Creative Manager
About the job
We are seeking a Creative Manager based in the Austin/San Antonio area. As a Creative Manager at Access, you will partner with Sales and Creative teams to develop strategic, experience-driven proposals and client presentations. You will shape the creative vision for corporate events, translating client goals into environments, moments, and experiences that are both compelling and executable.
Responsibilities
- Event Design & Concept Development
- Develop event themes aligned to destination, audience, and client objectives
- Design guest environments including layouts, lounges, table scapes, entry moments, and custom elements
- Translate client goals into cohesive, end-to-end guest experiences
- Ensure concepts are both inspiring and operationally feasible
- Proposal Strategy & Storytelling
- Lead creative ideation for proposals and client presentations
- Build clear narratives supported by mood boards, imagery, and diagrams
- Partner with Sales to create concepts that are compelling, confident, and easy to sell
- Activations, Entertainment & Experience Elements
- Source and recommend interactive activations and specialty experiences
- Curate entertainment aligned to audience, energy level, and event objectives
- Ensure all elements feel intentional and connected to the overall theme
- Transportation & Guest Flow Design
- Design transportation strategies for programs ranging from 20 to 5,000+ guests
- Coordinate movement, arrival, and departure as part of the overall guest experience
- Budgeting & Vendor Strategy
- Price decor, entertainment, activations, and transportation with margin awareness
- Source and evaluate vendors, balancing creativity with budget and profitability
- Recommend solutions that maximize impact while remaining realistic
- Collaboration & Brand Stewardship
- Partner closely with Sales, Event Managers, and Creative teammates
- Present concepts with clarity and confidence
- Uphold the Access brand voice and creative standards across all work
Requirements
- 3+ years in DMC, corporate events, hospitality, or experiential design
- Experience building event concepts before execution and presenting vision to clients
- Knowledge of decor, entertainment, activations, and transportation for live events
- Comfortable discussing budgets, pricing decisions, and creative trade-offs
- Highly organized, collaborative, and calm under pressure
Qualifications
- Nice-to-haves: Knowledge of decor, entertainment, activations, and transportation for live events
- Comfortable discussing budgets, pricing decisions, and creative trade-offs
- Highly organized, collaborative, and calm under pressure
Skills
- Strong organizational and prioritization skills
- Ability to work in a high-volume, deadline-driven environment
- Experience working with clients to translate goals into compelling and feasible experiences
- Ability to present concepts clearly and confidently
- Strong communication and collaboration skills
- Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
Benefits
- Compensation highly competitive, including strong base salary and quarterly bonuses
- Performance-based quarterly commission plans
- 401k with company match (eligible after 1 year – up to 4% of salary matched, vested immediately)
- Monthly cell phone stipend
- Flexible schedule opportunities
- Generous PTO
- Sick days
- 5 full holidays
- Half days off prior to holidays to unplug early
- Two floating holidays off to be used on holidays of your choice
- ½ day Fridays in July & August (based on achievement of goals)
- Extensive menu of health plans to choose from
- Paid parental leave
- Pet insurance program
- Employee Assistance Plan (EAP)
- Mentorship program
- “Masterclasses” in industry/department-specific topics
- State-of-the-art technology platforms and tools – including training
- Annual and monthly meeting content that focuses on professional development
Pay
Compensation highly competitive, including strong base salary and quarterly bonuses. Performance-based quarterly commission plans. 401k with company match (eligible after 1 year – up to 4% of salary matched, vested immediately). Monthly cell phone stipend.
Schedule
Flexible schedule opportunities. Generous PTO. Sick days. 5 full holidays. Half days off prior to holidays to unplug early. Two floating holidays off to be used on holidays of your choice. ½ day Fridays in July & August (based on achievement of goals).