Program Manager, Creative Operations

We're transforming the grocery industryAt Instacart, we invite the world to share love through food because we believe everyone should have access to the food they love and more time to enjoy it together. Where others see a simple need for grocery delivery, we see exciting complexity and endless opportunity to serve the varied needs of our community. We work to deliver an essential service that customers rely on to get their groceries and household goods, while also offering safe and flexible earnings opportunities to Instacart Personal Shoppers.Instacart has become a lifeline for millions of people, and we’re building the team to help push our shopping cart forward. If you’re ready to do the best work of your life, come join our table.Instacart is a Flex First team There’s no one-size fits all approach to how we do our best work. Our employees have the flexibility to choose where they do their best work—whether it’s from home, an office, or your favorite coffee shop—while staying connected and building community through regular in-person events. Learn more about our flexible approach to where we work.OverviewWe're seeking an experienced Program Manager, Creative Operations to be a part of the operational backbone of Instacart's Creative Studio. This is a pivotal role responsible for ensuring our creative engine runs smoothly, efficiently, and at scale. You'll be the bridge between creative excellence and operational rigor—building systems, optimizing workflows, and enabling our creative team to focus on what they do best: creating exceptional work that turns creativity into a competitive advantage for Instacart.As the Program Manager, Creative Operations, you oversee critical operational functions across the Creative Studio, including creative resourcing, tooling strategy, business management, and program management for complex, creative-driven campaigns. This role is instrumental in bringing structure, industry best practices, and operational excellence to a fast-paced, cross-functional creative environment.About The JobCreative Project ManagementLead program management for complex creative campaigns requiring coordination across multiple creative disciplines (design, video, copy, photography) and cross-functional workstreamsProvide hands-on program management for the Creative Studio's largest, cross-functional projects where creative deliverables are on the critical pathManage programs requiring creative-specific vendor coordination and complex resource allocation, leveraging Creative Operations' specialized vendor relationshipsOptimize creative team efficiency and protect their ability to focus on core creative work through strategic capacity planning and resource allocationDevelop frameworks for balancing in-house talent, agency support, and project-based contractorsCreative Studio Business OperationsSupport financial tracking and expense management for the Creative StudioHelp forecast expenses in partnership with the Executive Creative Director and Head of ProductionAssist in projecting the cost to execute creative projects, taking into account the blended rate of in-house talent, agency support, and project-based contractorsSupport operational systems and processes that give Senior Marketing Leadership and Finance clear visibility into creative expensesDevelop frameworks for balancing in-house talent, agency support, and project-based contractorsOperational ExcellenceOwn and continuously improve end-to-end operational processes for creative work within your domain (e.g., Commercial Marketing, Consumer Marketing, and/or Brand Systems)Drive alignment, visibility, and accountability across the lifecycle of creative projects: from intake and prioritization through delivery and deploymentBuild and maintain dashboards, trackers, and project management tools that enable transparency across teams and functionsIdentify opportunities to scale and streamline systems and workflows across the Creative StudioCulture and Team EngagementPartner with the Executive Creative Director and Head of Creative Operations to foster a positive, collaborative Creative Studio cultureSupport whole-team culture initiatives, including meeting cadences, conference attendance, and professional development opportunitiesFoster a team environment that values collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvementAbout YouMinimum Qualifications7+ years of experience in Creative Operations, Project Management, Production Management, or Studio Operations, ideally within a fast-paced consumer brand, tech company, or in-house creative organizationProven track record managing complex, high-volume creative workflows across digital and physical channels (performance marketing, brand campaigns, product launches, retail)Deep hands-on experience with project management platforms (e.g., Workfront, Asana, Monday.com, Airtable) and creative collaboration toolsDemonstrated experience with creative resourcing, capacity planning, and vendor managementStrong understanding of creative disciplines (design, video, copy, photography) and how they intersect in campaign executionExperience managing creative budgets, vendor relationships, and resource optimizationExperience with Monday.comPreferred QualificationsExceptional stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration skills—able to partner effectively with Marketing, Creative, Production, and Finance teamsProcess-oriented mindset with the ability to design, document, and implement scalable workflows that serve creative teamsStrategic thinker who understands when to apply operational rigor vs. when to enable creative flexibilityStrong problem-solving skills with a bias toward action and continuous improvementHighly organized, detail-oriented, and comfortable navigating ambiguity in a dynamic, fast-paced environmentExcellent communication skills—able to translate between creative and business stakeholdersInstacart provides highly market-competitive compensation and benefits in each location where our employees work. This role is remote and the base pay range for a successful candidate is dependent on their permanent work location. Please review our Flex First remote work policy here.Offers may vary based on many factors, such as candidate experience and skills required for the role. Additionally, this role is eligible for a new hire equity grant as well as annual refresh grants. Please read more about our benefits offerings here.For US based candidates, the base pay ranges for a successful candidate are listed below.CA, NY, CT, NJ$142,000—$158,000 USDWA$137,000—$152,000 USDOR, DE, ME, MA, MD, NH, RI, VT, DC, PA, VA, CO, TX, IL, HI$131,000—$145,000 USDAll other states$118,000—$131,000 USD