Director of I/O

ABOUT CREATE

Who We Are

Create is a full-service entertainment advertising agency with offices in Los Angeles and London. We partner with the world's leading studios, streamers, and content platforms to produce campaigns that move audiences — trailers, key art, digital, social, experiential, and everything in between.

Our work spans Films & Series, Content, Key Art, Design, Gaming, Music, and Editorial. We operate at the intersection of craft and speed, handling some of the most confidential and time-sensitive creative assets in the industry. The people who thrive here are sharp, adaptable, and deeply invested in doing the work right.

THE ROLE

Director of IO

The Director of IO is the single accountable lead for Create's I/O department — the operational hub through which every department in the agency sends, receives, and manages assets. This is not a coordinator role. It is a senior leadership position that requires equal parts technical mastery, operational clarity, and team development instinct.

The I/O department services every internal team at Create: AV, Gaming, Key Art, Content, and Design — each with distinct and increasingly complex technical requirements. I/O is also client-facing. The team communicates directly with studios, production companies, and vendors on behalf of the agency, handling some of the most confidential and time-sensitive assets in the industry. The Director sets the standard for how that service is delivered, internally and externally.

This role is the last word on all I/O issues. The Director reports directly to the VP, Head of Operations and must carry the full confidence of senior leadership across departments.

RESPONSIBILITIES

What You'll Own

Room Leadership

• Serve as the single accountable lead for the entire I/O room — the final decision-maker on workflow, standards, and escalations.
• Manage the IO Manager, Lead Asset Manager, and IO Technician team directly.
• Establish and maintain a cross-training program so every member of the room can handle all media types and back each other up.
• Define, document, and evolve IO room workflows as Create's department mix and client demands continue to grow.
• Act as the technical mentor for the room — the institutional knowledge anchor that doesn't rotate out.

Technical Operations

• Oversee all asset ingest, management, and delivery across every department — client materials, shoot media, design files, editorial footage, and more.
• Serve as the technical bridge between camera and post — managing RAW media pipelines with DIT-level rigor: camera original file integrity, color pipeline awareness, on-set and near-set data management.
• Handle fully RAW media workflows for Content production shoots, which have grown from once monthly to four to five times per month and continue to increase.
• Provide technical fluency across codecs, color spaces, file formats, and metadata standards — troubleshooting independently without escalation to creative departments.
• Support Design with emerging technical workflows and asset management for VFX, 3D, Unreal Engine, and Houdini.
• Oversee Key Art asset workflows in partnership with the Lead Asset Manager — photo lab and stock house relationships, licensing management, DAM categorization, and intelligent asset selection at volume.
• Support Gaming pipelines and understand the asset requirements specific to game engine workflows and interactive media.
• Maintain strong working knowledge of Finishing workflows — final mastered media outputs for broadcast, streaming, theatrical, and digital presentation platforms, including delivery spec compliance and QC standards.

AI & Workflow Innovation

• Actively identify and implement AI tools that create operational efficiencies across the IO room — asset tagging, metadata generation, automated QC, intelligent search, and workflow acceleration.
• Stay forward-looking on industry direction — not anchored to legacy workflows. Bring emerging tools and methods to the table proactively.
• Lead the IO room's evolution toward smarter, faster, and more scalable operations without sacrificing accuracy or confidentiality standards.
• Help lead deployment of AI-assisted DAM capabilities and integrate with existing systems.

Cross-Departmental Partnership

• Serve as the primary IO contact for all internal departments — AV, Gaming, Key Art, Content, and Design — acting as a knowledgeable, reliable, and solutions-oriented partner to each.
• Collaborate closely with Design on technical workflow standards and documentation, eliminating the need for creative departments to absorb operational troubleshooting.
• Partner with Content on RAW media production workflows and shoot preparation.
• Work with Key Art leadership and the Lead Asset Manager on asset strategy, volume management, and licensing compliance.
• Support Gaming with asset pipeline requirements as the department's needs evolve.
• Partner with the Finishing department on final mastered media outputs — understanding broadcast, streaming, and digital delivery specs and ensuring IO handles outbound assets in full compliance.
• Maintain clear swim lane definitions between IO, Finishing, Editorial, and AE teams.

