Senior Project Manager

Ogilvy UK; London; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading marketing agency is looking for a Senior Project Manager to oversee integrated projects for a key beauty client. The role demands extensive project management experience and strong collaboration skills, ensuring seamless delivery of creative solutions. The ideal candidate will thrive in a dynamic environment, leading cross-functional teams and managing complex project landscapes.

Benefits

25 days annual leave + 1 Volunteer Day

Enhanced Maternity, Adoption and Shared Parental Leave

Flexible Working Model

Wellbeing and Health benefits

Season Ticket Loan and Cycle to Work Scheme

Life Assurance

Qualifications

• Experience in managing integrated projects across various channels.
• Ability to lead and nurture high-performing teams.
• Strong financial acumen with understanding of client remuneration models.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the seamless execution of projects from client brief to delivery.
• Build relationships with project teams and manage stakeholder communications.
• Adapt project plans in response to unforeseen challenges.

Skills

Project Management

Stakeholder Management

Team Leadership

Collaboration

Education

Degree in Project Management or related field

Tools

Project management software

Job description

Location: London
Contract type: 6-12 Month Fixed Term
Full Time / Part Time: Full Time

Reporting to: Head of Global Operations

About Ogilvy:

Ogilvy UK has been creating iconic ideas that deliver impact at scale for clients ever since David Ogilvy founded the company in 1948. Ogilvy UK specialises in bringing together brand advertising, customer experience marketing, PR, influence and consulting, all fuelled by Behavioural Science. Our world-class award-winning creative campaigns deliver solutions for clients including Sainsbury’s, Argos, , Mondelēz International, Unilever, TK Maxx and Pernod Ricard.

In 2023, Ogilvy UK celebrated their 75th anniversary and was the most awarded agency in Europe. Ogilvy is home to the largest influencer marketing practice globally, and hosts the world’s biggest festival of behavioural science and creativity, Nudgestock – now in its 12th year.

Role Summary

We are seeking an experienced Senior Project Manager to take charge of overseeing integrated projects within our forward-thinking agency. Your primary focus will revolve around our leading client in the beauty sector. With extensive experience in project management, your pivotal role involves ensuring the seamless execution of projects, from initial client briefings to the final delivery of assets.

Drawing from your wealth of expertise, you'll navigate complex project landscapes adeptly, offering insightful guidance to cross-functional teams to ensure precise adherence to project milestones. Your talent for aligning resources, whether it's fostering collaboration among creative minds or coordinating technical specialists, will create an environment conducive to turning ideas into tangible outcomes. Your strategic foresight and reliable judgment will drive projects forward seamlessly, adapting to changing needs and unforeseen challenges while consistently aligning with broader business objectives.

Senior Project Managers should have experience and understanding of working on a global, integrated account. The SPM should be able to demonstrate first- hand experience in TV/video, offline (KVs & print), digital, social, influencer and line management experience. This truly is an integrated account.

Main areas of focus for Senior Project Manager:

• The SPM will work closely to build relationships with their project team (account management, creatives, design, strategy, production, and more) and be the hub on their projects.
• Proven ability to be part of, lead and nurture high-performing teams, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and excellence within project groups.
• Strong proficiency in managing diverse stakeholders, including clients, team members, senior management, and external partners. Skill in building and maintaining effective relationships crucial for project success and client satisfaction.
• Build collaborative relationships with our global network agencies to ensure work is delivered within the agreed scope and timeline. Take ownership of network agency relationships for your team's projects, flagging any concerns to PMO Lead in good time so as to prevent any negative impact on project delivery and timelines
• Be confident in collaborating with multi‐agency teams both within Ogilvy London, the wider Ogilvy network and WPP agencies.

Making work we’re proud of

• Leads triage on their assigned clients, where relevant. Partners with wider PMO team and Managing Partners to ensure complete integration and alignment on all workstreams.
• Actively can participate in conversations around the creative product, adding value where relevant. Works with key stakeholders to ensure that creativity is protected in the delivery of the project.
  
  

Day to Day Project Management

• Manage schedules and deliver on multiple work streams across all campaign channels to agreed scope, timings and budget. Ensure that the process is as per the Galapagos working model.
• Scope out all projects and share with PMO lead and account lead for approval.
• Be responsible for creating and maintaining project timing plans from pre brief to final delivery - with input from specialist departments (TV, Art Production, digital, influencers, PR, etc). The SPM should also be confident to collaborating with multi‐agency teams. If any part of the schedule slips, the SPM will notify all relevant departments and any change to the final delivery date.
• Own resource bookings for their category - working with the Resource Manager to assign bookings and flag any issues or shortfalls in resource, communicating clearly how this could impact on project timelines and overall delivery
• Deliver clear, accurate documentation for all category projects, working with additional team members for reviews/approval as needed. Uphold the highest standards of professionalism, precision, and excellence across all project documentation.
• Keep documentation up to date throughout the project life cycle. Core documentation covers:
• Client Estimates and SOWs
• Timelines
• Network Agreements
• Project Trackers
• Master Status Sheet
• Change Requests
• In-depth knowledge and practical experience using various project management software and platforms. Competence in leveraging these tools for efficient project planning, task allocation, progress monitoring, and team collaboration. Learn how to use core platforms – 10k FT, Workday, SWOP and estimation tools through internal training, practice and consulting with colleagues
• Lead the status call for your category's live projects, discussing each project's status with confidence and authority, highlighting issues in a clear and concise manner and working with the Head of Operations and PMO Lead to find resolutions.

