Location: Brick Lane, London / hybrid
Hours: Full-time
We’re looking for an experienced Project Manager to join our small team at Beyond Words and help us deliver a really varied mix of creative projects.
About Beyond Words
Beyond Words is a creative studio that helps organisations explain complex ideas through data, information, design and storytelling.
Recent projects have covered global health, climate, science, technology, transport and public policy for clients including the World Bank, the Gates Foundation, the Global Fund, Microsoft, Netflix and Boeing. The formats are equally varied, including presentations, reports and publications, data visualisation, digital and interactive experiences, animation, exhibitions and installations.
We’re a small, collaborative team based in Brick Lane. Everyone has a voice and can contribute ideas to the work, whatever their role.
We care deeply about producing excellent work, while also creating a supportive, respectful workplace where people can do ambitious work without sacrificing their wellbeing. We choose projects and clients guided by a genuine desire to make a positive impact.
The role
We’re looking for an experienced Project Manager who can independently lead a varied portfolio of creative projects.
You’ll typically manage 3–6 live projects at a time, ranging from fast-moving short projects to complex multi-faceted projects lasting several months.
You’ll own your projects from initial scoping through to delivery: leading multidisciplinary teams, building trusted client relationships, managing budgets and resources, anticipating risks and making sure everyone knows what needs to happen next.
What you’ll do
Lead projects and creative teams
- Independently manage multiple projects from kick-off through to delivery.
- Create and maintain clear project plans, defining milestones, roles, responsibilities and dependencies.
- Run kick-offs, internal reviews and client meetings, ensuring every meeting results in clear decisions and next steps.
- Coordinate multidisciplinary teams including designers, data journalists, developers, animators and other creative specialists.
- Adapt plans as projects evolve, while protecting deadlines, scope and enough time for creative exploration and iteration.
- Anticipate risks and blockers, make confident day-to-day decisions and know when something needs escalating.
- Bring a strong eye for detail and quality, recognising when work is ready to present to a client and when it needs further development.
Build trusted client relationships
- Act as the main day-to-day client contact for your projects and build strong, collaborative relationships.
- Help translate between clients and creative teams, challenging or clarifying feedback where needed.
- Raise when requests fall outside agreed scope, timings or ways of working, while helping find practical solutions.
Own project documentation and resourcing
- Scope and estimate new projects.
- Create statements of work and client briefs, and maintain clear project documentation.
- Monitor team time, budgets and profitability throughout delivery.
- Identify the internal and external resources each project needs.
- Flag capacity issues early and source, brief and manage freelancers, fabricators or specialist suppliers where required.
Help improve how we work
- Help maintain consistently high project-management standards across the studio.
- Identify any recurring delivery issues and suggest practical improvements.
- Help evolve project-management templates, tools, estimating approaches, scoping processes and AI-assisted workflows.
What we’re looking for
You’ll have at least four years’ experience as a Project Manager, with strong experience working in a creative/design agency or studio environment. You’ll be comfortable independently leading projects, clients and experienced creative teams.
You’ll also bring
- Experience managing multiple concurrent creative projects.
- Experience managing complex or multifaceted projects, particularly interactive/digital work, animation, exhibitions or installations.
- A strong understanding of the creative process, including ideation, exploration and iteration.
- The ability to brief creative teams clearly.
- Strong client-facing skills, including confidence handling senior stakeholders.
- Experience creating project plans, estimates, budgets and statements of work.
- Commercial awareness and experience monitoring time, scope and profitability.
- Excellent organisation and attention to detail.
- A proactive approach: you think ahead, follow things up and spot problems early.
- Curiosity in getting to grips with unfamiliar and sometimes complex subject matter.
- Digital confidence and an interest in exploring how AI and other tools can improve processes.
- An enthusiasm for working as part of a small, collaborative and values-led studio.
How we work
Beyond Words is a hybrid studio. We like to spend one to two days each week together in our Brick Lane studio, with flexibility to work remotely for the remainder.
Most importantly, we’re looking for someone who cares about the work, is curious about the subjects we explore, enjoys collaborating closely with creative people, and shares our belief that excellent work and a healthy, respectful working culture should go hand in hand.
Studio benefits
- As a studio, we want to nurture talent, so we encourage and support people with training courses, lectures and workshops
- Competitive salary
- Pension scheme
- 26 days holiday with an option to buy more
- Birthday day off
- Studio socials and trips
- Cycle to work scheme
- Free weekly Pilates class
- Healthcare cash plan
How to apply
Please send us your CV (PDF), along with a short note answering the two questions below:
- Why does Beyond Words appeal to you?
- Tell us briefly about a complex creative project you’ve managed and what made it challenging.
