Creative Program Manager

THE WORK:

The Creative Program Manager will be the central coordination point between Ripple's Brand Design Team, Events Team, and design agencies; managing the end-to-end execution of all physical and digital design assets for sponsored and hosted events, including our flagship annual event, Swell.

Reporting to the Director, Marketing Strategy and Operations, this role sits within a centralized project management organization within the Brand Marketing & Design team and is directly responsible for ensuring all event design deliverables—from booth architecture and signage to collateral and premium swag—are executed on-brand, on-time, within budget, and to the highest quality standards globally. This is an ideal role for an experienced manager who thrives in a fast-paced environment, is passionate about brand execution, and excels at stakeholder and vendor management.

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

• Develop, maintain, and communicate a unified design production calendar and roadmap for an estimated 10-15 sponsored global events and the Swell annual conference (1,500+).
• Define project scopes, set critical path milestones, and manage complex interdependencies between the Design Team (Visual, Web, Media), the Events Team, external agencies, and internal stakeholders (Executive, Marketing, Comms).
• Champion and enforce efficient project management processes, leveraging tools like Asana and the Google suite to standardize event design workflows across the organization.
• Own and consolidate feedback across the creative review process, Marketing, Legal, and Executive reviewers, and enforce clear decision rights to keep timelines intact.
• Proactively identify, communicate, and resolve bottlenecks related to creative capacity, content handoffs, budget constraints, or vendor capabilities.
• Directly manage and track the budget for all event management, design production, and fabrication.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for external production and fabrication agencies. Manage RFPs, negotiate SOWs, and hold vendors accountable for quality and delivery against established deadlines.
• Partner with the Design Operations lead to help forecast design resource needs based on the events calendar.

WHAT YOU'LL BRING: 

• 6+ years of dedicated project/program management experience, preferably within a fast-paced technology company, creative agency, or large-scale event production environment.
• Proven track record of managing creative production for physical environments (trade show booths, conference signage) and print collateral.
• Expert knowledge of project management methodologies (e.g., Agile, Waterfall) and proficiency with project management tools.
• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to influence and align diverse stakeholders at multiple levels (Brand Design, Marketing, Legal, Executive).
• Direct experience managing production budgets, negotiating contracts, and leading vendor relationships.
• Familiarity with design methodology, processes, and design collaboration tools (Figma)
• Experience in the web3, finance, or tech industries is a plus.