Project Manager

Job Description

Project Manager

Contrast & Co. is seeking a passionate, dedicated, and highly engaged individual to join our growing team. The ideal candidate brings a wealth of internal and client-facing project management experience, has worked in a creative or agency environment, and most importantly of all, has the vision, drive, and determination to help us build something truly transformative. Just as important: you live our brand values in how you work, not just what you produce — they're the standard we hire against and the standard we review performance against.

The position at a glance

The Project Manager oversees day-to-day project activities across a wide range of industries, deliverables, and timelines, running each engagement as an extension of the client's team so the work lands when and how their business needs it. The Project Manager owns project timelines, resourcing, and budget tracking, and reports on project finances across the agency.

How we define client relations. At Contrast & Co., client relations means operating as an extension of our clients' teams. We learn their business, their people, and their pressures as well as they do, and we advise in ways that move their goals and KPIs forward. A good relationship is the result of that work, not the goal of it.

The Project Manager works hand in hand with our Account Directors and creative team. Account Directors own the client relationship and strategy; the Project Manager owns how the work gets done — building project plans, running the cadence of meetings and reviews, keeping tasks and timelines current, and making sure the right people see the right work at the right time. That includes knowing the client's internal approval process, launch dates, and business milestones, so every plan is built around what the client is trying to achieve. The right candidate should be just as comfortable synchronizing internal teams as coordinating clients and stakeholders, and should have experience leading and structuring large-scale engagements with parallel creative work streams — from strategy and brand to messaging and design to interactive engagement, campaigns, and everything in between.

The Project Manager also supports new business efforts in a contributing role, providing insight on engagement approaches, timelines, and resourcing to help shape realistic, well-structured proposals. This individual also prepares the templates and frameworks our teams rely on to kick off brand and web engagements. Above all, the Project Manager should bring the know-how and adaptability to evolve and improve how Contrast & Co. navigates projects from day one.

Ultimately, we are seeking someone with the ability to think big, focus small, and balance the daily to-dos with the future vision. An all-star with strong organizational and prioritization skills is a must, but someone with high EQ, a friendly demeanor, and a "get it done" attitude is even better. This position reports to the Chief Creative Officer, with a direct line to our Account Directors.

Primary responsibilities

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• Manage creative projects and deliverables from intake and briefing through client handoff, serving as the team quarterback and liaison throughout.
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• Build projects, timelines, and resourcing plans, keeping team members informed and well-equipped to balance creativity, strategy, and efficiency.
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• Build timelines around the client's business milestones and internal approval process, not just our production schedule.
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• Know each client's KPIs and flag to the Account Director when scope, timing, or budget decisions put those goals at risk.
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• Schedule and coordinate internal and external meetings and collaboration sessions, and lead the team's daily morning standup.
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• Ensure all working tasks are captured in Asana and that timelines are updated and marked accordingly.
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• Prepare and manage the weekly regroup deck.
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• Track project budgets and provide financial reporting on projects across the agency.
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• Serve as the day-to-day contact for project logistics, partnering with Account Directors to keep clients informed of timelines and deliverables.
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• Give production and proofreading partners advance notice of incoming print and proofing files, and manage timeline expectations with them.
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• Support proposal production, providing insight on engagement approaches, timelines, and resourcing for new business opportunities.
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• Prepare brand process presentation templates and set up content frameworks for brand and web projects.
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• Run initial ownability and naming scans for brand projects.
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• Proactively predict and remove any roadblocks that may delay a project timeline.
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• Continuously look for ways to improve processes — if something's not working, what can we do to fix it?
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• Work closely with the leadership team, Account Directors, and the creative team.
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Requirements

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• 4+ years of proven work experience as a Project Manager or in a similar role (agency experience strongly preferred).
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• Experience defining project scope and managing against a timeline and/or budget.
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• Experience building and communicating project plans.
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• Experience with project management tools (Asana preferred).
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• Experience managing parallel creative work streams across brand, web, and campaign projects.
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• Client-facing and articulate, with the business sense to connect project decisions to client goals.
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• Detail-oriented, responsive, and organized.
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• Impeccable time-management skills.
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• Excellent written and verbal skills.
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• Great attitude — open to feedback and constructive criticism.
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• Ability to be in our Annapolis, MD, offices a few days a week is preferred, though not required.
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Our brand values

We measure every hire, review, and promotion at Contrast & Co. against five values. They aren't posters on a wall — they're how we describe good work here, and they're the actual criteria your manager will use when they evaluate your performance.

We push past what we know. Every project is a chance to try something new, and we go after the complicated problems other shops route around. When a process isn't working, you don't just work around it; you propose a better tool, template, or workflow and help the team adopt it.

We lead from every seat. At a company our size, nobody waits for direction, and we act without having all the information. You run the morning standup, spot roadblocks before anyone else does, and clear them without waiting to be asked.

We sweat the craft. We hold a high standard for what people see and what they never will. Your project plans, Asana tasks, and timelines are clean and current enough that anyone on the team could check status without asking you.

We show up as partners. We work as an extension of our clients' teams and bring a point of view instead of taking orders. You give production partners, proofreaders, and Account Directors a clear heads-up on what's coming and when, so no one is caught off guard, and you plan around the dates that matter to the client's business.

We remain steady and positive. Positivity is a daily practice here, not a personality trait. When deadlines tighten, or priorities shift, you're the calm, level voice that resets the plan and keeps the team moving.

Benefits

At Contrast & Co., we're deeply committed to our people's long-term growth, so we've built a benefits package that supports your well-being, financial security, and professional goals. We cover 100% of employee health benefits, and our SIMPLE IRA plan includes employer matching to help your retirement savings grow faster. We invest in your professional development with opportunities to sharpen your skills and creativity, and we support you in becoming a leader. To help you recharge, you'll get 19 PTO days, paid holidays, flexible remote options, and your birthday off.

Equal opportunity

Contrast & Co. is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer that values diversity. We are building a space where standing out from a sea of similarity is celebrated — a space where employees are encouraged to bring their whole selves to their work as they join and grow with us. Contrast & Co. does not discriminate on any unlawful basis, including race, religion, color, national origin, disability, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by law.