Production Operations Manager (Full-Time)

Overview

At STN Digital, we help the biggest brands in sports and entertainment win on social media. Our work powers global tentpole events, builds fanbases, launches shows, sells products, and shapes culture for partners like Netflix, the NFL, Hulu, Nike, NBA teams, and more.

For over a decade, we’ve been the most trusted social-first agency in the industry. As we continue to grow, our own social presence plays a critical role in how we show up, tell our story, and connect with the brands we want to work with next.

The Production Operations Manager is responsible for owning and executing production logistics across STN Digital’s client and internal initiatives. This role ensures productions are delivered on time, on budget, and with the operational discipline required to support creative execution.

This role owns all production planning, resourcing, and execution, while the Creative Project Manager retains ownership of overall project timelines, client communication, and delivery. Clear alignment between these roles ensures production execution supports and delivers against broader project goals.

You will manage production systems, logistics, vendor relationships, budgets, equipment, and on-site coordination. This role sits within the Project Management team and partners closely with Creative, Social, and Production leadership, as well as assigned pod Creative Project Managers, to ensure seamless integration of production into broader client delivery plans.

This role operates with a high level of accountability in production execution, partnering closely with Creative Project Managers to ensure alignment while maintaining clear ownership of production outcomes.

We’re looking for a highly organized, systems-oriented operator who thrives in fast-paced sports and entertainment environments and takes pride in being the operational backbone behind successful production execution.

This is a San Diego-based role with a hybrid structure that includes in-office collaboration, on-site production work, and occasional travel depending on project needs.

The Role

The Production Operations Manager leads the operational execution of all production work within STN Digital’s pod-based structure. From pre-production through wrap, you will oversee logistics, manage vendors and Independent Contractors, maintain production systems, and ensure financial discipline across every production scope.

You will work in close partnership with the assigned Creative Project Manager on each account, aligning production plans to overall timelines, budgets, and client expectations. The CPM owns overall project delivery and client communication, while this role owns how production is scoped, resourced, and executed within those parameters.

On smaller shoots, you will coordinate directly with Social teams to support streamlined content capture. On larger productions, you will collaborate closely with Creative and Executive Producers to operationalize creative vision and ensure seamless on-site execution.

This role balances hands-on production execution with ongoing improvements to production systems and workflows; however, execution excellence and delivery reliability are the primary priorities.

What You’ll Do

Production Execution & Logistics

1. Own end-to-end production logistics across client and internal projects

2. Draft call sheets, production schedules and workflow documentation from pre-production through post-production

3. Partner closely with assigned Pod Creative Project Managers to align production plans with overall timelines and deliverables

4. Identify risks, gaps, and operational needs proactively and communicate impacts clearly

5. Anticipate equipment and production supply needs for on-site teams based on scope and deliverables

6. Translate project scope and creative direction into executable production plans, ensuring alignment with budget, timeline, and resource constraints

7. Coordinate packing, shipping, tracking, and unpacking of production kits, including iphones, cameras, audio gear, lighting, and accessories

8. Source, secure, and manage props, wardrobe elements, and specialty production materials as required

9. Coordinate travel, crew booking, and on-site logistics

10. Source, negotiate, and manage vendors including equipment houses, crew, locations, and specialty services

11. Manage Independent Contractors and freelance crew members across concurrent projects

12. Make informed adjustments to production plans (resources, timelines, vendors) within approved scopes, proactively communicating changes to the Creative Project Manager and escalating when changes impact budget, timeline, or client expectations.

13. Secure Certificates of Insurance and manage compliance requirements as needed

14. Coordinate under Senior Creative Producers or EPs for large-scale productions

15. Deploy standardized workflows for content handoff and post-production

16. Support a range of production types including lo-fi social capture, live events, and larger-scale shoots, with an emphasis on adapting production rigor appropriately to the scale and complexity of each project.

Budget & Financial Oversight

1. Develop production budgets based on approved scopes in partnership with Creative Project Managers and Accounts, and maintain ownership of tracking, managing, and delivering against those budgets

2. Negotiate vendor rates and manage cost efficiency

3. Track expenses, reconcile invoices, and flag potential overages early

4. Proactively identify risks to margin and provide actionable recommendations (timeline shifts, vendor changes, scope adjustments) in partnership with CPM and Accounts

5. Maintain working knowledge of market rates for production crew, equipment, and vendors to inform budgeting and negotiations

Production Operations & Systems

1. Develop and maintain production playbooks, templates, and standardized workflows

2. Build and manage vendor databases and rate card documentation

3. Maintain and track all in-house production inventory and equipment lifecycle

4. Uphold and evolve internal workflows in alignment with broader Project Management standards to ensure consistency across pods

