Freelance Project Manager Jobs in Edison, NJ (NOW HIRING)

Who are we?

MATTE is a 360 full-service creative studio at the convergence of hype, storytelling and design. We bring people together to inspire new ways of engaging, to provoke long term progress, and to entertain audiences around the world, while helping forward-thinking brands and institutions nimbly and truly do the same. Our studio capabilities range from strategic ideation and insights, creative development, branding and identity, experiential, web design and development, campaigns and content creation, all the way through full-scale production and execution.

About this role:

We're seeking an experienced Senior Project Manager to oversee and operationalize complex, multi-disciplinary creative work spanning campaigns, content, experiential activations, spatial/immersive work, branding, and identity. This role is central to how ideas become execution-balancing people, process, and creative momentum across a fast-paced agency environment.

The ideal candidate has a strong creative project management background, with demonstrated experience project managing experiential projects from concept through execution, and thrives in a highly collaborative agency environment. They should be comfortable navigating the unique complexities of experiential work, including cross-functional teams, production and fabrication timelines, vendors, physical builds, and live activations, while also managing broader creative work across campaign, content, and brand.

They will serve as the connective tissue between Creative, Production, Strategy, and Client Services-driving timelines, resourcing, cross-functional communication, and delivery excellence from kickoff through wrap.

This role reports to the Head of Project Management.

• Lead project planning, kickoffs, and workstream coordination across campaign, content, experiential, spatial, and branding initiatives.
• Manage complex, multi-disciplinary projects from kickoff through final delivery, including experiential projects involving production, fabrication, vendors, installation, and live execution.
• Develop and maintain detailed timelines, milestones, dependencies, and deliverable schedules, ensuring clarity and alignment across teams.
• Serve as a primary bridge between Creative, Production, Strategy, Client Services, and external partners, ensuring smooth handoffs and integrated workflows.
• Anticipate project risks, dependencies, and roadblocks and proactively develop solutions to keep work moving forward.

• Partner closely with our Resourcing team as well as Creative Directors, Strategists, Producers, and department leads to staff projects accurately based on SOWs, timelines, and scope requirements.
• Manage internal resource allocation and bandwidth planning; identify gaps early and proactively secure freelance or external support when needed.
• Facilitate creative reviews, track feedback and approvals, and ensure the creative process moves forward with both quality and urgency.
• Balance multiple concurrent projects and shifting priorities while maintaining visibility into project status, team bandwidth, and upcoming needs.

• Maintain project documentation, budgets, trackers, status reports, and reporting tools with precision and clarity.
• Ensure projects remain aligned with agreed-upon scope, schedule, resources, and budget, escalating risks or changes as needed.
• Conduct project post-mortems, evaluate process gaps, and implement learnings to improve future efficiency and quality.
• Uphold MATTE's standards of craft, communication, and client service across all stages of work.

Qualifications & Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Design, or a related field.
• 5-7 years of project management experience, ideally in a creative agency or studio.
• Proven success managing multiple projects from inception to delivery, with a strong focus on timelines and budget adherence.
• Exceptional communication skills for effective cross-functional collaboration with internal teams, clients, and external partners.
• Strong organizational and multitasking abilities, with a commitment to detail and quality.
• Proficiency in project management software: Familiarity or experience with Airtable is a plus as we use this system internally.
• Experience or knowledge in Adobe Creative Suite and a passion for innovation, creativity, and effective storytelling.
• Flexibility to navigate changing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Positive attitude, commitment to excellence, and focus on client satisfaction and team success.
• This role requires 4x days per week in office (Monday-Thursday), remote work day on Fridays.

Compensation: This role offers a base salary of $120,000-$140,000 annually, with final compensation determined based on experience, skills, and qualifications.

Everyone is welcome at MATTE - we're passionate about building a team that reflects the diversity of our community and creating an environment where our differences are celebrated. MATTE provides equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. In addition, MATTE will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.