Design Operations Manager

Compass Group Australia | National Design Studio

Are you passionate about creative operations and helping design teams perform at their best? We're looking for a Design Operations Manager to lead the day-to-day operations of our National Design Studio, supporting graphic and interior design projects across Compass Group Australia.

Reporting to the Design manager you'll play a pivotal role in managing studio workflow, coordinating projects and ensuring designers have the structure, resources and support needed to deliver high-quality outcomes. This role is approximately 80% design operations and project coordination and 20% graphic design support.

About the Role

As the operational hub of the studio, you will manage the intake, prioritisation and scheduling of design requests, balancing business priorities with available capacity. Working closely with stakeholders across the organisation, you'll translate requirements into actionable briefs, coordinate project delivery and help ensure work is completed on time and to a high standard.

Key responsibilities include:

• Managing studio workflow, resource allocation and project scheduling.
• Coordinating projects from briefing through to final delivery.
• Partnering with stakeholders to align priorities, timelines and expectations.
• Monitoring studio capacity, risks and delivery performance.
• Coordinating freelancers, suppliers and external partners when required.
• Driving improvements to studio processes, systems and reporting.
• Providing hands-on graphic design support during peak periods and leave coverage.

About You

You bring experience managing workflow, resources or projects within a creative, design, marketing or agency environment. You're highly organised, thrive in fast-paced environments and can confidently balance multiple priorities while maintaining strong stakeholder relationships.

To succeed in this role, you'll have:

• Experience in studio operations, traffic management, project coordination or creative workflow management.
• A strong understanding of design, branding and creative production processes.
• Practical graphic design skills and proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud.
• Excellent stakeholder management, communication and problem-solving abilities.
• Experience using Microsoft 365 and project or resource management systems.
• Strong planning, reporting and organisational skills.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills

Why Join Compass Group?

This is an opportunity to help shape the way a national design function operates while working alongside talented creative professionals. You'll have the chance to improve systems and processes, influence how work is delivered and contribute to projects that support one of Australia's largest and most diverse organisations.

Apply now and help drive the future of design operations at Compass Group Australia.