Operations Manager (Resource Management)

You will join a dynamic, fast-paced in-house creative organization where breakthrough thinking creates a tangible impact. The Operations team serves as the central point of coordination between Brand and WoW Studios, driven by clarity, transparency, predictability, and efficiency. Our mission is to empower the organization by establishing robust processes, optimizing resources, and standardizing data to ensure timely and financially sound execution.

Whirlpool is seeking an Operations Manager (Resource Management) to take operational ownership of talent allocation, capacity modeling, and workload balancing across our multidisciplinary teams. Reporting directly to the Head of Operations, you will partner closely with Program Management, Senior Operations Managers, and cross-functional discipline leads to translate project demand into viable staffing solutions while protecting team health and company utilization targets. In this role, you will ensure projects across our studio are properly staffed with the right talent at the right time, balancing day-to-day resource availability against scheduled delivery milestones.

This role is on-site 5 days per week.   

• Talent Allocation & Multi-Brand Staffing: Allocate talent across multiple brands and disciplines (including project management, creative, and production) based on technical skills, availability, and business priority
• Intake Feasibility & Priority Alignment: Partner with Program Management as projects are vetted at intake, assessing capacity feasibility and validating delivery milestones against real-time bandwidth
• Capacity Forecasting: Forecast short- and long-term capacity needs leveraging annual scope forecasts and project demand pipeline data, identifying skill and headcount gaps well before they impact delivery
• Workload Rebalancing & Problem-Solving: Monitor and analyze planned allocation data to rebalance active workloads, keeping teams aligned with utilization targets
• Process Standardization: Maintain and iterate operational frameworks for resource requests, project handoffs and initiatives tracking
• Timesheet & People Leader Reporting: Audit timesheets, track team PTO and deliver weekly utilization reports
• Awards Submission Management: Oversee the operational logistics and end-to-end timeline for industry award submissions, tracking key deadlines, managing asset collection, and coordinating team bandwidth for case study preparation
• External Talent Support: Coordinate external staffing workflows, managing onboarding/offboarding and allocation tracking

• Bachelor’s Degree
• 5+ years of professional experience in project management, creative operations, or resource planning within a creative agency, studio, or consultancy environment

• Cross-Functional Fluency: Strong understanding of creative, production, and project workflows, with the ability to distinguish nuanced creative specializations to staff projects accurately
• Tool Proficiency & Data Integrity: 3+ years of experience with dedicated resource management platforms (e.g., Workfront, Resource Management by Smartsheet/10,000ft, Monday.com) and advanced spreadsheet modeling
• Balances Stakeholders & Manages Ambiguity: Ability to build consensus across competing priorities (creative ambitions vs. delivery timelines vs. utilization goals) while navigating fluid project pipelines and incomplete data
• Optimizes Work Processes: Proven approach to identifying process friction, continuous improvement, and establishing scalable handoff and tracking standards
• Courage & Consultative Problem Solving: Confidence to address difficult staffing trade-offs candidly, hold operational boundaries, operate with minimal direction, and present data-backed solutions to senior department leads

Compensation: $55,900 - $111,800 + Annual Bonus

Generous benefits package, Whirlpool employee discount, fitness & educational reimbursement programs, kitchenettes, and more! Saint Joseph/Benton Harbor locations: Beautiful, recently renovated office space, free coffee, biking/walking trails, and access to The Eddy - Early Childhood Center (depending upon availability - additional costs required).

Whirlpool’s Ways of Working
Our goal is to provide an environment that helps you bring your best to Whirlpool every day.  We offer flexibility and industry-leading time-off benefits that will help you balance what’s important at work and at home, including:

• Always On Flexibility - You will have the autonomy to manage personal, family, and outside-of-work commitments as needed.
• Two-Week Work from Anywhere - Minimum of one-week increments for a total of two weeks per year.
• Sabbatical - Four weeks paid leave after every five years of service.