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Director Creative Operations Jobs in Boston, MA (NOW HIRING)

Director of Operations

Roxbury, MA · On-site

$68K - $75K/yr

... Innovative and creative mindset. - Excited and passionate about leading others. - Strong ... direct talent to appropriated areas of the business best suited to talented individuals ...

... Innovative and creative mindset. - Excited and passionate about leading others. - Strong ... direct talent to appropriated areas of the business best suited to talented individuals ...

... time operations technologies that help save lives around the world. As our products transform ... You'll oversee a team of eight direct reports and partner closely with leaders across the Market ...

This role requires both strategic vision and operational excellence. You'll set the creative ... directing a commercial shoot, and helping shape the future of one of technology's most mission ...

Showing results 21-40

Director Creative Operations information

See Boston, MA salary details

$36.9K

$117K

$195K

How much do director creative operations jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 6, 2026, the average yearly pay for director creative operations in Boston, MA is $116,984.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $82,000.00 and $147,200.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are some of the main challenges that a director creative operations typically faces in their day-to-day work?

One of the main challenges faced by a Director Creative Operations is balancing the creative aspirations of the team with practical constraints like budgets, timelines, and client expectations. They are often responsible for streamlining processes, removing bottlenecks, and ensuring that resources are allocated effectively across multiple projects. Navigating the differing priorities of creative staff, marketing teams, and executive stakeholders can also require strong negotiation and diplomacy skills. Successfully managing these challenges leads to smoother workflows, higher productivity, and a more motivated creative team.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a director creative operations?

To thrive as a Director Creative Operations, you need expertise in creative project management, resource allocation, and team leadership, typically supported by experience in agency or in-house creative environments and a bachelor's degree in a related field. Familiarity with project management tools like Asana, Workfront, or Trello, as well as workflow automation platforms, is often expected. Exceptional communication, problem-solving, and stakeholder management skills help set top performers apart in this role. These capabilities ensure creative teams deliver high-quality work efficiently and align with organizational objectives.

What is a director creative operations?

A Director of Creative Operations oversees the workflow, resources, and efficiency of a creative team to ensure projects are delivered on time and within budget. They streamline processes, manage cross-functional collaboration, and implement tools to optimize creative output. This role bridges the gap between creative teams and business objectives, balancing operational efficiency with creative excellence.

What are the most commonly searched types of Creative Operations jobs in Boston, MA? The most popular types of Creative Operations jobs in Boston, MA are:
What are popular job titles related to Director Creative Operations jobs in Boston, MA? For Director Creative Operations jobs in Boston, MA, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Director Creative Operations jobs in Boston, MA look for? The top searched job categories for Director Creative Operations jobs in Boston, MA are:
What cities near Boston, MA are hiring for Director Creative Operations jobs? Cities near Boston, MA with the most Director Creative Operations job openings:
Infographic showing various Director Creative Operations job openings in Boston, MA as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 83% Full Time, 13% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 94% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 4% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $116,984 per year, or $56.2 per hour.

Director Product Design, Trend & CMF

Staples, Inc.

Framingham, MA • On-site

$159K - $196K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 7 days ago


Staples rating

5.8

Company rating: 5.8 out of 10

Based on 629 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

427th of 730 rated retailers


Job description


This is a unique opportunity to define how Staples Own Brand products look, feel, and show up in the world-at scale, across categories used every day by millions of customers.
This role will help define and evolve the visual and emotional identity of Staples Own Brand products- shaping how each brand comes to life through product. Through trend, color, material, and finish strategy, this leader will establish distinct brand personas and translate them into scalable product design systems that create cohesion across categories, seasons, and customer touchpoints.
We are seeking a Director Product Design to build and lead our CMF (Color, Material & Finish) and product trend capability within the Strategic Enablement + Centers of Excellence function. This role operates as a horizontal design authority across brands and categories, ensuring consistent, high-quality product expression at scale.
This role is firmly rooted in product design-not marketing creative. While informed by brand strategy and marketing-led brand expression, this leader owns how brand comes to life physically in the product - through color, material, finish, and overall product composition.
You will define product design language, seasonal direction, and enterprise-wide design systems that enable teams to consistently deliver cohesive, differentiated, and commercially successful assortments.
What You'll Do
Product Design Language & Brand Translation
  • Define and codify the visual identity systems of each Staples Own Brand product
  • Establish what each product shouldlook like and feel like
  • Translate brand positioning into repeatable CMF principles and design rules that scale across categories
  • Establish enterprise-wide CMF and trend frameworks to guide product development across Own Brands
  • Partner with Brand Marketing to ensure alignment to brand strategy-while owning product-level execution, not marketing creative
  • Act as a cross-category design authority, influencing assortment architecture and product decisions in partnership with merchandising leadership
  • Help shape the long-term creative direction of Staples Private Brands through design leadership
  • Use CMF and trend strategy to elevate perceived value and strengthen Private Brand differentiation

Trend Strategy & Brand Translation
  • Identify and synthesize macro, cultural, consumer, and design trends relevant to Staples Own Brands
  • Translate trends into commercially viable product direction tailored to each brand's positioning, customer, and price tier
  • Create, evolve, and apply brand personas to ensure trend direction reinforces each Brand's distinct identity and target customer
  • Build differentiated seasonal narratives that create emotional connection while remaining scalable and executable
  • Define how trends should appear across good / better / best tiers and across distinct brand architectures
  • Monitor competitive retail and design landscapes to identify whitespace opportunities and emerging aesthetic shifts

CMF Design & Execution
  • Set and guide CMF direction across a wide range of product categories (furniture, tech accessories, writing, notebooks, organization, etc.)
  • Develop elevated, manufacturable CMF solutions that balance design intent with cost, durability, and scalability
  • Guide work from concept through production-ready execution, including sample review and approval
  • Ensure color accuracy, finish consistency, and material quality across development and manufacturing
  • Leverage design strategy to improve perceived quality, drive sell-through, and support effective good/better/best tiering

Cross-Functional Leadership & Global Collaboration
  • Serve as the central product design voice across merchandising, product development, sourcing, packaging, and brand teams
  • Influence without direct authority, driving alignment through strong design perspective and clear frameworks
  • Partner closely with global partners to stay connected to materials innovation and manufacturing capabilities
  • Introduce clearer creative decision frameworks and governance to improve speed, alignment, and consistency

Design Systems & Creative Operations
  • Build and maintain CMF libraries, seasonal frameworks, approved palettes, and material standards
  • Develop scalable tools that enable teams and suppliers to execute design direction consistently and efficiently
  • Leverage AI and digital tools to accelerate concepting, visualization, and trend exploration
  • Communicate direction through clear, compelling visual storytelling, frameworks, and design documentation

What We're Looking For
Experience
  • 8-12+ years in CMF design, product design, or trend-driven product development
  • Experience in private brand, retail, or multi-category product environments
  • Proven ability to translate trends into commercially successful product direction
  • Experience working with global suppliers, factories, or design teams

Skills & Attributes
  • Exceptional eye for color, material, finish, texture, and product composition
  • Strong understanding of trend forecasting and consumer behavior
  • Ability to balance design, brand intent, manufacturability, and cost realities
  • Portfolio demonstrating both conceptual thinking and real-world product execution
  • Strong communicator who can influence cross-functional stakeholders
  • Highly organized, able to manage multiple brands, categories, and timelines

About Us
Staples is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law.

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