OS-04 · Core · v1.0

structure &
departments.

OwnerSteve
Updated25 Apr 2026
OS-04 · the seven

seven departments. each one a centre of capability.

how zeal is structured

two groups.
seven departments.

Departments are centres of excellence. Projects are where integration happens.

Three departments are project-facing — they’re directly involved in how projects get designed and delivered. Four are business-support — they keep Zeal running as a company.

Department Heads own standards, capability, and development within their team. They act as flag bearers for Zeal 3.0 ways of working and apply this Operating System day to day. But the real work of Zeal happens in the spaces between departments — and that’s by design.

group 01 · 3 departments

project-facing.

Directly involved in how projects get designed and delivered. Projects · Creative · Technical.

group 02 · 4 departments

business-support.

Keep Zeal running as a company. Operations · People · Marketing · Finance.

the org chart · April 2026

who reports
to whom.

A snapshot, not a constraint. Lines show responsibility — not the route every idea takes through Zeal. Most good ideas come from somewhere unexpected.

group 01 · project-facing

the three that
build the work.

Directly involved in how projects get designed and delivered. The Projects team is rarely just managing — they’re shaping, steering, and protecting the work end-to-end.

01
department · 01

projects.

Owns delivery. Owns momentum.

What we own — project management, coordination, execution, client experience through delivery, integration, accountability, and the things that fall through the cracks if no-one catches them.

Where we lean in — Project Managers often have deep technical instincts and shape feasibility decisions. Account Managers carry long-term client relationships across multiple projects, working closely with Marketing and the leadership team. Rarely just managing — shaping, steering, and protecting the work end-to-end.

Head
WoodyProjects Director
Playbook
PB-01 · Projects →
02
department · 02

creative.

Owns vision. Owns story.

What we own — creative direction and intent, design, narrative, visual thinking, and producing the creative outputs of what Zeal delivers — from lighting design to visual content. Keeping Zeal at the forefront of design and visual innovation.

Where we lean in — Creative doesn’t stop at concept. Designers carry creative intent through pre-production and into delivery, often contributing to operational and technical problem-solving along the way. Routinely shapes how projects are framed to clients, and how Marketing tells the story afterwards.

Heads
Zak · JonCreative Director · Design Director
Playbook
PB-02 · Creative →
03
department · 03

technical.

Owns feasibility. Owns translation.

What we own — technical design and feasibility, technical paperwork and documentation, and developing solutions that allow creative ideas to be delivered safely, efficiently, and at a high standard. Supporting Creative, Projects, and Operations with technical expertise and clarity.

Where we lean in — Technical sits at the centre of every project’s hardest questions — bridging Creative ambition, Projects pragmatism, and Operations realities. Often the first to spot when a creative idea needs reshaping, or when a delivery plan isn’t quite right.

Heads
Josh · WillTechnical Manager · Technical Designer
Playbook
PB-03 · Technical →
group 02 · business-support

the four that
keep zeal running.

Less visible on a project plan. Just as load-bearing.

04
department · 04

operations.

Owns the engine. Owns readiness.

What we own — equipment, logistics, warehouse operations, maintenance of equipment and facilities, health and safety, IT systems and infrastructure, day-to-day operational continuity.

Where we lean in — Operations is rarely just executing — the team contributes to project planning, technical feasibility, and creative problem-solving. The warehouse is often where the smartest, most pragmatic ideas surface. Without Operations, nothing happens. With Operations engaged early, projects go further.

Head
AndyOperations Manager
Playbook
PB-04 · Operations →
05
department · 05

people.

Owns culture, operationally. Owns growth.

What we own — HR, statutory and compliance requirements, recruitment, onboarding, development and progression frameworks, and the operational infrastructure that supports people at Zeal. Pillar 1 culture work, made practical.

Where we lean in — works with every department on hiring, growth, and team development. Department Heads own the development of their own teams; People supports them with the structures, frameworks, and processes that make it work.

Head
VikkiOffice Manager · currently on long-term leave; Steve covering in the meantime
Playbook
PB-05 · People →
06
department · 06

marketing.

Owns the story we tell. Owns how Zeal lands.

What we own — marketing and communications, telling Zeal’s story internally and externally, and supporting how Zeal is perceived by clients, peers, and prospective hires. Marketing operates within the brand framework set out in OS-03.

Where we lean in — works closely with Projects and Creative to capture and tell the story of what we deliver, with People on internal communications, and across the business on how Zeal shows up — in the room, on a stage, on a screen.

Head
SianBrand Manager
Playbook
PB-06 · Marketing →
07
department · 07

finance.

Owns the numbers. Owns the rhythm.

What we own — financial management, reporting, accounts, cash flow, commercial performance, and the financial discipline that makes the business sustainable.

Where we lean in — Finance partners with Projects on commercial decisions, with Operations on capital planning, and with the leadership team on strategic direction. The numbers tell a story — Finance helps the rest of us read it.

Head
VikkiOffice Manager · currently on long-term leave; Steve covering in the meantime
Playbook
PB-07 · Finance →
how this works in practice

departments give us depth. projects give us delivery.

the role of the department

centres of capability.

Department Heads own standards, capability, and the development of their team. They’re the flag bearers for Zeal 3.0 day-to-day. Departments are where craft lives.

the role of the project

where it all integrates.

Projects don’t belong to one department. They are the place all seven meet — where Creative ambition, Technical translation, Operations realities and Projects steering have to land at once.

the porous line between

good ideas come from anywhere.

PMs who think technically. Designers who solve operational problems. Marketers who shape what we say in the room. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts — and that’s by design.

the line we hold
departments own capability. projects own outcomes. everyone owns the result.

If a department feels like a silo, something’s wrong. If a project feels like it belongs to one department, something’s wrong. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts — and that’s the thing we’re protecting here.