Sr Manager, Creative - TCG

About the role

The Sr Manager, Creative will oversee the creative team at Fanatics Trading Card Games, a new studio within Fanatics Collectibles. Reporting to studio leadership, this role involves managing a team of art directors and concept artists, aligning creative vision with product leadership, and overseeing the art production pipeline.

Responsibilities

• Manage day-to-day operations of the creative team, including scheduling, workload distribution, and resource planning
• Directly manage a team of art directors and concept artists, providing 1:1 support and career development
• Collaborate with the Creative Director and product leadership to align on creative vision and produce actionable briefs
• Partner with the Director of Card Production to build and support the art production pipeline, from brief through final delivery
• Standardize the way the team works with external freelancers and art vendors, managing contracts, deadlines, and resolving bottlenecks
• Maintain team tools, asset management systems, and production workflows, continuously improving efficiency and consistency
• Act as a liaison between the creative team and cross-functional partners in game design, product, and marketing

Qualifications & Experience

• 8+ years of experience in a creative production, art management, or studio management role within games or a related creative industry
• Proven experience managing creatives, with a track record of developing talent and maintaining a healthy team culture
• Deep familiarity with art production pipelines, including asset management, review processes, and handoff to downstream teams
• Experience coordinating with external freelancers and creative vendors across multiple concurrent projects
• Background in or strong familiarity with the trading card, tabletop games, or collectibles space is a plus
• Experience working in an early-stage or fast-moving studio environment is highly valued

Skills & Abilities

• High EQ and strong interpersonal skills with a natural ability to build trust, resolve conflict, and keep teams motivated through the pressures of production
• Excellent organizational and project management skills: able to track many moving parts simultaneously without dropping the ball
• Clear, direct communicator who can translate between creative and operational contexts with ease
• Solid creative sensibility: enough taste and context to give meaningful feedback and flag quality issues, even when not the final decision-maker
• Proficiency with project management tools and asset management systems
• Highly adaptable and calm under pressure, with the ability to re-prioritize quickly as needs evolve