Senior Project Manager

VML; Toronto; On-site; CAD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Job summary

VML in Toronto, Canada, seeks a Senior Project Manager to lead end-to-end automotive campaigns across national brands, retail promotions, and digital activations. You will coordinate Account, Creative, Studio, Production, and Media teams to deliver on time and on budget.

The role requires strong leadership, a retail mindset, and fluency with agency tools. Hybrid work model with four days in office per week, equal opportunity employer, and a collaborative culture.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of project management experience in a fast-paced advertising agency.
• Proven automotive account experience (OEM/Tier 1, Dealer/Tier 2) is highly preferred.
• Deep understanding of retail advertising cycles and quick pivot capability.
• Proficient with agency PM tools and DAM systems.

Responsibilities

• Oversee end-to-end lifecycle of multi-channel campaigns (TV, digital, print, retail) from brief to delivery.
• Define scopes, build timelines, and allocate resources efficiently.
• Establish agile workflows for fast-paced retail automotive campaigns.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams to ensure alignment on deliverables and deadlines.
• Identify risks and implement proactive solutions to keep projects on track.
• Monitor budgets, track hours, manage third-party costs, and assist in billing.
• Ensure assets meet legal, regional pricing, and brand guidelines before delivery.

Skills

PM experience

Automotive exp

Retail mindset

Technical PM tools

Leadership & communication

Detail oriented

Tools

Asana

Monday.com

Workamajig

Smartsheet

Job description

Who We Are

VML, part of WPP, is a leading creative company that combines brand experience, customer experience, and commerce, creating connected brands to drive growth. VML is celebrated for its innovative and human first, award-winning work for blue chip client partners including AstraZeneca, Colgate-Palmolive, Dell, Ford, Microsoft, Nestlé, The Coca-Cola Company, and Wendy’s. The agency is recognized by the Forrester Wave™ Reports, as a Leader among Marketing Creative and Content Service Providers, Commerce Services, Global Digital Experience Services, Global Marketing Services and, most recently, Marketing Measurement & Optimization. In addition, VML’s specialist health network, VML Health, is one of the world’s largest and most awarded health agencies. VML’s global network is powered by 26,000 talented people across 55+ markets, with principal offices in Kansas City, New York, Detroit, London, São Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore, and Sydney.

About WPP

WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. We unite cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel in a single company –powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open, to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth. For more information, visit WPP.com.

PositionOverview

We are seeking a highly organized, proactive, and seasoned Senior Project Manager to lead end-to-end campaign delivery for a premier automotive clients. In this role, you will be the operational backbone of a fast-paced account, managing a diverse portfolio of projects that span national brand-building campaigns, Tier 2/Tier 3 retail promotions, dealership integrations, and digital-first activations.

As a Senior Project Manager, you will bridge the gap between Account Service, Creative, Strategy, Production, and Media teams. You are someone who thrives in the fast lane, understands the nuances of retail-driven automotive marketing (where speed to market is critical), and can maintain a high creative standard while keeping projects on time and on budget.

KeyResponsibilities

• End-to-End Delivery: Oversee the lifecycle of multi-channel campaigns (broadcast/TV, OLV, print, OOH, digital display, social media, radio, and retail POS) from brief to final delivery.
• Scope & Resource Management: Define project scopes, develop detailed estimates, build master timelines, and allocate creative/production resources efficiently.
• Process Optimization: Establish, maintain, and refine agile workflows to support the rapid turnaround times required for retail automotive campaigns (e.g., monthly sales events, model year launches).
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Act as the central hub of communication between Account, Creative, Studio, Production, and Media teams, ensuring everyone is aligned on deliverables, feedback, and deadlines.
• Risk & Issue Management: Proactively identify potential roadblocks (scope creep, resource bottlenecks, legal/compliance hurdles) and implement creative solutions before they impact delivery.
• Financial Stewardship: Monitor project budgets, track resource hours, manage third-party vendor costs, and assist in monthly billing reconciliations.
• Compliance & QC: Ensure all creative assets meet rigorous automotive tier compliance, legal standards (disclaimers, regional pricing, financing offers), and brand guidelines before delivery.

RequiredExperience&Skills

• Experience: 6+ years of project management experience within a fast-paced advertising agency.
• Automotive Expertise: Proven experience working on an automotive account (OEM/Tier 1, Regional/Tier 2, or Dealer/Tier 3) is highly preferred.
• Retail Mindset: A strong understanding of retail advertising cycles (holiday sales, quarterly events) and the ability to pivot quickly in response to market shifts.
• Technical Savvy: Deep familiarity with agency project management tools (e.g., Asana, Monday.com, Workamajig, Smartsheet) and digital asset management systems.
• Multi-Channel Expertise: Hands-on experience delivering a wider range of assets, with a strong emphasis on digital/social, video production (broadcast and social), and localized retail assets.
• Leadership & Communication: Exceptional communication, negotiation, and conflict-resolution skills. You know how to motivate creative teams while keeping them accountable to strict deadlines.
• Detail-Oriented: An eagle eye for detail, particularly regarding complex legal DISCLAIMERS and offer-driven creative.

WhoYou Are

• A Problem Solver: You don't just flag issues; you come to the table with three potential solutions.
• Cool Under Pressure: You remain calm, focused, and positive in a fast-moving, high-volume environment.
• A Relationship Builder: You build trust easily across all departments and levels of leadership.
• Adaptable: You understand that in retail automotive, priorities can change overnight, and you can pivot workflows without breaking a sweat.

The base salary for this position at the time of this posting may range between the values at the bottom of this posting. Individual compensation varies based on job-related factors, including location, business needs, level of responsibility, experience, and qualifications.

$90,000—$140,000 CAD

We believe the best work happens when we’re together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That’s why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office an average of four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

WPP (VML) is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.

VML is a WPP agency (NYSE: WPP). For more information, please visit www.vml.com, and follow along on Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.