Freelance Creative Problem Solving Jobs in Elgin, IL

Project Manager / Creative Project Manager / Digital Project Manager / Marketing Project Manager / Creative Operations Project Manager / Traffic Manager

Do you love turning ideas into action and building seamless workflows that help teams produce their best creative work? At Tonic3, we’re looking for a Creative Project Manager to join our team and be part of an integrated in-house agency, where Tonic3 creatives collaborate with client partners to deliver compelling work. In this role, you’ll be the connective thread between strategy, creativity, and execution—keeping projects moving, teams aligned, and stakeholders informed. If you’re energized by collaboration, complexity, and solving challenges, this could be your next big move.

Position Overview: Embedded within our client’s in-house agency, the Creative Project Manager oversees the full lifecycle of creative projects—from intake to delivery across print, digital, UX/UI, multimedia, and other marketing channels. You’ll serve as the primary point of contact between client partners and creative teams, managing workflow, clarifying requirements, and ensuring every deliverable is accurate, on-brand, and on time. This is a role for a detail-driven problem-solver who thrives in fast-paced environments and knows how to keep teams focused while navigating evolving priorities.

Salary: $80,000 - $100,000 per year.

Location (3 days per week in the office, 2 days remote):

• Schaumburg, IL

What You’ll Do:

• Act as the primary liaison between partners and the creative team, ensuring alignment on priorities, timelines, and deliverables.

• Review briefs and assets to clarify requirements, identify gaps, and set teams up for success.

• Manage timelines and resources across multiple fast-moving projects with overlapping deadlines.

• Lead project communications—status updates while keeping stakeholders informed.

• Track progress, manage change requests, and ensure all deliverables meet quality standards and brand guidelines.

• Utilize workflow tools to manage requests, monitor capacity, and generate accurate project reports.

• Anticipate risks and roadblocks early and problem-solve solutions to keep work on track.

• Continuously look for opportunities to streamline processes and improve team efficiency.

• Build trusted relationships with partners by being proactive, responsive, and solution-oriented.

Who You Are:

• 3+ years of experience in project management, preferably within a creative, marketing, digital, or agency environment.

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, Advertising, or related field.

• Proven experience managing workflows and coordinating projects in a creative, marketing, or in-house agency setting.

• Strong communication skills with the ability to clearly convey ideas, timelines, and priorities both verbally and in writing.

• Highly organized with strong attention to detail and the ability to follow through on multiple deliverables.

• Ability to manage multiple fast-moving projects with evolving priorities.

• A collaborative mindset with the ability to build strong relationships across creative, strategy, marketing, and production teams.

• Experience working with workflow or project management tools, along with proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).

• A proactive problem-solver who can connect the dots across teams, timelines, and project needs.

• Naturally curious, adaptable, and motivated by helping teams move work forward.

• Positive, team-first attitude with a solutions-oriented approach and a willingness to jump in and support wherever needed.

Feeling a little unsure if you ticked all the boxes? No worries, my friend! Your unique skills and experiences are truly valuable. So why not take the leap and apply anyway if this opportunity excites you? We are rooting for you!

Why Join Us?

• ⚕️ Comprehensive Medical, Dental & Vision Coverage

• ???? 401(k)

• ???? Generous Paid Time Off - Vacation, Sick Days & Holidays

• ???? 16 Hours of Volunteer Time Off (VTO) to Give Back to Your Community

• ???? All the Equipment You Need to Do Your Best Work

• ???? Ongoing Learning & Development with a Dedicated Training Budget