If there’s one person EVERYONE in creative industries appreciates, it’s a great Production Manager. 

Somehow always up to speed on a vast array of complicated projects, a Production Manager helps creative ideas come to life by overseeing how they’re printed, shot on video or recorded in a sound studio.

Each week, The Creative Ladder’s Career Spotlight, presented by Smartsheet, features one of the many creative industry roles that today’s rising talents might want to consider as a rewarding career path. 

This week, we’re focused on Production Managers, who organize the many moving parts and partnerships required to bring ad campaigns or other marketing materials into the real world.

What this role does:

Depending on the kind of clients or projects their jobs are focused on, any two Production Managers can have widely different responsibilities from each other. But the one consistent factor is that Production Managers keep the process of producing content—video, audio, digital or any combination—moving smoothly by making sure all the right resources are being used and work is staying on schedule.

Salary range:

$64,000–$107,000 (average $82,000), per Glassdoor; $53,000–$118,000 (average $79,400), per Indeed. 

Personality traits that thrive in this career: 

• Strong attention to detail

• Love for creating audio, visual or printed content

• Collaboration and teamwork

• Excellent time management skills

What recruiters look for in hiring this role:

• Experience in producing a range of marketing products, such as printed pieces, video commercials or radio ads

• An understanding of the partners who make complex productions possible, such as industrial printers and postproduction teams

• A track record of keeping complex projects moving smoothly and on schedule

A sample career path for this role:

• Production Assistant

• Producer

• Production Manager

• Senior Production Manager

• Director of Production

• Chief Operating Officer