Traffic Manager

Role Summary We are looking for a process-driven and analytical Traffic Manager to orchestrate the flow of work through our busy packaging artwork studio. You will act as the "air traffic controller" for the department, ensuring that all packaging projects are scheduled accurately and resourced effectively. Beyond day-to-day scheduling, this role focuses heavily on data analysis. You will not just move jobs through the system; you will analyze how they move, identifying bottlenecks, forecasting capacity issues, and using data to drive efficiency in our artwork production workflows. Key Responsibilities1. Effective Scheduling & Workflow Management Critical Path Management: Oversee the end-to-end schedule for all packaging artwork projects, ensuring critical path milestones (briefing, artwork creation, QC, repro, release) are realistic and adhered to. Prioritization: Act as the central gatekeeper for incoming briefs. Assess complexity and deadline requirements to prioritize work against current studio capacity. Traffic Control: Lead the Packaging and QC section in the daily "stand-up" operations meetings to align Project Managers, Artworkers, and QC teams on daily deliverables and resolve immediate blockers. Timeline Feasibility:Review incoming project timelines to ensure they account for technical packaging realities (e.g., complex repro work, legal approval loops, colour proofing). 2. Resource Management & Allocation Capacity Planning: Allocate resources to jobs based on skill set, task type, capacity and security Freelance/Outsource Management: Forecast resource gaps weeks in advance. Manage the booking and training of offshore resources and where applicable freelance resources to cover peaks. Security: Where necessary manage the relevant control points so that security is managed in conjunction with capacity and isn’t a blocker to resources. Clash Management: Proactively identify resource conflicts before they impact delivery. Negotiate deadline shifts with Client Services or reallocate resources to solve clashes. Leave Management:Factor team holidays, sickness, and training into the master schedule to ensure zero downtime in service delivery. 3. Data Analysis & Continuous Improvement Performance Reporting:Produce weekly and monthly dashboards detailing key studio metrics, including:Utilization Rates: (Billable vs. non-billable time). Right First Time (RFT): Tracking internal and external rejection rates to identify training needs. Volume Analysis: SKU throughput per operator/team. Bottleneck Identification: Analyze timesheet data to identify stages in the artwork process that consistently exceed estimated hours (e.g., "Why does the QC stage take 20% longer on one LOB than another?"). Forecasting: Use historical data to predict seasonal peaks and suggest staffing adjustments to the Operations Manager. Post-Project Reviews:Lead data-led "wash-up" meetings for major campaigns, presenting data on where the schedule succeeded or failed. 4. Packaging Compliance & Process Brief Quality Control: Enforce a "strict check" policy on incoming briefs. Reject incomplete briefs (missing cutters, technical specs, or brand guidelines) to prevent wasted studio time. System Hygiene: Ensure the Studio Management System (FLOW, Airtable) is 100% accurate and up-to-date to allow for real-time reporting. Skills & Qualifications Essential: Experience: 3-5 years in a Traffic/Workflow role, ideally within a Packaging Localisation, Pre-press, or Production environment. Technical Knowledge: Understanding of the packaging artwork lifecycle (content and technical requirements). Data Fluency: Advanced Excel skills (PivotTables, VLOOKUPs) or experience with data visualization tools (Tableau). You must be comfortable interpreting data to tell a story. Software: Mastery of resource management/scheduling software (FLOW, Airtable). Soft Skills: Thick-skinned, empathetic, and able to say "no" firmly but fairly. Ability to remain calm under the pressure of multiple retailer deadlines. Desirable: Knowledge of Lean Six Sigma or Agile methodologies applied to creative workflows. Post-Project Reviews:Lead data-led "wash-up" meetings for major campaigns, presenting data on where the schedule succeeded or failed. 4. Packaging Compliance & Process Brief Quality Control: Enforce a "strict check" policy on incoming briefs. Reject incomplete briefs (missing cutters, technical specs, or brand guidelines) to prevent wasted studio time. System Hygiene: Ensure the Studio Management System (FLOW, Airtable) is 100% accurate and up-to-date to allow for real-time reporting. Apply To This Job