Christopher Hands Email & Phone Number

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Australia

Completed one year tenure as Traffic Manager between Nov 20 and Nov 21, during which time I assumed ownership of the workflow between Client Services and Creative/Studio Department, creating a single pivot point for the entire business in terms of effective communication and timely production of POS and marketing material. Since then I advanced to head of the department. Assuming ownership of the team overall, building it out, increasing both skillset and headcount to support a rapidly expanding Agency. Responsibilities including but not limited to; Senior Leadership Team reviews, operational cadence, new business development, stakeholder and partner relationships, resourcing, process refinement, traffic, production, QC of all artwork, budgets, subscriptions & portal management.Milestone thus far would be building out the department from 2 perm staff including myself to a (current) team of 8 with varied and specific skillsets and cross divisional functionality in under 6 months.

Homebush, New South Wales, Australia

• Use Workflow Management software to allocate real-time queuing and prioritisation of work.• Work with wider Creative Services Team, Creative Director and Group Account Director to assign and schedule appropriate resources.• Daily interaction with Creative and Account Services teams to ascertain the status/resolve issues of multiple projects in various stages of completion.• Review briefs for completeness of information needed and relevant assets supplied.• Work closely with business unit members, clients and stakeholders to coordinate project deliverables.• Daily/Weekly WIP meetings.• Monitor projects and workloads, adjusting assignments and deadlines in real-time.• Work with recruiters/freelancers/contractors to onboard and support.• Art buying/quoting with external stakeholders/portals.

Sydney, Australia

• As a people leader, managing a team of 4 Finished Artworkers and a Print Production Specialist, part of a larger Studio team of 9, within a Marketing Department of 18, responsible for supporting the front line Retail sales staff with their POS, packaging and tactical advertising. • Providing print as simple as large rollout pricing tickets, to full window vinyls to wrap the individual stores on a national scale and all path-to-purchase collateral in between. • Supporting internal stakeholders and teams with their various mandates as workload fluctuates and their regular channels of supply falter.• Delivering tactical offers with speed-to-market via a digital screen network utilising both static and animated creative via a dedicated content management system.* Managing workflow in and out of the Studio, mediating briefs and ensuring timings are realistic, quotes are approved and applicable resource is available.• Implementing and overseeing an RFP process to identify suitable suppliers for hardware and software solutions to future-proof Retail Marketing channels and customer experience.• Fostering and owning client and supplier relationships; point of contact for FujiFilm Australia and IVE group as digital hardware and software providers and primary print suppliers respectively.• Seeking out relevant support from Legal and Supply Chains, working closely with Print Production Specialist to ensure Retail Marketing investments are not only viable and relevant but within budget forecasts and will not impact the wider team.• Finished Artist on the tools in a support capacity during key campaigns and deadlines.• One third of a DRs management tier charged with digesting, refining and relaying instruction from Head of Department. Managing up and down in order to respond effectively and meet expectations of both our own leader as well those who look to us to lead.

My role is essentially split between Traffic and Finished Art in it's primary disciplines. With duties as follows:• Receiving creative briefs from account service, ensuring they clear and complete.• Help studio & account service to prioritise work and deliver realistic timeframes.• Trafficking, scheduling and allocation of jobs and resources within the creative team.• Ensure that outgoing work has been properly checked, meets brand guidelines and has the correct specifications for press, print or digital deployment• Preparing POS material for print, working with dielines and templates and checking all artwork is on spec (from print to online).• Implementing, refining and enforcing Studio process.• Conduct WIP meetings with key stakeholders to discuss job progress.• Manage freelance resources, keeping efficient records and relationships.• Manage time sheet completion along with design hours and budget requirements.• Providing ‘week gone / week ahead’ overviews.• Maintaining an uncluttered studio environment: this includes server files and traditional artwork files.• Championing a positive and optimistic creative culture.

Having spent 7+ plus years in my previous role, I had honed a streamlined, highly specialised & dedicated skillset. Primarily attending to the needs of a single Retail client, albeit a juggernaut.The Station Agency, whilst a substantially smaller operation, afforded me a much broader scope of work, not only in terms of clients, channels and POS platforms available, but also in terms of management.My role allowed further adaption of both my skill as a Finished Artist and as a Traffic Manager. My responsibilities are as follows:Managing workflow across the Creative team, co-ordinating Art Directors, Designers and Finished Artists’ scope of work.Implementing, refining and enforcing Studio process to the larger agency ensuring maximum efficiency.Administering profitability by managing head-hours and available resource, including budgeting Freelance capacity.Ensuring brand integrity across the suite of clients work, as well as Internal Agency branding.Meeting with Clients, Printers & Stakeholders to ensure production costs and dispatch requirements are met.Finished Artist on the tools; creating tangible campaign print POS platforms from a Design Key Visual. Checking, speccing and dispatching final print files.

Employed initially in a freelance capacity to cover seasonal influx, my role progressed from full-time Finished Artist, to Senior, to Team Leader (managing 6 people), to a "Dual Studio Manager" (managing 11 people), and finally to my last role title in approximately 4 years. That role being to manage the 8 strong team of Finished Artists, Graphic Designers and Retouchers that make up the BMF Retail Studio. The BMF Retail Studio is an integrated, multi-disciplined resource that specializes in designing and building not only stand-alone Print and DM artwork, but can also develop or refine brand guidelines from conception to campaign execution. I was a central point of contact for all Retail Studio work, costs, deadines and resource. Controlling the flow of work in and out of the team, ensuring design, timings and expectations are realistic for the costs attached. In addition to managing the workflow, I was functional "on the tools", producing and maintaining artwork of a high standard to reflect BMFs established reputation as a world leading Agency, whilst reflecting the values of the Retail clients' brand. The Studio’s strengths lie with the ability to adapt and thrive on many platforms, from Print to Online at any given time as required by any given brief. More specifically the Retail Studio Team are a dedicated team responding to the needs of a Retail client. Absolute attention to detail, quality and timely execution of tasks is paramount. Understanding and adherence to process and timelines ensuring high turnover and standards of all briefs. Also assisting in any overflow or new business projects that the non-Retail Studio or Creative Departments may need, if resource allows.

A short freelance contract to assist existing studio team with production of FHM, Zoo and Empire magazines.Art directing and Producing of promotions and artwork visuals for the Direct Marketing team.

Originally a short term freelance contract whilst on a working holiday visa, later extended due to an increased studio workload and satisfaction with my skillsMy role was assisting the Harris Technology on-site studio in production of monthly catalogues, handling posters, in-store displays, press advertising, flyers and billboard artwork in a PC based CS2 platform.Deadlines were tight, accuracy essential and the vast range of programmes involved in the production process has created achallenging, if not varied role that advanced both my skills as a designer and my independence in managing projects.