Operations Manager

Job Description

AGENCY FOR THE NEXT GEN

We are all about the next generation. Next generation of consumers. Next generation of platforms. Next generation of content. Next generation of brands.

That’s what gets us up every day. Working with brands to be at the forefront of the next generation. To create relevant and industry-defining work. Whether it’s to better align on the brand’s business challenges, understand the people they need to reach, tell the stories they’ve always wanted to tell or to identify the best direction to get there – when brands work with us, they get a team who knows that if we don’t rethink everything, we change nothing.

Website

https://www.dstnct.co/

What We Do

We may be a creative agency but we are most certainly not in the business of advertising. We are in the business of understanding the human psyche.

We obsess over the psychology of our audience – what people are into, their pain-points and motivations, what makes them tick – we take all of that and we bring you and your brand to wherever people are – physically, virtually and emotionally.

That has allowed us to transcend conventional channels to be able to take care of a full spectrum of services for a holistic audience experience.

• Integrated Marketing
• Products and Platforms
• Social and Content
• Branding
• UI/UX
• Experiential
• Data & Technology

Culture

Working at DSTNCT means joining a group of people who are passionate about doing great work. Work that challenges the status quo. Work that inspires new ways of thinking. Work that makes people’s lives just a tad bit easier.

It’s a code that we live by. A way of life. Don’t believe us? Talk to us and we will show you a preview of our Culture Code to see what we mean.

There are a few things that make us all tick. Being open and taking chances. Taking pride in your work. Doing the right thing. Working as a team. Being resourceful and solving problems.

We’ve always believed that you’re the average of the 5 people you surround yourself with. It’s time to ask yourself: What kind of people do you want to be around with?

Purpose of the Role

We are looking for an Operations Manager who will serve as the operational backbone of our agency — the person who ensures projects are properly set up, tracked, and delivered while building strong relationships across teams.

This role combines hands-on execution with strategic oversight. You will run day-to-day operational workflows, maintain and enhance our project management systems, monitor project budgets for large integrated campaigns, support new business development through tender tracking, and work closely with Account Managers to help them deliver exceptional client work. Critically, you will build trust-based relationships that enable process adoption across the agency.

The ideal candidate is someone who gets things done, builds rapport easily, and sees operational systems as tools that help people — not policies that constrain them.

Responsibilities

1.     Day-to-Day Operational Execution

Own and execute the core operational workflows that keep the agency running smoothly:

•       Assign quotation numbers and ensure naming conventions are followed

•       Review Vendor Engagement Forms (VEFs) for completeness and compliance with Procurement Policy

•       Update Monday.com Dashboard with campaign information, payment milestones, and project status

•       Coordinate with Finance on payment terms, billing schedules, and invoice tracking

•       Chase outstanding documents needed for billing (PODs, signed quotations) — own this end-to-end

•       Track confirmed campaigns from quotation to final invoice and Transfer of Rights Agreement

•       Support bi-weekly check-ins with Business Directors on project status and resource allocation

•       Monitor Tenderboard and Gebiz daily for relevant tender opportunities and update Monday board for new business team review

2.     Project Budget & Vendor Oversight

Provide financial oversight for projects, especially large integrated campaigns with multiple vendors:

•       Full budget oversight on large integrated projects — track actual spend against quoted amounts, flag potential overruns early

•       Verify third-party invoices against quotations and ensure DSTNCT quotation numbers are referenced

•       Maintain and update the Approved Vendor List

•       Onboard new vendors — collect documentation, verify compliance with procurement policy

•       Vendor Strategy: Lead vendor negotiations and develop preferred supplier partnerships

•       Build and maintain a Freelancer Database — a bank of trusted freelancers across disciplines (design, copywriting, video, etc.) that the agency can tap when needed

•       Track vendor and freelancer performance; flag reliability or quality issues

3.     Monday.com System Ownership

Be the owner of DSTNCT’s Monday.com environment — responsible for its structure, reliability, and continuous improvement:

•       Maintain and improve Dashboard structures for pipeline tracking, project status, and financial visibility

•       Build and refine views that give Business Directors and Account Managers real-time project insights

•       Create automations to reduce manual data entry and catch process gaps

•       Develop capacity and workload visibility dashboards

•       Ensure data accuracy and hygiene across all boards

•       Train team members on Monday.com usage and best practices

4.     Account Team Support

Work alongside Account Managers to help them succeed, building relationships that make process adoption natural:

•       Build strong working relationships with the Account Managers across both business units

•       Guide AMs on operational SOPs — briefing process, quotation workflow, file management

•       Be the approachable “go-to” person when AMs have questions about processes or systems

•       Identify patterns where AMs struggle and proactively create support materials or training

•       Conduct informal check-ins to understand pain points and gather feedback

•       Support project setup — ensuring briefing documents, Monday boards, and folders are properly created

5.     Compliance, Audits & SOP Management

Ensure operational standards are maintained and continuously improved:

•       Conduct periodic audits of Google Drive folder compliance — verify folder structures, naming conventions, and document completeness

•       Track SOP compliance rates and report monthly — measure adoption, identify gaps, and recommend SOP revisions where needed

•       Verify Monday board setup quality for new projects

•       Ensure Transfer of Rights Agreements are sent and filed for all completed projects

•       Document and update SOPs to reflect actual best practices; propose changes based on compliance data

6.     Onboarding & Process Improvement

Drive operational excellence through onboarding and continuous improvement:

•       Lead operations onboarding for all new hires — ensure they understand SOPs, tools, file management, and workflows from day one

•       Identify inefficiencies in current workflows and propose practical improvements

•       Drive adoption of operational processes through influence, not enforcement

•       Work with Business Directors to solve resourcing and capacity challenges

•       Contribute to quarterly operational planning and goal-setting

Requirements

•       5–7 years of experience in operations, project management, or account management — ideally in an agency, creative, or professional services environment

•       Strong proficiency with Monday.com or similar project management tools (Asana, Smartsheet, Jira)

•       Demonstrated ability to build relationships across teams and levels

•       Experience coaching or training team members on processes and systems

•       Strong financial acumen — comfortable tracking budgets, costs, and margins

•       Excellent organisational skills with high attention to detail

•       Comfortable with Google Workspace (Drive, Gmail, Calendar) and Microsoft Office

•       Strong written and verbal communication skills

Nice to Have

•       Experience working with government or public sector clients

•       Familiarity with government tender processes (Gebiz, Tenderboard)

•       Familiarity with creative agency workflows (briefing, production, delivery)

•       Background in process automation or workflow optimisation

•       Experience building dashboards and reports for leadership visibility

The Company reserves the right to vary, modify, add or remove any item from the Job Description by giving written notice to you