Talent Director

Something Special Studios is looking for an experienced Talent & Resource Director to lead our approach to resource planning, talent acquisition, and workforce management across the studio. This is a senior, hands-on role responsible for ensuring the studio has the right talent, capacity, and capabilities to deliver exceptional work. Working closely with the Executive Team, department leads, Production, and Finance, the Talent & Resource Director will provide strategic oversight of resource planning, anticipate future staffing needs, and build and maintain a strong network of freelance and specialist talent. Working in partnership with our existing Resource Manager, this role will provide leadership and direction to the resourcing function, ensuring day-to-day resource allocation is aligned with longer-term capacity planning and business priorities. The ideal candidate brings deep experience within the creative industry, an exceptional network of freelance talent, strong commercial judgment, and the ability to balance the evolving needs of projects, people, and the business. They will be equally comfortable advising leadership on strategic workforce needs and taking a hands-on approach to talent sourcing, recruitment, and resource planning. Responsibilities Resource Management & Planning Provide strategic oversight of agency-wide resource planning and allocation, working closely with the Resource Manager who manages day-to-day scheduling and coordination across creative, design, strategy, production, client services, and other departments. Partner with the Resource Manager and department leads to understand current workloads, project requirements, capacity, and upcoming resource needs. Maintain a clear and accurate view of resource availability, utilization, and allocation across the studio. Work with leadership, Client Services, and Production to forecast staffing requirements against confirmed and prospective projects. Proactively identify capacity gaps, resource conflicts, and opportunities to optimize the deployment of internal and freelance talent. Lead regular resource planning meetings and provide clear recommendations on staffing priorities and solutions. Balance project demands, individual capabilities, development opportunities, and business priorities when making resource recommendations. Continuously improve resource planning tools, systems, and processes to support the agency's growth. Freelance Talent Strategy & Management Own the development and management of a high-quality freelance talent network across all relevant creative and operational disciplines. Proactively source, identify, and build relationships with exceptional freelance talent, ensuring the agency has access to the right expertise as needs arise. Bring an established and extensive network of creative industry talent, including creative directors, designers, strategists, producers, and specialist practitioners. Lead the end-to-end freelance recruitment process, from briefing and sourcing through selection, negotiation, contracting, and onboarding. Partner with department leads to understand specific project requirements and identify the most appropriate freelance talent. Maintain an organized and up-to-date freelance database, including skills, experience, rates, availability, and previous project performance. Build and nurture long-term relationships with trusted freelancers and identify opportunities to develop preferred talent partnerships. Ensure freelance engagements are appropriately scoped, commercially competitive, and aligned with project budgets. Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning Partner with the Managing Director and department leads to identify longer-term talent requirements and capability gaps across the business. Support strategic headcount planning, providing recommendations on permanent versus freelance hiring based on business needs. Own and manage the recruitment process for permanent hires as required, from role definition and sourcing through interviews, selection, and offer coordination. Develop effective recruitment strategies, leveraging direct sourcing, industry networks, referrals, and external recruitment partners where appropriate. Advise leadership on talent availability, market conditions, compensation benchmarks, and hiring priorities. Ensure a consistent, thoughtful, and efficient recruitment experience for candidates and hiring managers. Identify opportunities to strengthen the studio's talent pipeline and access to emerging creative talent. Commercial & Operational Management Partner with Finance, Production, and department leads to ensure resource decisions support project budgets and overall agency profitability. Monitor freelance expenditure, resource utilization, and staffing efficiency, identifying opportunities to improve cost management. Support resource forecasting against the agency's new business pipeline, highlighting potential hiring requirements and financial implications. Provide leadership with regular reporting and insights into capacity, utilization, freelance spend, and upcoming talent needs. Establish and maintain clear processes for freelance rates, approvals, booking, contracting, and extensions. Identify opportunities to improve resource management practices as the agency continues to evolve. Collaboration & Leadership Act as a trusted strategic partner to the CEO, Managing Director, Partner - Brand & Experience, and department heads on resource and talent decisions. Build strong relationships across the studio, developing a clear understanding of individual strengths, capabilities, and professional development interests. Facilitate transparent and collaborative resource planning across departments, helping resolve competing priorities and staffing challenges. Provide proactive recommendations on team composition, resource structures, and the appropriate balance of permanent and freelance talent. Help establish a culture of thoughtful resource planning, accountability, and collaboration. Provide leadership, guidance, and mentorship to the existing Resource Manager, supporting their professional development and ensuring effective resource management practices across the studio. Establish clear responsibilities and ways of working between strategic resource planning, day-to-day resource coordination, and freelance talent management, ensuring a cohesive and efficient approach. What we’re looking for 8–10+ years of experience in resource management, talent management, recruitment, or a related discipline within a creative agency, design studio, production company, or similar environment. Proven experience leading resource planning across multidisciplinary teams in a fast-paced, project-based business. An exceptional, established network of freelance creative and production talent, with the ability to identify and secure high-quality people quickly. Strong understanding of creative agency structures, workflows, project lifecycles, and the specialist skills required across different disciplines. Experience managing freelance recruitment end-to-end, including sourcing, negotiation, contracting, and onboarding. Strong commercial awareness, with experience managing resource budgets, utilization, freelance expenditure, and capacity forecasting. Experience supporting permanent recruitment and strategic workforce planning. Excellent relationship-building and communication skills, with the confidence to advise senior stakeholders and navigate competing priorities. Highly organized, proactive, and comfortable managing multiple priorities in a fast-moving environment. A strategic thinker who is equally comfortable rolling up their sleeves and executing. Experience working with resource management platforms, talent databases, and project management tools. What Success Looks Like The studio has clear visibility into current and future resource capacity, with staffing needs anticipated rather than managed reactively. Projects are consistently staffed with the right combination of internal and freelance talent. The Resource Manager is supported by clear leadership, processes, and strategic direction, enabling effective day-to-day resource management while the Director focuses on forward planning, talent strategy, and broader business needs. SSS has access to an exceptional, well-maintained network of trusted freelance talent across key disciplines. Freelance recruitment is efficient, proactive, and commercially competitive. Resource allocation and staffing decisions support both the quality of creative output and the financial health of the business. Department leads have a trusted senior partner who understands their teams, anticipates their needs, and helps them deliver exceptional work. The agency has scalable resource and talent processes that support continued growth. Salary Range $140,000 - $170,000 annually. Salary for the prospective employee is determined by a combination of factors that include qualifications, applicable skills, relevant experience and other budgetary considerations such as location/geography. Benefits Include Comprehensive health coverage– Medical, dental and vision insurance, plus HSA and FSA options. 401(k) with company contribution– 3% Safe Harbor contribution after six months of service, whether or not you contribute yourself. Company-paid life insurance– Basic Life and AD&D coverage included, with the option to purchase additional coverage. Generous paid time off– 15 days PTO in addition to Holiday Closures Summer Fridays – Up to four Fridays off between Memorial Day and Labor Day, subject to workload. Flexible sick leave Hybrid working– 4 Days in Office / 1 Remote Generous Employee Referral bonuses Yearly profit sharing program Employee & Company Performance-based bonus #J-18808-Ljbffr