Freelance Project Manager - Graphic Design and Print Production

At Imagine Learning Studios, our mission is to inspire aha! moments in students around the world. Previously known as Twig Education, our acquisition in 2021 by the largest digital curriculum provider in the US, Imagine Learning, allows us to invest more in our products and push ahead with our ambitious plans to expand even further. Together, we support educators in transforming the learning experience for young people with our innovative digital resources. 

In our new chapter as Imagine Learning Studios, we continue to provide comprehensive and engaging multimedia learning experiences for students across a range of disciplines, including science, mathematics, English language, arts… and more! While our products have reached far and wide, we haven’t stopped growing – and we can’t wait to welcome more talented and passionate people into our team. 

Want to come work with us? Our office is located in the heart of Glasgow’s bustling West End, where our story first began.  

Take a sneak peak at just some of the work we do by watching this video. 

Salary: TBC 

Contract type: Freelance 

Contract duration: 9 months 

Locations: Glasgow with Hybrid 

Summary Description 

The IL Studio Graphic Design and Print Production team is working with products from across the Imagine Learning family. Their fresh and innovative approach to graphic design and publishing  is a key factor in making our print and digital products stand out from the crowd - creating best in class learning experiences which are exciting, engaging and effective. 

We are looking for a Project Manager with Graphic Design and Print Production  experience to  work with us in delivering our  busy road map for the next 9 months.  

The Project Manager (Design) will be responsible for planning projects and resourcing in the Design team for a number of outcomes: developing new products, improving processes, print production and branding. The PM will work closely with the Head of Design (Print) and the Head of Project management as well  as other areas of the business (e.g. Product, Editorial andVideo Production). 

As such, the PM (Design) needs to have the ability to work efficiently on varied project strands with different workflows, timelines and outputs, investigating, understanding and documenting the dependencies between them in order to bring them all to delivery on time and on budget. 

Their responsibility is to guide and support the Design team throughout the designated projects, ensuring precise identification and scheduling of objectives, alignment of resources, budgeting, and communication to achieve project objectives. 

Essential Job Functions 

A project is typically divided into five different phases: initiation, planning, execution, and closure. Throughout the project lifecycle the PM is responsible for: 

• Capturing requirements in order to define the scope of the project. 
• Identifying the constituent workstreams, workflows and dependencies between the two so a clear workflow can be presented to the stakeholders involved. 
• Documenting the work breakdown structure(s) in order to inform the project plan and identify resource and budget needs. 
• Planning a project’s resourcing based on the project plan and desired outcomes in order to inform business decision making. 
• Creating and maintaining agreed project documentation, systems and templates in order to adhere to agreed standards of Project Governance. 
• Delivering an agreed communication plan covering meeting cadence and management, appropriate comms channels in order to facilitate smooth running of the project. 
• Documenting Team roles and responsibilities so there is clear understanding of roles, responsibilities (RACI). 
• Managing project resources (including teams and workers) in order to hit deadlines within budget. 
• Documenting project progress against deliverables and budget in order to ascertain project health.  
• Assessing risks, troubleshooting and identifying solutions in order to keep the project on track in terms of budget, schedule and quality. Escalating issues where necessary in a timely fashion. 
• Reporting on Project Health and progress, risk, decisions and change to relevant stakeholders in a clear, timely and appropriate manner in order to align understanding across all stakeholders, and mitigate risk. 
• Perform other responsibilities within the scope of expertise.  

Qualifications 

• 4+ years experience in Graphic Design and Print Production 
• At least GCSE Grades A to C / 9 to 4 or Scottish Standard Grades. Secretarial training and qualifications. BTEC First Diploma. City & Guilds level 2. (NVQ 2). 

Technical Skills 

• Thorough understanding of graphic design, typesetting and print production workflows 
• Demonstrable experience in use of project management software and processes (e.g., Asana, Smartsheet, Monday etc.) 
• Excellent competency of relevant office software eg Gsuite, Office 
• Advanced use of spreadsheets for project management purposes. 

Competencies 

• Project Management –  The ability to translate objectives into practical and achievable actions by prioritising, planning, organising and managing resources within and across functional boundaries in order to manage a multi-disciplinary project. 
• Communication  – The ability to speak clearly and effectively, listening to and involving others. The ability to convey a message, verbally or in writing, to both individuals and groups and actively listen to the responses. 
• Teamwork and Team Orientation – The ability to work together with others in harmony, and to work with and support others as part of a team, both within and across functions, and understand the need to work together with others to create a favourable environment of cooperation and mutual responsibility. Team Working is about being able to work cooperatively, across cultures and organisational boundaries, to achieve shared goals. 
• Decision Making – The ability to make timely and considered decisions, and accurate judgements, and taking responsibility for the outcome. The ability to take a balanced view, to recognise priorities and to weigh-up different options to reach logical conclusions and decide on a plan of action. 
• Flexibility – The ability to be willing and able to adapt to changes, often at short-notice.  Flexibility is the ability to adapt to and work with a variety of situations, individuals and groups. It is about being able to think on your feet, and not being disconcerted or stopped by the unexpected. 
• Commitment to Achieve - The tendency to act in a self-directed way by taking action before being directed or forced by events, and to seize opportunities, seek in-depth information and do significantly more than is required. 
• Financial Awareness – The ability to show an understanding of financial management and the ability to prepare, plan and work within budgetary guidelines.  Understands the importance of managing the bottom line and of managing finances.​ 

Think we’re the right fit for you? 

Please note this contract is for an immediate start and we will be interviewing suitable candidates on a rolling basis ahead of the close date.  

If you’re interested in a role that offers fulfilment and diversity, then please complete the Online Application Form, attaching a CV and cover letter that demonstrates the extent to which your skills, abilities and experience meet the requirements of this role.  

Please note, applications which do not include both a CV and covering letter will not be considered.   

Application Link: https://twigeducationltd.peoplehr.net/Pages/JobBoard/Opening.aspx?v=9d4adb69-2084-458d-8118-d0bc152d6239