Associate Director of Resource Management (EMEA Creative Services)

at  Dept

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (EMEA CREATIVE SERVICES)

Title subject to change based on level.
Amsterdam or Rotterdam
We are looking for an experienced and strategic-minded Resource Management leader for our EMEA Creative & Media services. This role is critical for ensuring efficient resource allocation and capacity management while accommodating the dynamic digital marketing landscape and supporting our business growth

WHO ARE WE?

We are pioneers at heart. What does that mean? We are always looking forward, thinking of what we can create tomorrow that does not exist today. We were born digital and we are a new model of agency, with a deep skillset in tech and marketing. That’s why we hire curious, self-driven, talented people who never stop innovating.
Our culture is big enough to cope and small enough to care. Meaning, that with people across 30+ countries, we’re big enough to provide you with the best tools, global opportunities, and benefits that help you thrive. While acting small by investing in you, your growth, and your team, and giving you the autonomy to solve our client’s problems, no matter where you are in the world.
DEPT® is committed to making a positive impact on the planet and since 2021 has been Climate Neutral and B Corporation certified.

JOB PURPOSE

In this role, you will be responsible for the effective utilisation of our billable team members across the EMEA Creative & Media craft. The Creative & Media craft is made up of approximately 1,000 billable individuals across a number of service lines and departments including; Creative, Design, Digital Marketing, Media, Production and more. The Director of Resource Management will be responsible for ensuring that our casting practices uplevel the potential of our people, that we operate nimbly and flex at pace with client needs, and that we have appropriate billable headcount to achieve our business goals.
This means vigilant balancing of the supply and demand of our most important asset, our people. You will be an expert matchmaker – understanding project needs, the team’s skills (aptitudes and appetite), and how to curate the best team for the best work possible.
The successful candidate will be responsible for a team of 8 Resource Managers across EMEA Creative & Media and will have 4 direct reports.
The EMEA Director of Resource Management will proactively partner with the Client Services and Sales team to evaluate our new business pipeline to plan for future resourcing needs and optimise our utilisation and bench capacity within the team. The ideal candidate will have strong interpersonal relationship skills, an analytical mindset, as well as a deep understanding of the digital marketing craft (specifically within Creative, Media, Social, Programmatic, SEO and Search).

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Capacity Planning Strategy: Work closely with operations, client service, project managers, finance, and department heads to forecast hiring needs and ensure adequate capacity to meet revenue, project and sales needs.
• Resource Optimisation: Identify and evaluate capacity constraints and opportunities within the organisation (bandwidth and burnout), making data-driven recommendations for resource allocations, nearshoring, and utilisation optimisation.
• Skill Management: Identify skill gaps within the regional teams and work with craft leads as well as P&C to address talent needs through hiring, training, or reassignment.
• Demand Forecasting: Collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop accurate demand forecasts, encompassing both short-term and long-term client requirements.
• Risk Mitigation: Proactively identify potential risks and challenges in capacity planning and develop strategies to mitigate them.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with various departments, including account management, creative teams, operations, and sales, to ensure alignment between capacity planning and client satisfaction.
• Conflict Resolution: Act as a mediator in resource conflicts, prioritisation challenges, or overlapping project demands, ensuring equitable distribution of resources.
• Performance Monitoring: Track key resource metrics and provide regular reports to regional and global leadership on resource utilisation, bench capacity, and nearshore and freelance ratios.
• Compliance and Governance: Ensure compliance with company policies and guidelines related to resource management, including time tracking, resource allocations and reporting.