Production Operations & Project Manager

Company Overview

Engage Video Group is a technology-driven social media video business combining data and creativity to create content people really care about. We have worked with global corporations such as Unilever and NESTLÉ to produce the most engaging, shareable content for some of the world’s largest brands, and have built and own the largest food and recipe social media platform in Africa, Foodies of SA.

Job Purpose

This role sits at the intersection of project management and hands-on production operations. You own the full project lifecycle from initial brief to final delivery, and you are the operational backbone that keeps a high-output creative team running at pace.

You bring a genuine love of technology and a restless appetite for improvement. You use AI, automation, and lean principles because you are always looking for ways to move faster, reduce waste, and free your team to do their best critical thinking and creative work. You find solutions, build them, and embed them.

Success is measured by

Your north star is the PM iron triangle: every project delivered on time, on budget, and to the quality our clients expect. You drive a high-performance team culture by setting clear ownership, removing blockers before they form, and holding the standard even under pressure.

Success here means owning outcomes. You roll up your sleeves, solve problems before they escalate, and make decisions with confidence. Our teams feel empowered rather than overwhelmed. The operations improve in your hands because you diagnose inefficiencies, design a better way, and implement it. You are the reason the business can scale without losing its cool.

Key Responsibilities

Core responsibilities include but are not limited to:

1. Project Management Excellence: You take end-to-end ownership of the project journey from brief to delivery. You drive the team forward, solve problems proactively, and ensure multiple projects move simultaneously without hitting bottlenecks. You maintain high standards, clear task ownership, and keep delivery on time, tracking risks early and resolving them fast.

1. Continuous Improvement: You are a champion of our systems and a driver of their evolution. You embrace technology, including AI tools, automation, and lean methodologies, as levers for velocity and quality. You follow process and improve it, interrogating what slows the team down and implementing changes with clear ownership. You lead regular retrospectives and translate data into measurable efficiency gains.  

1. Cost Control & Budget Discipline:  You manage project finances with a sense of transparency and discipline. You monitor costs closely, forecast accurately, and mitigate or escalate risks early. Every project closes with a full reconciliation that feeds future planning.

1. Stakeholder Communication & Resource Coordination: You keep the team aligned, schedules optimised, and clients informed. Internally, you ensure the right people are working on the right things at the right time, and that decision-making never stalls due to a communication gap. Externally, you are a reliable and clear partner to clients: onboarding them well, managing feedback effectively, and building relationships that last.

1. Production Operations & Logistics: You own the operational backbone that keeps Foodies of SA productions running sustainably. This covers the systems layer: overseeing production finances, maintaining robust SOPs, and building processes that reduce inefficiency and support growth. It also covers the on-the-ground layer: assembling crews, managing day-of execution, and ensuring every shoot has what it needs. You build strong relationships with preferred suppliers, crew, and talent so that the operation runs smoothly both on set and off.
   
   

Who You Are

• You’re a People Person with a System Brain: You love high-level organization and clean spreadsheets, but you understand that projects are powered by humans, not just software. You use tools to empower the team, not just to tick boxes.
• You’re Proactive: You don’t wait for a crisis to look for a fire extinguisher. With a proactive problem-solving mindset, you’re always three steps ahead, identifying risks and pivoting before they catch fire.
• You’re a Master
  Communicator: You possess strong interpersonal skills and can translate complex timelines or strategy shifts into clear, calm, and actionable updates for both teammates and clients.
• You’re Calm Under Pressure: In the fast-paced world of social media video, you are the "eye of the storm" for the rest of the team. You are the calm, resilient presence that the team leans on when deadlines loom.
• You’re a Details Person:
  You spot the missing line item or the scheduling conflict before it becomes an issue, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.
• You’re a Critical & Creative Thinker: You don't just follow a path; you look for the best one. You’re adaptable and can think on your feet to find creative solutions to resource constraints or workflow bottlenecks.
  
  

Requirements

• Education
  • Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business Administration, Communications, Production, or related field
  • Certifications in Project Management or Production beneficial
• Experience
  • 3-5+ years of project management and production experience
  • Strong interest and experience in working with AI tools to build solutions & efficiencies
  • Proven track record of successfully managing multiple projects
  • Demonstrated experience managing budgets, suppliers, and production timelines
  • Experience working with cross-functional creative teams (stylists, videographers, editors, etc.)
    
    
• Technical Competencies

• Project management softwares
• Content management systems
• Financial & data analysis skills (Sheets or Excel)
• Computer literacy: Google Suite & Microsoft Office
  
  

Other important details:

• Location: Cape Town
• Type: Full-time
• Job level: Mid-Senior
• Start date: As soon as possible