Traffic Manager ( Creative Team) at Publicis in Tokyo, Tokyo, JP

Company description

Publicis Groupe is not just a company you work for; it’s a platform for you to take your talent to the world. If you want to help change the world, ideas alone are not enough. Real impact can only come from having meaningful access to a world of knowledge, people, and resources.

At Publicis Groupe, you are connected to our global network, intelligence, tools, clients, brands and 90,000+ brilliant minds with expertise in data, technology, media, strategy, creativity, and business transformation, all literally at your fingertips.

Publicis Groupe is the third largest communications group in the world. Founded in Paris in 1926, we are present in more than 100 countries as leaders in marketing, communication, and digital business transformation. Over the past three years our Japan Media team has won numerous pieces of business, making us the one of the fastest growing agencies in Japan and we are now looking to expand the team.

This represents a great opportunity to join a fast moving, award winning media team, that offers massive potential for career growth, the opportunity to work overseas via our Work Your World programme, a leading SGD programme and many more career and life expanding programmes.

Overview

The Traffic & Resource Manager is responsible for the smooth, efficient, and strategic flow of projects within the creative department. This role ensures that creative work is delivered on time, within budget, and at the highest quality standards.

Acting as the central coordination point, the role balances operational execution with forward-looking resource planning, leveraging systems, data, and innovative tools to optimize workloads, improve efficiency, and enable creative excellence.

The Traffic & Resource Manager works closely with the Creative leadership (CCO, ECDs), project managers, and external partners to maintain schedules, manage resources, and continuously improve ways of working.

Responsibilities

1. Project Coordination & Workflow Management

• Manage the scheduling and workflow of multiple creative projects

• Ensure each phase of the project is delivered on time and aligned with specifications

• Act as the central point of coordination across teams to ensure seamless project flow

• Monitor progress and proactively address bottlenecks or delays

1. Resource Planning & Allocation

• Allocate resources (internal teams, freelancers, external vendors) effectively across all projects

• Own and continuously improve workload tracking and allocation, making it more data-driven and structured

• Utilize systems (e.g., Baseline or equivalent tools) to manage capacity planning

• Anticipate and resolve resource gaps, overcapacity, and client conflicts

1. Capacity & Temporary Resource Management

• Identify needs for temporary resources and initiate hiring or freelancer engagement

• Manage onboarding/offboarding of external support

• Ensure optimal balance between cost efficiency and delivery needs

1. Schedule Management

• Develop, maintain, and adjust project timelines based on scope, priorities, and resource availability

• Proactively update schedules in response to changes and ensure alignment across stakeholders

1. Communication & Stakeholder Management

• Serve as the central point of contact for all project-related communication

• Ensure all stakeholders are informed of project status, risks, and changes

• Provide clear visibility of team capacity and workload to leadership (CCO, ECDs, Business Leads)

1. Workflow Optimization & Process Improvement

• Continuously evaluate and improve workflow processes to enhance efficiency and effectiveness

• Introduce more structured and scalable ways of working across the creative team

• Support the transition to more automated and system-driven processes

1. Tools, Subscriptions & Vendor Management

• Manage creative tools and subscriptions (licenses, allocations, renewals, cost tracking)

• Oversee image vendor contracts (e.g., Getty, Shutterstock), ensuring proper usage and compliance

• Optimize tool usage to maximize value and efficiency

1. AI & Innovation Enablement

• Promote the responsible adoption of AI tools within the creative team

• Identify opportunities to reduce workload and improve efficiency without compromising quality

• Support testing and scaling of new tools and technologies

1. Training & Capability Development

• Partner with the CCO and ECDs to design and manage a creative training program

• Manage training budgets and ensure alignment with team development needs

• Identify skill gaps and support continuous learning initiatives

1. Awards & External Recognition Management

• Manage the submission of creative work to awards and competitions

• Oversee budgets for entries, events, and travel

• Collaborate with the PR team to maximize visibility and external recognition

1. Quality Control & Problem-Solving

• Monitor the quality of work delivered, ensuring alignment with creative standards and objectives

• Identify and resolve issues such as delays, resource constraints, or scope changes

• Act as a key escalation point for operational challenges

1. Reporting & Insights

• Provide regular reporting on project status, resource allocation, and risks

• Deliver insights to leadership to support decision-making and planning

• Use data to improve forecasting and operational performance