Project Director, Dazed Studio

Job title: Project Director, Dazed Studio

Reporting to: Creative Services Director, Dazed Studio

About Us:

Dazed Media is the world’s leading independent fashion and culture media brand.

Twenty-five years ago, Jefferson Hack and Rankin Waddell set up a magazine that would become a movement: Dazed & Confused. The title became a lightning rod for cultural provocation – radically reframing international style culture. Today, we are an agenda-setting publishing powerhouse and the most efficient way to reach the world’s most influential audiences.

Dazed Media powers an ever-evolving network of premium digital channels and iconic print titles including Dazed, AnOther, Dazed Beauty and Nowness.

Dazed Studio is the commercial heart of Dazed Media. The Dazed Studio team brings the creative, editorial, design and production capabilities of Dazed Media to clients, working across a mix of brands and sectors, with a particular expertise in the fashion, luxury, lifestyle, and beauty space.

We build and deliver bespoke commercial projects, partnering with some of the world’s most ambitious brands and agencies to create brave, pioneering ideas for a global influencer community, including 360 campaigns, award-winning video production, stills and editorial, branded content, partnerships, events, and experiential, as well as strategic and creative consultancy.

About the role:

As a Project Director, you will be responsible for supporting the seamless delivery of Dazed Studio’s 360 offering, overseeing internal project workflows across departments, and ensuring the successful planning, development, pricing, pitching, and delivery of all assigned projects.

An excellent communicator – you will demonstrate effective senior stakeholder management (internally and externally), leading by example to champion best practice Project Management and Client Servicing across the project management team.

You will apply your knowledge and understanding of the Studio’s vision and mission, to support the evolution and development of our core offerings, across both our white-label and co-branded workstreams, including strategy and insights, creative consultancy, shoot production, events, social and editorial, media & distribution, Dazed Club community, etc.

You will motivate and inspire the wider project management team, leading by example to encourage a positive attitude, and solution focused approach at all times, while becoming a trusted, strategic partner to our clients.

Duties & Responsibilities:

Project Management:

• Interrogating client briefs and applying knowledge of best practice, as well as audience and platform understanding, to positively inform our approach.

• Overseeing and/or leading on internal creative meetings, setting agendas, following up on action items to meet project deadlines.

• Overseeing workflow management and input of wider studio and Dazed teams, including strategy, creative, media, and production, social, editorial, etc.

• Delegating various admin tasks including meeting notes and actions, status reports, maintaining schedules, case studies and proposals.

• Monitoring creative integrity to ensure we’re consistently meeting agreed objectives.

• Attending high profile shoots / events and client meetings

• Overseeing and/or leading on internal project wash ups, identifying key learnings, and areas to optimise our approach process and moving forwards.

• Applying your knowledge and understanding of Studio, to help optimise our approach / ways of working, both within the project management function, while building trust and galvanising support across internal teams.

• Applying your strategic understanding of our distinct position in the market, to positively inform our creative output, and contribute to wider strategic and/or operational decisions for Studio.
  
  

Client Servicing:

• Effective communication with clients, showing clear rationale and consideration to reinforce the client’s understanding of the development and approach.

• Navigating client communication with tact and confidence, always maintaining a solution focused approach.

• Establishing and retaining strong, trusted relationships with clients, championing innovation, and working with other departments to identify opportunities for organic growth with our core client base.

• Gaining and demonstrating knowledge of the clients’ businesses and brand.

• Becoming a trusted, strategic partner to our clients, staying informed about industry news, key market trends and operations across the US, Europe, and China.

• Working closely with the Creative Services Director and Commercial Director on client strategy and growth of returning clients.

• Identifying opportunities for client retention and long lasting service agreements.
  
  

Finance:

• Informing the structure and requirements of master project management templates, such as Budgets, SOW’s, Project Plans, etc. to support optimum process and efficiency.

• Reviewing and approving Estimates, Budgets, SOW’s, Project Plans, etc, directing amendments as needed to ensure they are watertight and fit for purpose.

• Overseeing all financial management of assigned projects / clients, monitoring project burn, margins, invoicing, and reporting on financials to senior stakeholders.

Team management:

• Maintaining an active role in the growth and development of the PM team, including inductions, training, and day to day support for the PMs.

• Effective line management of 2-3 direct reports, supporting their growth and development including annual appraisals, objective setting and approving their annual leave requests etc.

Culture:

• Being a team player, with a collaborative approach and positive energy.

• Being a Dazed ambassador internally and externally.

• Being actively interested in learning about the Dazed brand.

• Taking part in the wider Dazed Media events and community.

Skills, experience & personal attributes:

At least 5-6 years’ experience within an Account/Project Management function in a creative agency or studio environment.

Experience working across 360, integrated accounts (editorial, events, content, social, etc.), and a deep understanding of the creative and production processes, including print, digital, social, photography, editorial, film and events.

Personable and flexible with ability to maintain focus and keep calm when working under pressure.

Organised, reliable and time conscious, solution-focused, problem solver.

Experience and skill at managing multiple commercial projects concurrently.

Ability to work effectively, both independently and as part of a team; a self-starter with the confidence to lead, and the humility to listen.

Experience of leadership/people management and managing at least two direct reports.

Experience and skill in financial management, generating SOW’s, Budgets, Invoicing, Reconciliation etc.

Excellent communication and client servicing skills; comfortable communicating with senior internal and external stakeholders.

Passionate about film, fashion, arts and culture with a keen understanding of the Dazed brand, values, culture and heritage and appreciation of the distinct market value we can offer to our clients.

Experience working with luxury, lifestyle and fashion brands is preferable.

Competence in MAC OSX, Excel, Word, Keynote.

Experience using Project Management tools such as Asana, Forecast or other.

These duties and responsibilities are indicative and not exhaustive but serve to give a realistic overview of the role and requirements. The company reserves the right to change this role description in response to the changing needs of the business.