Programme Manager - Commerce (Contract)

WPP Enterprise Solutions; Greater London; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

WPP Enterprise Solutions in London seeks an experienced Programme Manager to lead high‑quality, complex programmes, ensuring delivery on budget and within timeframes. You will work with the Account Director to drive measurable benefits and align with business goals.

You will coordinate multiple teams, manage risks, governance, and vendor relationships, while mentoring project managers and maintaining strong stakeholder engagement across client and internal teams.

Qualifications

• Experience managing multiple teams across workstreams.
• Strong understanding of software development lifecycle and release management.
• Proven track record delivering ecommerce migration or re-platform projects.
• Excellent negotiation and relationship management skills.
• Experience with multi‑vendor and budget management.

Responsibilities

• Lead delivery across the programme and across multiple workstreams.
• Analyse risks and produce programme reports for management and stakeholders.
• Establish governance and ways of working at programme start.
• Maintain senior client relationships and manage dependencies.
• Track resource plans and end dates with functional leads.
• Support and mentor project managers within and outside the account.
• Manage third‑party vendors on behalf of the client.

Skills

Programme management

Agile delivery

Stakeholder management

Multi‑vendor management

Budget management

Leadership

Communication

Risk management

Waterfall to Agile

Contract negotiations

Education

Bachelor's degree in information management, marketing, communications or business

Tools

MS Excel

MS PowerPoint

Job description

Who We Are

WPP Enterprise Solutions designs, builds, and operates the growth systems that competitive businesses rely on. In a world where Al is reshaping how companies drive growth, we lead clients in business transformation and marketing modernization, connecting strategy directly to execution. Our 12,000 experts in engineering and platforms, commerce, consulting, content transformation, CRM, and CX work within a unified global operating unit across 40+ markets. WPP Enterprise Solutions works alongside best-in-class partners including Adobe, AWS, Braze, Google, Microsoft, Salesforce, and Shopify, as well as innovators in AI, to deliver growth solutions tailored to the needs of our clients’ businesses. VML, part of WPP, supports WPP Enterprise Solutions by helping brands activate transformation through creativity and experience.

Who We Are

WPP Enterprise Solutions designs, builds, and operates the growth systems that competitive businesses rely on. In a world where Al is reshaping how companies drive growth, we lead clients in business transformation and marketing modernization, connecting strategy directly to execution. Our 12,000 experts in engineering and platforms, commerce, consulting, content transformation, CRM, and CX work within a unified global operating unit across 40+ markets. WPP Enterprise Solutions works alongside best-in‑class partners including Adobe, AWS, Braze, Google, Microsoft, Salesforce, and Shopify, as well as innovators in AI, to deliver growth solutions tailored to the needs of our clients’ businesses. VML, part of WPP, supports WPP Enterprise Solutions by helping brands activate transformation through creativity and experience.

Programme Manager with extensive experience including experience managing small programmes of work needed to join our team

This is a London based Contract role

The Opportunity

You lead teams to deliver high quality, complex project(s) on budget and within a specified timeframe to achieve the potential benefits defined in the business case. You work closely with the Account Director to achieve productivity goals and contribute to the organisation’s overall success.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Accountable for all delivery across the programme
• Analyse, evaluate, and overcome programme risks, and produce accurate programme reports for management and stakeholders
• Maintain organisational standards of satisfaction, quality, and performance, including the creation and implementation of ways of working at the start of a programme
• Create and implement effective ways of working at the start of the programme and ensure these are adhered to throughout the project lifecycle
• Track and manage dependencies between projects and workstreams, creating programme level plans to ensure these are addressed
• Ensure programme goals are reached by keeping the workstreams updated on progress and any changes that need to be made.
• Provide support and guidance to project managers within your account and line management for several project managers outside of your account.
• Maintain a resource plan showing resource commitment across the projects and keep track of potential end dates in association with functional lead personnel
• Track resource requests and manage fulfilment of these requests internally or externally as appropriate
• Develop strong relationships with the team members and client stakeholders at all levels
• Work with the client to understand their vision and plan the programme of work to successfully achieve that vision to the greatest effect
• Define and implement programme level governance in conjunction with the client
• Manage third party vendors on behalf of the client

What We Want From You

• Experience in managing multiple teams across different workstreams. As a minimum, if in a team management role, this should be at least 20 people
• A good understanding of the software development lifecycle & release management
• Proven track record in the successful delivery of an ecommerce migration/Re-platform
• Strong stakeholder management skills
• Excellent negotiation skills & an ability to handle sensitive issues with tact & diplomacy
• Exposure to medium to large scale fixed price project delivery
• Experience in multi-vendor management
• Experience of managing people and financial budgets (including programme budgeting, monitoring financials etc.) ideally in an eCommerce environment
• Experience of overseeing 3rd parties
• Excellent risk management skillsExperience working in an Agile environment
• Proven track record of working with organisations moving from Waterfall to Agile delivery approaches
• Working knowledge of Agile frameworks, Scrum and Kanban
• Effective leadership skills with experience of managing other project managers.
• Strong time management & organisational skills.
• Excellent communication and relationship management skills
• Good commercial knowledge, experience of contract negotiations would be advantageous.
• Software Application Development related Project management experience.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Packages, especially MS Excel and MS PowerPoint
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English
• Minimum BA/BS degree with a major in information management, marketing, communications, business or other closely-related areas is an advantage

What We Can Offer You

Alongside the opportunity to work with some of the most exciting brands around the world, we’ll also prioritise your career development and help you grow your skills. We’ll empower you to make a difference, allow you to be yourself, and respect who you are.

Our culture thrives on our core values, designed for impact‑driven individuals: Heart, Brains and Courage.

We lead with Heart, fostering empathy and trust where genuine connections and human‑centric work flourish.

We empower your Brains for innovation, valuing relentless curiosity and collaborative intelligence to solve complex challenges.

And we champion Courage, inspiring you to speak up, embrace experimentation, and advocate for bold solutions that push our thinking to be better than yesterday.

WPP Enterprise Solutions is part of WPP, the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. Powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform WPP Open, WPP unites cutting‑edge media intelligence and data solutions, creativity, production, enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel.

About WPP

WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. With exceptional talent, trusted data and intelligence and world‑class partnerships – all united by our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open – we help clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth. For more information, visit WPP.com.

WPP (VML/WPP Enterprise Solutions) 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.