Client-Facing Service

• Represent Create professionally in all direct client and vendor communications — studios, production companies, photo labs, stock houses, and external partners.
• Set and maintain the standard for client-facing service across the IO team — responsive, accurate, discreet, and solutions-first.
• Handle sensitive client asset requests with the professionalism and urgency that studio-level relationships require.
• Train and hold the IO team to the same client service standard — ensuring every touchpoint with an external party reflects Create's reputation.
• Manage client expectations proactively — communicating timelines, flagging issues before they escalate, and following through without being chased.

Team Development & Pipeline

• Develop and maintain a Day 1 technical onboarding program for every new IO Technician.
• Build and maintain a living knowledge base — templatized checklists for recurring workflows and a searchable reference for edge cases and past troubleshooting solutions.
• Identify and cultivate talent within the IO team, supporting Technicians in developing toward their long-term roles across the agency — Creative, Editorial, Gaming, Design, and beyond.
• Manage IO as a feeder and growth path for the wider company, not just a service function.

QUALIFICATIONS

What You Bring

Required

• Expert-level understanding of the Digital Imaging Technician (DIT) role — camera original file integrity, color pipeline, RAW media handling across major camera systems, and the technical handoff between on-set capture and post-production. Direct DIT experience a plus but not required.
• Deep technical fluency in codecs, color spaces, file formats, and metadata standards relevant to professional media production.
• Experience managing high-volume asset workflows in a fast-paced production or post-production environment.
• Proven ability to lead and develop a team — not just execute, but mentor, train, and build institutional knowledge.
• Strong knowledge of Finishing workflows — final mastered media outputs for broadcast, streaming, theatrical, and digital presentation platforms; delivery spec requirements, QC processes, and the handoff between post-production and distribution.
• Strong working knowledge of DAM systems and asset organization at scale.
• Familiarity with Key Art and stills workflows — photo lab relationships, stock house management, licensing documentation (CADs, FABs).
• Experience with or demonstrated understanding of gaming asset pipelines and game engine file types.
• Comfort working with VFX, 3D assets, and emerging production formats (Unreal Engine, Houdini, or equivalent).
• Active curiosity about AI tools and a track record of implementing technology to improve operational efficiency.
• Exceptional organizational instincts — the ability to impose structure on complex, high-volume, multi-department workflows without creating bureaucratic drag.
• Outstanding client-facing communication skills — professional, proactive, and solutions-first in all external interactions with studios, production companies, and vendors.
• Demonstrated ability to service multiple internal departments simultaneously — AV, Gaming, Key Art, Content, and Design — with equal fluency and reliability.
• Discretion and professionalism in handling highly confidential studio assets under NDA.

Preferred

• Background in entertainment advertising, feature film post-production, or a major studio or network environment.
• Experience implementing or managing workflow documentation systems (Notion, Airtable, or equivalent).
• Familiarity with Portfolio DAM or comparable enterprise asset management platforms.
• Prior management experience in a service-layer or shared-services role.
• Experience working across multiple creative departments simultaneously — design, editorial, color, and production.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

Who This Is

You are the person other people call when something is technically wrong and no one else can figure it out. You understand the full media pipeline — from camera to client delivery — and you can explain any part of it clearly to someone who doesn't. You have run complex asset workflows, managed people, and built systems that outlasted you.

You are not a legacy thinker. You stay current, you experiment with new tools, and you bring AI into the room not as a buzzword but as a practical instrument. You know what it means to hold a room — to be the person the team defers to, not because of your title, but because your judgment is sound and your knowledge is deep.

You care about the people below you. You see developing talent as part of the job, not a distraction from it. And you understand that a well-run IO department is the operational foundation the entire agency stands on.