Studio Manager

Mustard Seed Relationship Marketing is looking to employ a seasoned Creative Studio Traffic Manager.

About the company

We are a retail marketing agency based in Stellenbosch, in the heart of the Cape Winelands. With over 23 years’ experience, we specialise in shopping centre marketing while building a growing portfolio of commercial and consumer brands. Our expanding portfolio means a fast-paced agency environment with tight deadlines.

About the ideal candidate

This is not a passive coordination role. It is a high-ownership position for a true leader. Candidates need to be level-headed, highly organised and focused. You’ll bring structure to our studio, keep teams aligned and performing at their best, while ensuring execution stays on track.

In short, a systematic, optimistic, goal-driven team leader with a heart of gold.

Responsibilities

● Own the workflow from brief through to studio and production output.

● Lead and manage the creative operations division, including the studio coordinator.

● Assess briefs, deadlines and capacity, and schedule work according to priority.

● Reprioritise quickly when urgent briefs or unforeseen changes arise.

● Maintain a holistic view of studio workload, capacity and competing priorities.

● Source, manage and allocate freelancers within budget, including invoicing and monthly reporting.

● Monitor workflow and delivery daily, identifying and resolving bottlenecks.

● Understand deliverables and translate them into realistic creative and production timelines.

● Work confidently within a fast-paced advertising agency environment.

● Champion the company’s values, systems and ways of working.

Nice-to-haves

Technology: You think in systems. If you know Monday, ClickUp or Basecamp, you’ll understand how to guide the creative team through the pipeline. We use Chase for traffic.

AI-savvy: You use AI tools day-to-day and stay curious about practical ways to streamline creative work.

Design: You speak design, but also procurement, with a strong understanding of print techniques, technologies and processes.

Good vibes: You bring a calm head, empathy and a genuinely good energy to the studio.

Requirements

● Minimum 7 years’ ad agency experience

● Excellent computer skills, including Office365, Outlook, Excel, Teams, Chase, SharePoint and PowerPoint

● Fully functional home office for limited remote working. Our head office is always open to employees who are not fully set up remotely.

Additional skills

● Outstanding multitasking abilities

● Ability to lead by example

● Exceptional diligence and attention to detail

● Resourceful, practical and quick-thinking

● Strong communication and relationship-building skills

● Able to lead, guide and support with empathy while remaining firm, fair and diplomatic

● Optimistic and able to have fun in an energetic agency environment

If this sounds like you, send your CV to Hilda-Mari van Vuren at careers@mseed.co.za. Please include your salary expectations in your cover letter.

• Should you not receive a response within 14 days, please consider your application unsuccessful.