ABOUT THE ROLE

As a Traffic Manager at 321, you will serve as an operational backbone of the agency, orchestrating resource allocation, workflow optimization, and capacity management across all client accounts and internal projects. You'll leverage high-level project intelligence and data-driven decision-making to ensure work flows efficiently through the agency—balancing team capacity, client deadlines, and profitability targets across a high volume of concurrent engagements.

This role sits at the intersection of operations, resource planning, financial optimization, and AI-driven workflow automation. You'll bring expertise in agency operations alongside proven ability to manage complex scheduling, prioritize competing demands, and maximize team utilization. Your analytical approach combined with sophisticated AI integration will enable you to forecast capacity constraints, identify bottlenecks, and make rapid allocation decisions that protect both delivery quality and profit margins. As part of an AI-first organization, you'll continuously evolve operational systems, leveraging automation and intelligent tools to scale the agency's capacity without proportional headcount growth.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

Resource Allocation & Capacity Management

Own the master resource allocation across all departments (Client Success, Creative, Digital, Social), managing assignments for 15-20 team members across 15-20+ active client accounts.
Monitor team capacity in real-time, making strategic decisions about work distribution, priority sequencing, and deadline management.
Forecast resource needs based on pipeline activity, seasonal demands, and client patterns to proactively identify capacity constraints.
Balance workload across team members to optimize utilization rates while preventing burnout and maintaining quality standards.
Leverage AI-powered resource management and forecasting tools to predict bottlenecks and optimize team allocation.
Coordinate with department leads on staffing decisions, contractor needs, and capacity planning for new business.
Manage freelancer and contractor resources, including vetting, onboarding, assignment, and quality oversight.

Project Intake & Workflow Coordination

Serve as the central intake point for all client requests, new projects, and scope changes across the agency.
Review incoming work against existing commitments, determining feasibility, timeline estimates, and resource requirements.
Route projects to appropriate team members based on expertise, capacity, current workload, and strategic priorities.
Utilize AI tools to automatically categorize, prioritize, and route incoming requests based on complexity and urgency.
Maintain high-level visibility across all active projects without requiring deep knowledge of individual client strategies or creative details.
Facilitate kickoff coordination between Client Success teams and execution teams (Creative, Digital, Social) to ensure clear handoffs.
Monitor project status and deadlines, escalating risks and resolving scheduling conflicts before they impact delivery.

Profitability & Financial Operations

Track and optimize project profitability by monitoring hours against budgets, identifying scope creep, and flagging margin erosion.
Collaborate with team lead to analyze personnel costs against revenue, working toward target of 50% net profit margins.
Review time tracking data to ensure accurate client billing, budget adherence, and profitability reporting.
Identify patterns of inefficiency or over-servicing, recommending process improvements or scope adjustments.
Support financial planning by providing accurate utilization data, capacity forecasts, and resource cost projections.
Use AI-powered analytics to identify profitability trends, predict budget overruns, and optimize resource allocation for maximum margin.
Partner with Client Success on contract renewals and scope adjustments based on actual resource consumption and project history.

Workflow Optimization & Process Management

Design and maintain workflow systems in ClickUp (or similar platforms) that provide visibility into all active work, deadlines, and dependencies.
Create and enforce standardized processes for project intake, routing, approvals, and delivery to reduce friction and improve predictability.
Implement AI-driven automation for routine workflow tasks including status updates, deadline reminders, and capacity alerts.
Identify and eliminate operational bottlenecks through process analysis, tool optimization, and workflow redesign.
Develop templates, checklists, and standard operating procedures that enable teams to work more efficiently.
Leverage AI tools to automate reporting, generate capacity dashboards, and create predictive analytics for leadership.
Conduct regular workflow audits to ensure processes are being followed and identify opportunities for improvement.

Cross-Functional Coordination & Communication

Facilitate communication between Client Success, Creative, Digital, and Social teams to ensure seamless project handoffs and collaboration.
Lead weekly or daily traffic meetings to review priorities, address conflicts, and align teams on urgent deliverables.
Translate high-level client commitments from Client Success into actionable work assignments for execution teams.
Provide department leads with capacity insights, workload forecasts, and resource availability to support strategic planning.
Use AI to generate automated status reports, capacity summaries, and project health dashboards for leadership and department heads.
Escalate resource conflicts, impossible deadlines, or scope issues to appropriate stakeholders with recommended solutions.
Maintain professional, solution-oriented communication even under high-pressure situations with competing priorities.

Quality Control & Delivery Oversight

Monitor project timelines and deliverable quality to ensure work meets agency standards and client expectations.
Identify projects at risk of missing deadlines or quality standards, coordinating resources to get them back on track.
Review team workload and stress levels to identify when quality may be compromised by over-capacity situations.
Partner with department leads to ensure appropriate skill levels are assigned to complex or high-stakes projects.
Track project completion rates, on-time delivery metrics, and client satisfaction indicators.
Utilize AI tools to flag quality risks, predict delivery delays, and recommend resource adjustments proactively.

WHAT YOU HAVE

5+ years of experience in agency traffic management, resource allocation, or operations management, preferably in a creative or marketing agency environment.
Proven track record managing high-volume workflows (30+ concurrent projects) with multiple departments and competing priorities.
Strong understanding of agency operations including creative production, digital marketing execution, and client service workflows.
Exceptional organizational skills with ability to maintain clarity and control across complex, fast-moving environments.
Advanced proficiency with AI-powered project management and resource planning tools with demonstrated ability to automate operational workflows.
Active user of AI tools for data analysis, forecasting, reporting, and workflow automation (ChatGPT, Claude, or similar platforms).
Understanding of AI capabilities for operational optimization, predictive analytics, and intelligent resource allocation.
Deep expertise with project management platforms (ClickUp strongly preferred, or similar tools like Asana, Monday.com, Smartsheet).
Strong analytical skills with ability to interpret utilization data, profitability metrics, and capacity forecasts to make informed decisions.
Experience with time tracking systems and financial operations related to project budgeting and profitability analysis.
Excellent communication skills with ability to negotiate priorities, manage expectations, and resolve conflicts diplomatically.
Ability to make rapid decisions under pressure while balancing quality, deadlines, team capacity, and profitability.
Understanding of creative and digital production timelines, including realistic estimates for design, development, content creation, and campaign execution.
Experience working with regulated industries (healthcare, legal, financial services) and understanding of compliance workflows is a plus.
Proficiency with Google Suite and comfortable working with spreadsheets, dashboards, and data visualization tools.
Strategic thinker who can see patterns across projects and identify systemic improvements rather than just managing day-to-day tasks.
Innovative mindset with track record of implementing technology solutions and process improvements that increase operational efficiency.
Calm under pressure with ability to juggle multiple urgent requests and shifting priorities without losing focus.
Continuous learner who stays current on operations management trends, AI tools, and proactively experiments with workflow optimization techniques.
Natural problem-solver who takes ownership of issues and drives them to resolution without constant oversight.

REPORTING STRUCTURE

This position reports to the Director of Client Success and ultimately the SVP of Strategy. This position works in close collaboration with all department leads and coordinates resource allocation across all teams.