Associate Manager, Studio Operations

Location: Burbank, CA / In-Person (Full-Time)

Salary: $80,000–$110,000 depending on experience + benefits

About the Role

1826 Studio is a creative production studio supporting live entertainment, touring, and large-scale creative projects. We provide the operational, financial, and administrative infrastructure that allows creative teams to focus on their work while ensuring projects remain organized, accurately tracked, and successfully executed.

The Associate Manager serves as a key operational partner to the Head of Studio, supporting the day-to-day management of projects, client work, and studio operations. This role sits at the intersection of project coordination, financial tracking, deal administration, and operational support, helping ensure information flows efficiently between creative teams, clients, vendors, and internal stakeholders.

Success in this role requires someone who is highly organized, detail-oriented, and proactive. The Associate Manager helps maintain accurate project information, schedules, expenses, deliverables, and financial records that directly support quoting, invoicing, commission calculations, project reporting, and final project closeout.

This position is ideal for someone who enjoys building structure, solving problems, and keeping multiple moving pieces aligned in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as a day-to-day operational point of contact across assigned projects and studio initiatives
• Coordinate schedules, timelines, deliverables, and communication across internal teams, clients, vendors, and external partners
• Track project activity, scope changes, key milestones, and outstanding action items to support successful project execution
• Maintain accurate records of project activity, labor, expenses, travel, vendor costs, and deliverables
• Gather and organize project information required for quoting, invoicing, commission calculations, project reporting, and financial reconciliation
• Support the preparation and administration of deal sheets, agreements, project documentation, and related records
• Coordinate invoicing and billing processes in partnership with finance teams
• Support accounts receivable tracking, payment follow-up, and collection efforts as needed
• Track commissions, revenue participation, and project-based financial commitments
• Assist with project budget tracking, financial reporting, and project profitability analysis
• Support project closeout processes, including final expense reconciliation and P&L reporting
• Monitor project status and proactively identify issues, bottlenecks, or outstanding needs requiring follow-up
• Maintain organized project files, databases, financial records, and operational documentation
• Contribute to the ongoing improvement of studio systems, workflows, and operational processes
• Provide operational and administrative support to the Head of Studio across a variety of studio initiatives

What This Person Will Bring

• Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail
• Strong follow-through and the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously
• A proactive, solutions-oriented approach to problem-solving
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Professionalism, discretion, and sound judgment
• Ability to remain calm and adaptable in fast-moving environments
• Comfort working independently while collaborating across multiple teams
• Strong financial and administrative aptitude
• A genuine interest in live entertainment, touring, creative production, and business operations

Qualifications

• 3–5+ years of experience in studio operations, talent management, production coordination, creative operations, project administration, business affairs support, or related fields
• Experience within live entertainment, touring, music, production companies, creative agencies, or similar environments preferred
• Strong understanding of invoicing, budgeting, financial tracking, and project administration
• Experience coordinating multiple projects and stakeholders simultaneously
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Google Workspace, and project management tools
• Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion and professionalism

Why This Role Matters

Great creative work depends on strong operational foundations. This role helps ensure projects remain organized, financially aligned, and properly supported from start to finish. By maintaining accurate information, coordinating communication, and supporting financial processes, the Associate Manager plays an important role in helping the studio deliver successful projects while ensuring the business side of the work remains equally strong.