5. Coordinate equipment shipping, tracking, storage, and condition management

6. Evaluate and recommend equipment upgrades, replacements, or sell-offs

7. Improve operational systems to increase efficiency and scalability across pods

8. Identify process inefficiencies and partner with Project Management leadership to improve scalability and execution speed

Lo-Fi, Podcast & Internal Event Production

1. Coordinate logistics for CEO and internal podcast recordings

2. Operate and troubleshoot podcast recording equipment as needed

3. Ensure studio equipment is functional, organized, and upgraded appropriately

4. Provide hands-on technical support for smaller productions when required

5. Capture lo-fi internal brand content for STN Digital when needed

6. Support production logistics for internal company events including State of the Union meetings, awards, and retreats

7. Ensure all internal productions (podcasts, events, lo-fi content) follow the same operational rigor as client work (planning, documentation, budget awareness)

Who You Are

• 5+ years of experience in production coordination, production management, or production operations

• Experienced working within agency, sports, entertainment, or media environments

• Demonstrated ability to operate autonomously within defined project scopes, making decisions that balance creative quality, timelines, and budget constraints

• Strong understanding of how production execution impacts broader client delivery and project success

• Highly organized with strong systems-thinking capabilities

• Comfortable managing budgets, vendors, and Independent Contractors

• Proactive in identifying risks and solving problems before they escalate

• Technically fluent with camera, audio, lighting, and podcast equipment at a working level

• Comfortable collaborating cross-functionally across company org chart

• Calm and solution-oriented during live or high-pressure production moments

• Available for occasional travel and flexible to support select evening or weekend productions as needed

What Success Looks Like

• Productions consistently deliver on time and within approved budgets

• Creative Project Managers feel supported and aligned on logistics and financial tracking

• Production execution consistently aligns with project scope, timelines, and client expectations without requiring excessive oversight

• Risks are identified early and resolved proactively with clear communication to CPMs and stakeholders

• Creative leadership trusts production execution and feasibility assessments

• Vendor relationships are reliable, cost-effective, and scalable

• Equipment inventory is organized, current, and strategically maintained

• Production systems are documented, repeatable, and efficient

• Podcasts and internal events operate smoothly without technical disruption

Most Critical Outcome (MCO)

Production work is delivered on time, within budget, and aligned with project scope and creative expectations.

Job Details

• Location: San Diego, CA (In-Office Required)

• Reports to: Project Management Lead

• Type: Full-Time

• Compensation: CA-based salary range is $65,858 - $73,941 plus benefits. Actual compensation is dependent on experience, location and job-related qualifications and may vary for positions outside of California.

Benefits

As a full-time employee, you’ll gain access to a comprehensive package designed to support your growth and well-being, including:

• Unlimited PTO, plus your birthday off

• 401(k) with company match up to 4%

• Medical insurance, with STN covering 70% of the base plan

• Dental and vision coverage available

• 12 weeks of paid parental leave after your first year

• Paid sick leave and 9 paid company holidays

• Wellness perks, including a complimentary gym membership (24 Hour Fitness or ClassPass)

• Paid 1-hour mental health break each week

• Apple laptop and iPhone provided for work

• Employee Assistance Program for confidential personal and professional support

Education & Experience

• 5+ years of relevant experience in production coordination, production management, or production operations within an agency, sports, entertainment, or media environment

• Demonstrated experience managing production budgets, vendor negotiations, and Independent Contractors

• Experience supporting live events, multi-crew productions, or high-volume content capture

• Working knowledge of camera, audio, lighting, and podcast recording systems

• Strong organizational and documentation skills with a systems-oriented mindset

• Ability to operate effectively in a collaborative, pod-based structure

• Sports and entertainment industry experience strongly preferred

Physical Requirements

• Comfortable working in an office for 40 hours/week with the understanding that working within the sports and entertainment industry will require evening and/or weekend work.

• Ability to lift and move up to 50 lbs using proper lifting techniques

• Occasional travel required

GOAT Fundamentals (Our Foundation)

At STN, we don’t just have values - we have behaviors that define how we show up and win together.

At STN, our goal is never just to be good - it’s to be extraordinary. We believe extraordinary performance starts with extraordinary people, grounded in an extraordinary culture. The 28 fundamentals ( HERE ) below define the behaviors that shape our unique award-winning culture. Together, they set us apart and fuel our drive to remain the #1 social-first marketing agency in the world.