Production Solutions Manager - Chicago/Virtual

About the role

The Production Solutions Manager is a consultative, client-facing individual contributor who bridges business development and production delivery. This role translates client business challenges into compelling, executable production solutions during the pre-sales cycle — enabling the sales team to position Event Production as a strategic driver of event impact and business ROI. The Production Solutions Manager does not carry a sales quota, does not manage staff, and does not execute programs post-award. They operate exclusively in the pursuit and solution-design phase, handing off to the production delivery team upon contract signing.

Responsibilities

• Pre-Sales Solution Design & Sales Enablement
  • Partner with Business Development to participate in discovery calls, understanding client business challenges, communication objectives, and audience engagement goals.
  • Translate client objectives into production solution recommendations — articulating how staging, content delivery, lighting, AV, LED, scenic, event technology, media create strategic impact beyond basic technical execution.
  • Work with the Director of Production to design production approaches, scopes of work, and budget frameworks during the pursuit phase that are feasible, profitable, and aligned with client goals.
  • Develop and deliver compelling capability presentations and production-focused proposal content that position Creative Group’s production services as a strategic differentiator.
  • Serve as the production subject matter expert during client pitches, answering technical and capability questions with confidence and clarity.
  • Identify risks, constraints, and alternative approaches during the scoping phase to ensure solutions are executable within the client’s timeline and budget.
  • Collaborate with the Director of Production to validate proposed solutions against team capacity, available resources, and operational feasibility.
• Revenue Growth Support & Market Intelligence
  • Assess market trends, competitor activities, and client feedback to inform go-to-market positioning and pricing strategies for production services.
  • Support the development of effective and profitable pricing strategies that inform SOW and budget parameters during pursuits.
  • Contribute production-specific content to RFP responses, ensuring technical accuracy and strategic positioning.
  • Track win/loss outcomes on pursuits involving production services; analyze patterns to refine solution approaches and value messaging.
  • Identify upsell and cross-sell opportunities where production services can expand scope or deepen client engagement.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration (Pre-Sale)
  • Partner with Business Development team members in relationship building and discovery conversations to present Creative Group’s Production capabilities, understand client needs and identify areas of alignment.
  • Partner with Event Strategists to ensure Production solutions align with the program’s strategic narrative and audience journey.
  • Collaborate with Creative Designers to understand visual and environmental concepts, then validate technical feasibility and recommend production methods to bring designs to life.
  • Partner with the Strategic Sourcing Manager to ensure venue selections incorporate production needs, on budget entry in order to capture all line items and maximize spend.
  • Work alongside the Production delivery team (Technical Directors, Production Managers) to ensure proposed solutions reflect current capabilities and best practices.
  • Create clear handoff documentation for the delivery team upon contract award, including scope, assumptions, technical approach, and risk considerations.
• Thought Leadership & Production Positioning
  • Evangelize the strategic value of Production services internally and externally — reframing production from “AV support” to “content delivery strategy that brings an event’s communication strategy to life.”
  • Stay current on emerging production technologies, techniques, and industry innovations to inform solution recommendations.
  • Contribute to the development of Production service collateral, case studies, and capability materials used by Business Development.
  • Represent Creative Group at industry events, conferences, and partner meetings as a production thought leader.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in communications, business administration, theatre/production, or a related field — or a combination of education and experience.
• Minimum of 7–10 years of previous experience in event production, AV production, show production, experiential marketing, or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated experience in a client-facing, consultative role — presenting solutions, leading discovery conversations, or supporting business development in an agency or production environment.
• Strong understanding of all areas of live event production including audio, video, lighting, staging, LED, scenic, projection, content management, and streaming technologies.
• Experience developing scopes of work, production budgets, and technical approaches for complex corporate events, conferences, and experiential activations.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office products, especially PowerPoint and Excel; comfortable learning CRM and project management tools as needed.
• Comfortable working closely with senior-level executives and presenting to C-suite client stakeholders.

Non-negotiable Hiring Criteria

• Models behavior that reflects the organization’s Vision and Core Beliefs.
• Excellent interpersonal skills to relate well with individuals at all levels of the organization and client organizations, including senior-level management.
• Exceptional presentation and storytelling skills — able to articulate complex production concepts in compelling, non-technical language that resonates with clients.
• Strong analytical skills to assess project requirements, identify risks, and develop accurate budget estimates during the pursuit phase.
• Ability to collaborate within cross-functional teams (strategy, creative, production, sales) to deliver successful outcomes.
• Creative problem-solving skills, with the ability to design alternative approaches when constraints arise.
• Comfortable in a results-oriented, fast-paced environment with competing priorities across multiple pursuits.
• Ability to work effectively in an environment that isn’t bound by the traditional ‘9 to 5’ mentality.