Agile. Gaining experience in managing creative teams and workflows helps prepare for this role.
What are the most commonly searched types of Creative Operations jobs in California? The most popular types of Creative Operations jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Creative Operations Manager jobs? Cities in California with the most Creative Operations Manager job openings:
Creative Operations Manager jobs near you
Infographic showing various Creative Operations Manager job openings in California as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% Internship, 78% Full Time, 18% Part Time, 2% Temporary, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 89% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $62,625 per year, or $30.1 per hour.
Head of Creative Operations

Head of Creative Operations

Harvey

San Francisco, CA • On-site

$221K - $332K/yr

Full-time

Posted 7 hours ago

Job description

Why Harvey
At Harvey, we're transforming how legal and professional services operate. By combining frontier agentic AI, an enterprise-grade platform, and deep domain expertise, we're reshaping how critical knowledge work gets done for decades to come.
This is a rare chance to help build a generational company at a true inflection point. With 1500+ customers in 60+ countries, strong product-market fit, and world-class investor support, we're scaling fast and defining a new category in real time. The work is ambitious, the bar is high, and the opportunity for growth - personal, professional, and financial - is unmatched.
Our team moves fast, takes ownership, and is deeply committed to the mission - operating with intensity, staying close to our customers, and pushing each other for excellence. We live by three values: Decisiveness, Simplicity, and Job's Not Finished. We act quickly on clear judgment over perfect information, we believe simplicity is what scales, and we're never satisfied with where we are. If you want to do the best work of your career alongside people who share that drive, we'd love to build with you.
At Harvey, the future of professional services is being written today - and we're just getting started.
Role Overview
We are looking for a Head of Creative Operations to build the infrastructure, people management layer, and operational systems that enable a high-output creative function perform at its best. This is a player-coach role.
You will lead a team of creative producers across brand, campaign, video, and web work while staying close enough to the work to know where things are breaking down and how to fix them. The bigger part of the job is building the operating model you believe in: clear intake paths, roadmapping, smart resourcing, strong vendor relationships, and the kind of process discipline that gives creative people more time to do creative work.
The right person for this role has a producer's instincts and a leader's disposition. You have run complex productions, managed teams, and built the systems that make a creative function scalable. You are not here to just coordinate. You are here to elevate how the team operates.
This role reports to Scott Smith, VP of Creative, and sits within the Harvey Brand & Creative team. It is a new function, created because we believe creative operations deserves to be owned with intention. You will have the opportunity to build it during a period of rapid growth.
What You'll Do
  • Lead, mentor, and grow a team of creative producers spanning brand, campaign, video, events, and web production, setting a high bar for project management and execution quality.
  • Build and maintain an operating model for Brand & Creative that covers intake, prioritization, resourcing, trafficking, and reporting, giving the team and stakeholders clear visibility into work and tradeoffs.
  • Define and manage how work enters the team, including intake forms, briefing standards, and prioritization frameworks that balance urgency with strategic importance and protect space for high-impact work.
  • Own creative project management tooling (e.g., Asana, Airtable, Linear, or similar) and the workflows, templates, and standards that ensure consistent use across producers, designers, writers, and partners.
  • Oversee capacity planning and resourcing across internal creatives, producers, agencies, and freelancers, making informed recommendations on when to flex with vendors versus hire in-house.
  • Manage relationships with external production companies, agencies, and freelancers, from selection and scoping through onboarding, day-to-day coordination, and performance accountability.
  • Track and manage budgets across campaigns, shoots, events, and other creative programs, surfacing risks early, proposing options, and partnering with leadership to make responsible tradeoffs.
  • Develop and maintain playbooks, process documentation, and scalable workflows that reduce friction, improve predictability, and protect creative quality as the volume and complexity of work grow.
  • Act as connective tissue between Brand & Creative and functions like Marketing, Product Marketing, Comms, Sales, and Customer Success, translating business needs into clear creative plans and timelines.
  • Continuously identify workflow and collaboration pain points, run experiments to improve them, and measure impact using both qualitative feedback and operational metrics.

What You Have
  • 8+ years in creative operations, production management, or brand operations, ideally in-house at a high-growth technology company.
  • 3+ years managing teams of producers or project managers, with a track record of developing talent and raising the operational bar.
  • Deep command of creative project management tools and how to configure them for a fast-moving team (Asana, Airtable, Linear, or similar), including building workflows, dashboards, and reporting.
  • Experience managing complex, multi-faceted productions across brand campaigns, video, events, and digital/web, from initial briefing through delivery and post-mortems.
  • Proven ability to manage agency and freelancer relationships at scale, including contracts, onboarding, scopes of work, feedback rituals, and performance accountability.
  • Strong budget management skills: comfortable owning and reconciling spend across multiple concurrent projects and vendors, and surfacing risks before they become problems.
  • Comfort operating at both the strategic and executional level - you can design the system and also step in to handle urgent issues when needed.
  • Excellent communication skills, with the ability to manage up, across, and alongside creative teams and cross-functional stakeholders, building trust and alignment.
  • A process-oriented mindset paired with genuine appreciation for creative craft and quality; you know when to add structure and when to get out of the way.

Compensation
$221,600 - $332,400 USD
Depending on your location, an Applicant Privacy Notice may apply to you. You can find all of our Applicant Privacy Notices [here].
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Harvey is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy or related condition, or any other basis protected by law.
We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities, and requests can be made by emailing accommodations@harvey.ai

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