Art Production Manager Jobs

Waterford.org is growing and adding an Art Production Manager to lead the art asset development for our online PreK-2 digital content. This role will work closely with curriculum, curriculum operations, product management, and product development teams to deliver high-quality, culturally responsive learning content. If you are the kind of leader that seeks to understand the context in which children experience content, collaborates with the team to provide the best presentation format possible, and ensures that the resulting experience engages early learners then keep reading!

If you have experience managing production pipelines for 2D animation, game/gameplay interaction, character design, mood boards, children's book illustrations, storyboards, and video content then this could be a good opportunity for you. Your technical know-how, expertise, and problem-solving techniques will help us transition learning activities to a new Waterford Activity Framework and create a better experience for learners.

This is a management position that requires artistic knowledge. Check out Waterford Curriculum Art Team's work here.

This particular role is a two year, grant funded position. While not guaranteed, it's possible that the role will be added to our regular budget or that we will receive additional grants to extend the duration of the position.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate strong cross-organizational collaboration and teamwork, applying takeaways from past and present programs and efforts
• Collaborate on and contribute to organizational DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) efforts and goals
• Lead weekly art showcase meetings and ensure work is visible across the department and organization.
• Manage the team workflow to ensure due dates are met and tackle potential design and production challenges
• Coordinate outsourced projects, review freelance work, and send detailed feedback as needed
• Collaborate with team to design art assessments for potential artists to determine their skill level and ability to fulfill company requirements
• Ensure that all learning activities follow specifications and that timing and animation are accurate
• Ensure practices related to access, diversity, equity, and inclusion are integrated at every step in the content creation process, including culturally proficient representations in the end product for students and teachers
• Manage the art asset library so content can be used in games, childrens books, marketing materials, and website development
• Supervise the lead artists' design handouts to communicate overall direction, design requirements, and expected level of polish
• Follow the content development and release cadence consistent with the rest of the organization
• Ensure that teammates adhere to the visual style guide and template requirements for games, books, print materials, and 2D animation
• Other projects, as required
• Collaborate with curriculum operations and product management to ensure epics and stories are defined and to track specific work product assets
• Manage budgets for outsourced projects
• Lead senior artists to provide clear feedback for revisions on their work projects.
• Continuously champions, promotes, and advances diversity, equity, and inclusion through all related job functions
• Communicate clearly and frequently about work both in-person and with remote teams
• Coordinate training on how to use the tools, design guidelines, and what steps are needed to create the artwork
• Follow and provide feedback on a process to support efficient and scalable content creation processes
• Effectively communicate with artists regarding timelines and direct employees in prioritizing tasks

Education & Experience Requirements

• Understanding of animation/game pipelines, how each part of the production impacts the others, and the ability to assess how due dates will be affected
• Ability to work positively with a wide range of individuals
• Strong relationship-building skills, collaboration, and experience working closely with leaders and cross-functional team members
• Self-motivated, creative, and strategic problem solver with proven ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment
• Collaborate with others to develop and deliver the highest quality inclusive content for children
• Solid understanding of production process for a variety of projects: ie. book illustration, animation, and game design
• BFA/BA degree in art, animation, or design-related field or similar work experience
• Excellent communication skills with email, Slack, and Zoom
• Experience in demonstrating versatility and adaptability to creatively problem solve
• 3+ years art project leadership experience Familiarity with SCRUM and Agile practices
• Great teammate and mentor with the confidence to guide and teach others when needed
• Proven track record managing multiple projects at a time while maintaining attention to detail
• Ability to translate stated requirements into useful tasks
• Outstanding written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills
• Open-minded and able to accept and incorporate constructive feedback
• Diligent and strong organizational skills
• A willingness to embrace change and adapt strategies as needed
• 5+ years of demonstrated experience working on an art production team (preference will be given to candidates with PreK-12 EdTech and/or children's illustration and animation experience)

About Waterford.org:

Waterford.org is an education nonprofit with a mission to achieve universal literacy for children through equity, access, and parent empowerment. Waterford creates programs that empower parents as a child's first teacher at home and supports teachers in the classroom. Currently, Waterford.org serves over 300,000 children across 43 states every year.

Our Commitment to Equity & Inclusion

Waterford's commitment to inclusive excellence is foundational to achieving our mission of universal literacy. Waterford.org is a mission-driven organization, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are at the heart of what we do. These values inform our internal culture and drive our external focus on making a difference for children and families in underserved communities. At Waterford, we actively seek talent who bring diverse backgrounds, perspectives, experiences, and identities to their work and demonstrate a commitment to advancing our mission.

Working at Waterford.org

Waterford.org team members are located across the United States and primarily work from home. We anticipate offering an annual salary between $68,400-102,600 however an exact offer will depend on the education, experience and skill of the individual we hire. Our annual bonus provides an additional 1-2 months of compensation, if we hit predefined financial targets. We also offer a phenomenal benefits package that includes fully paid premiums for health insurance, dental insurance, basic life insurance, and disability insurance. New hires receive a one-time HSA contribution. Retirement contributions are matched up to 5% by the organization. Plus, we offer a generous vacation, sick, and holiday offering. Currently, Waterford requires all new hires to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination or file a religious or medical exemption (as applicable by federal, state, and local law).

Waterford is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. Waterford is also committed to compliance with all fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status.