Director, Brand and Experience Operations

Reporting Location: Chicago - 345 North Morgan $140,000-$150,000 Workplace Type: Hybrid ABOUT US tms unites technology, marketing, and sourcing to drive transformational change for the world’s leading brands. With more than 1,400 employees across 28 countries., we offer an impressive range of solutions – from inspiration and innovation to category management and delivery. Operating as a creative agency, a strategic consultancy, a sourcing business, and a technology provider, we engage with over 110 million customers every single day for our clients, including McDonald’s, T-Mobile, O2, Starbucks, and adidas. Most importantly, we're a place where you can achieve great things, and be recognized as the best. WHAT MATTERS THE MOST Breakthrough, business-driving ideas come from extraordinary people with the freedom to be their most authentic selves at work. Authenticity and diversity are critical elements of our business. They can only be realized when we create access and equity for all. We foster a culture of inclusion and belonging and aspire to be ever-evolving. tms is a place where brilliant people are better together. If you want your ideas to be heard and to contribute to a culture of inclusion and authenticity, bring us your voice! Visit us at tmsw.com. WHY WE THINK YOU WILL LOVE THIS ROLE The Director, Brand & Experience Operations serves as a key operational partner to the Chief Brand & Experience Officer (CBXO) and Brand & Experience Leadership Team, supporting the execution of strategic priorities, operational excellence, resource planning, and organizational effectiveness across the Brand & Experience organization, including Client Strategy, Creative, Partnerships & Licensing, Product Design, and Digital Design. This role has a global scope that combines elements of a Chief of Staff, business operations leader, and resource management partner, helping translate leadership objectives into actionable plans while ensuring teams are effectively aligned, prioritized, and resourced. The position is responsible for providing visibility into resource allocation, utilization, capacity planning, staffing forecasts, and operational performance, enabling informed decision-making across the organization. The ideal candidate is highly organized, collaborative, analytically minded, and comfortable operating across multiple functions, and interfacing with senior leadership. They bring strong project management, financial acumen, and communication skills, along with the ability to drive alignment and execution in a fast-paced environment. ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES Chief of Staff & Leadership Team Support Support the CBXO and Brand & Experience Leadership Team in operationalizing and executing strategic priorities and key business initiatives. Coordinate leadership team meetings, operating reviews, quarterly planning sessions, offsites, and follow-up actions. Develop leadership presentations, organizational updates, executive communications, and business review materials. Maintain visibility into key organizational priorities, risks, dependencies, and decisions requiring leadership attention. Partner with functional leaders to track progress against commitments and ensure alignment across teams. Help establish and manage operating rhythms, governance processes, and leadership reporting. 2. Resource Planning & Allocation Support resource allocation processes across Brand & Experience disciplines to ensure alignment with business priorities, client commitments, and strategic initiatives. Serve as key interaction point with Finance partners and P&L business leads. Facilitate resource planning discussions and help identify capacity constraints, staffing gaps, and utilization opportunities. Maintain resource forecasting models and reporting tools that provide visibility into team workloads and demand trends; maintain and validate trends and assumptions in monthly reconciliation. Partner with department leaders to balance competing priorities and support informed resource allocation decisions. Help develop scalable resource management processes and best practices that improve efficiency, transparency, and decision-making. Monitor utilization and capacity metrics to support effective workforce planning and fit within financial realities of the businesses 3. Financial Operations & Reporting Partner with Finance and functional leaders to manage the operational and financial impacts related to resource planning and delivery. Partner with Finance to t rack and analyze utilization, burn rates, staffing requirements, and resource allocations against approved scopes of work. Support reconciliation processes (driven by finance and business leads) between resource plans, project staffing, utilization reporting, and financial forecasts. Prepare reporting and dashboards that provide visibility into resource-related financial impacts and operational performance. Assist in workforce forecasting, headcount planning, and capacity modeling activities. Identify trends and insights that support prioritization, staffing decisions, and operational improvements. 4. Operational Excellence Support initiatives that improve operational efficiency, workflow management, planning processes, and team effectiveness. Identify process improvement opportunities and partner with stakeholders to implement solutions. Develop and maintain operational dashboards, KPI reporting, and performance metrics. Leverage data and analytics to support decision-making and continuous improvement efforts. Promote consistency in planning, reporting, and operational processes across the organization. 5. Organizational Effectiveness & Workforce Planning Partner with the CBXO, People Team, and function leaders to support organizational planning and workforce strategies. Help assess organizational needs, staffing requirements, and skill gaps to support future growth. Contribute to workforce planning, hiring prioritization, and team structure recommendations. Support initiatives that enhance collaboration, employee experience, and organizational effectiveness. 6. Cross-Functional Collaboration Partner with Finance, Analytics, People, Legal, Technology, and other shared services teams to support operational alignment and execution. Serve as a connector across Brand & Experience functions, helping facilitate communication and coordination. Support cross-functional initiatives and ensure effective follow-through on key business priorities. Help remove operational barriers and escalate issues when necessary to maintain momentum and delivery. Success Measures Success in this role will be measured by: Quality of support provided to the CBXO and Leadership Team. Successful coordination and execution of strategic initiatives. Improvements in operational efficiency and planning processes. Organizational alignment and stakeholder satisfaction. Timely delivery of leadership reporting, dashboards, and business reviews. Accuracy and effectiveness of resource planning and allocation. Visibility and reporting of utilization, burn, staffing forecasts, and resource-related financial metrics. SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO HAVE Strategic Leadership & Operations 10+ years of experience in business operations, strategy, resource management, consulting, PMO, Chief of Staff, or related leadership roles. Proven ability to operationalize strategy, drive cross-functional initiatives, and support senior executive leaders in complex organizations. Resource Planning & Financial Acumen Experience with resource allocation, workforce planning, capacity management, budgeting, forecasting, utilization reporting, and business performance analysis. Strong understanding of financial drivers and ability to translate operational data into business insights and recommendations. Stakeholder Management & Communication Exceptional communication, executive presentation, and relationship-building skills. Demonstrated ability to influence and align stakeholders across multiple functions without direct authority. Analytics & Continuous Improvement Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities, with experience leveraging dashboards, KPIs, and reporting tools to support decision-making. Experience driving operational excellence, process improvement, and organizational effectiveness initiatives. Industry & Technical Expertise Experience supporting brand, creative, design, marketing, product, digital, consulting, or professional services organizations preferred. Proficiency with business intelligence and planning tools such as Power BI, Tableau, Excel, or similar platforms. Education & Qualifications Bachelor's degree or equivalent required. Relevant certifications (e.g., PMP, Lean Six Sigma) desirable. Starting salary between $140,000-$150,000 TOTAL REWARDS Our total rewards philosophy integrates programs for compensation, benefits, recognition, learning and development, corporate culture, corporate citizenship and work-life balance. While individual program components may differ by country, some things remain constant: Our commitment to rewarding results Opportunities to work with talented and driven individuals at every level of our company who respect each other, treat each other fairly and hold one another accountable for our customers’—and our company’s—success There's more ... Generous medical, dental, vision and other great benefits Paid parental and medical leave programs 401(k) with a company match component and profit sharing 15 days of paid time off plus company holidays Hybrid work model Tuition reimbursement and student loan repayment assistance Inclusive employee resource groups EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER We are an equal opportunity employer, and we value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation. RECRUITING AGENCIES tms does not accept agency resumes submitted by third-party vendors unless a valid agreement has been signed and the tms Talent Acquisition Team has granted authorization for submissions for a specified position. Please do not submit or forward resumes to our site, tms employees, or any other company location. tms is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes Nearest Major Market: Chicago