Freelance Creative Project Manager, Culinary

ABOUT UStms unites technology, marketing, and sourcing to drive transformational change for the world’s leading brands. With more than 1,400 employees across 28 countries., we offer an impressive range of solutions – from inspiration and innovation to category management and delivery.Operating as a creative agency, a strategic consultancy, a sourcing business, and a technology provider, we engage with over 110 million customers every single day for our clients, including McDonald’s, T-Mobile, O2, Starbucks, and adidas.Most importantly, we're a place where you can achieve great things, and be recognized as the best.WHAT MATTERS THE MOSTBreakthrough, business-driving ideas come from extraordinary people with the freedom to be their most authentic selves at work. Authenticity and diversity are critical elements of our business. They can only be realized when we create access and equity for all. We foster a culture of inclusion and belonging and aspire to be ever-evolving.tms is a place where brilliant people are better together. If you want your ideas to be heard and to contribute to a culture of inclusion and authenticity, bring us your voice! Visit us at tmsw.com.WHY WE THINK YOU WILL LOVE THIS ROLE As Creative Project Manager, Culinary, you’ll be the engine that keeps the client’s creative moving—owning intake, timelines, resourcing coordination, and day-to-day delivery across campaigns, product launches, recipe/how-to content, social, e-commerce, and retail. Reporting to the Director of Creative Project Management, you’ll partner with creatives, production, marketing, social, and e-commerce teams to ensure briefs are clear, schedules are realistic, and deliverables land on time and on brand. This role is perfect for someone who loves operational excellence, thrives in a fast-paced, digital-first environment, and takes pride in making high-volume work feel organized, calm, and predictable.WHAT YOU WILL BRING TO THE ORGANIZATION Intake, Briefing & PrioritizationOwn creative intake for the client—gathering requirements, clarifying objectives, and ensuring briefs include channel, specs, and deliverable needs (campaign, social, e-commerce/PDP, retail, recipes/how-to)Partner with stakeholders to prioritize work against launch calendars, seasonal moments, and business goals; facilitate escalation conversations when demand exceeds capacityTranslate requests into actionable project plans (scope, milestones, owners, dependencies), ensuring alignment before work beginsMaintain visibility into the work funnel and proactively flag gaps (missing assets, unclear feedback paths, shifting priorities)Planning, Scheduling & Delivery ManagementBuild and manage project timelines from kickoff through final delivery for social/digital, paid media, recipe/how-to content, e-commerce/PDP, retail, and campaign toolkitsDrive day-to-day execution: schedule meetings, run status updates, track action items, and ensure the right people are aligned at the right timeManage scope, feedback, and approvals; maintain version control and ensure notes are consolidated, clear, and actionable for creative teamsAnticipate risks and dependencies (e.g., product readiness, recipe testing/approvals, food/recipe photography, claims/legal review, retailer specs) and propose mitigation plans earlyResourcing, Traffic & Workflow OperationsCoordinate resourcing with the Culinary Creative Director and team leads—balancing workloads across design, copy, art direction, production, and external partners as neededOwn traffic management: assign work, track capacity, and adjust plans to hit deadlines across client prioritiesCoordinate with production and vendor partners (freelancers, studios, food stylists, photographers, post, localization) on schedules, deliverables, and handoffsEnsure deliverables are packaged and delivered correctly (specs, naming, exports, final file locations), supporting a smooth handoff to marketing/e-commerce teamsProcess, Quality & Best PracticesEstablish and reinforce clear workflows for briefing, reviews, approvals, and delivery—making it easy for stakeholders to engage and for creatives to executeMaintain documentation and templates (briefs, timelines, status trackers, QA checklists) that reduce rework and increase consistencySupport quality by ensuring the right reviews happen at the right time (brand, claims/legal when applicable, retailer/spec checks) before final releaseTrack progress and share clear status reporting; surface themes and opportunities to improve cycle time, predictability, and stakeholder experienceClient & Cross-Functional CollaborationServe as the primary day-to-day project management partner for the client’s Culinary creative—supporting stakeholders across campaigns, launches, and always-on contentPartner with marketing, social, e-commerce, product/innovation, legal, and sales teams to align expectations, clarify deliverables, and keep work moving through approvalsFacilitate clear communication and decision-making—ensuring feedback is consolidated, timelines are understood, and teams stay aligned through changeSKILLS AND EXPERIENCE WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO HAVE 4+ years of project management experience in a creative, marketing, or in-house studio environment (culinary/food, kitchen appliances, CPG, or lifestyle brands a plus)Proven ability to manage multiple workstreams end-to-end: intake, scoping, timelines, resourcing coordination, feedback, approvals, and deliveryStrong working knowledge of digital and social-first creative production, including versioning and high-volume content workflowsFamiliarity with e-commerce and retailer deliverables for appliances (PDP modules, specs, asset handoffs), and comfort coordinating cross-functional inputsExceptional organization and communication skills: able to run meetings, drive clarity, and keep stakeholders aligned under tight deadlinesComfort with project management tools (e.g., Asana, Workfront, Jira, Monday.com, Smartsheet) and collaborative review/approval workflowsProactive, solutions-oriented mindset with strong attention to detail, follow-through, and a calm approach to ambiguity and changeAnd we’d love you to…Have experience supporting creative teams in a culinary/food (or similar consumer) environment—understanding seasonality, launch calendars, and high-volume content needsBe comfortable coordinating digital/social-first and e-commerce workstreams (paid social toolkits, recipe/how-to content, creator/chef partnerships, PDP updates, retailer requests), keeping timelines tight and stakeholders alignedAny of the following would be a plus (Culinary Creative Project Management)Experience supporting food content workflows (recipe development/testing, food styling, food photography/video production) and coordinating the unique dependencies that come with culinary storytellingHands-on experience with DAM/asset management and retailer/e-commerce ecosystems (including Amazon), plus comfort coordinating retail/print timelines and spec-heavy deliverables when neededStarting hourly between $95-$135EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYERWe are an equal opportunity employer, and we value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.RECRUITING AGENCIEStms does not accept agency resumes submitted by third-party vendors unless a valid agreement has been signed and the tms Talent Acquisition Team has granted authorization for submissions for a specified position. Please do not submit or forward resumes to our site, tms employees, or any other company location. tms is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.