Problem solving & decision making

• Demonstrated ability to manage crises efficiently and make well-informed decisions under pressure, maintaining project momentum while effectively navigating unforeseen challenges.
• At the start of a project, analyse areas that could potentially throw the delivery off‐track, and where possible mitigate against them.
• Always look to improve how we work. Focus on implementing and refining quality assurance methodologies within project delivery processes. Establishing protocols for ongoing review and enhancement of project outcomes and workflows.

Commercial Acumen

• Be commercially savvy, Develop a complete understanding of the client’s renumeration & commercial model. At all times the SPM should be aware of the financial status of their projects and forecast (and flag) any resource overspend- with budgets updated and approved accordingly.
• Develop commercial knowledge of the estimation process, ensuring that all relevant items are included in costing and scope management. This knowledge can be developed through internal training sessions, working closely with the finance team and conversations with other team members.
• Work with the finance team to understand what each deliverable can 'afford' in terms of resourcing and ensure resourcing plans are built around this
• Be responsible for the creation and maintenance of all core commercial documentation
• Ensure that projects are staffed at an appropriate level for the available budget and any freelance resourcing requests are made with a clear understanding of impact on project and category commercials.
• Understand how revenue is recognized
• Calculate available budgets for our global network agencies and ensure these budgets are managed throughout the project with any changes in scope communicated clearly to the network agency and relevant documentation updated
• Actively participate in core finance meetings, having a clear POV on the health and needs of the category:
  • WIP
  • Revenue
  • Resource
  • Burn
• Work with the finance team to ensure you have access to the data you need to be able to report on the burn rates of your projects. Proactively suggest reporting features you feel are needed but may not yet be available.
• Track weekly report burn rates across projects and report any deviation from the anticipated burn rate and be able to confidently discuss the reasons why and propose solutions to bring burn back to the accepted rate.
• Be visible – we encourage everyone to be in the office a minimum of 2 days a week. Monday and Tuesdays are fixed anchor days.
• Participate in core team meetings – we are always open to suggestions for process improvements and better ways of doing things.
• Everything communicates – ensure that all documentation, costings, briefs, scopes and presentations are of the highest possible standard. Maintain good housekeeping and enforce this across your category team.
• Be positive and a force for good within the team – even when faced with difficult problems. Be solutions focused.
• Be a Self‐Starter –our team is enthusiastic, open to change and innovation. We’re looking for someone flexible with approach and eager to get involved.
• Be a champion for the creative – helping push (and when necessary, protect) the creative to enable cut-through, award-winning work.
• Help to make Ogilvy a great place to work and not least to try and have fun whilst carrying out the above.

How we help you Thrive:

• 25 days annual leave + 1 Volunteer Day
• Enhanced Maternity, Adoption and Shared Parental Leave
• We have a Flexible Working Model with core working hours: 10am – 4pm
• Wellbeing and Health: Up to £25.00 per month towards physical or online exercise class membership, Unmind membership, LifeWorks tool and annual eye tests and development budgets and Wellbeing incentives and activities throughout the year
• Season Ticket Loan and Cycle to Work Scheme
• Life Assurance

Our ambition is to attract the very best diverse talent to Ogilvy, and to be the employer of choice in the UK. We want everyone to feel welcome when they join us, and once they’re here, for them to want to stay with us, grow their career, and to feel they belong with us.

We are an equal opportunity employer and we’re committed to creating an inclusive, welcoming environment for everyone who wants to work at Ogilvy. For us, diversity, equity and inclusion is integrated into everything that we do. We believe that for creativity to flourish, everything about how we work must have diversity at its core. Your race, colour, ethnic, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, have no bearing on our hiring decisions, but we encourage everyone to feel free to express their true selves in an environment we are consistently striving to make as inclusive as possible.

We aim to facilitate an accessible and positive application experience for all candidates. If you require any adjustments from us to support you through the process or expect to require any adjustments to working conditions to be able to best perform in the role, please let us know. We are happy to consider all reasonable adjustments.

If you live with a disability and you would like to take advantage of our offer of a guaranteed interview under the Disability Confident Scheme, please ensure you fill out our voluntary Equal Opportunities Questionnaire when applying.

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

First Name *

Last Name *

Email *

Phone

Location (City) *

Resume/CV *

Enter manually

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Enter manually

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

LinkedIn Profile

How did you hear about us? * Select...

Are you authorized to work in the country where this job is located? * Select...

Will you in the future require employer sponsorship to work where this job is located? * Select...

Select...

If yes, what brand are you affiliated with?

What are your salary expectations? *

What is your notice period? *

Would you like your application to be considered under our Disability Confident ‘Offer an interview’ scheme? Select...

Privacy disclosure * Select...

Your privacy is important to us, you can find out more information on how we handle your data for recruiting purposes in our Privacy Notice

Voluntary Equal Opportunities Questions (UK)

At Ogilvy we pride ourselves on being an inclusive and equal opportunities employer. We believe in creating a dynamic work environment that values diversity, equity and inclusion. We strive to recruit from a diverse range of candidates and create an environment which provides the right conditions for belonging. We welcome all applications regardless of race, colour, religion or belief, gender, gender identity, age, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation and physical or mental disability etc. (please note this is not an exhaustive list). We are also actively focussed on encouraging greater representation by bringing more under-represented talent into our organisation. This is hugely important to us and Ogilvy has a thriving network of employee communities that exist to help everyone, no matter their background, succeed here.

In order to help us achieve this and hold ourselves accountable for progress and monitor our efforts, we invite you to answer thefollowing questions.You are not required to answer any of them, as theyare entirely voluntary.They will also not be viewable to those interviewing you as part of your application or candidate profile. If you choose to answer, please know that all data is stored separately, used in aggregate for reporting purposes and handled as per GDPR regulations.

How old are you? Select...

What is your gender identity? Select...

Do you identify as trans? Select...

What is your ethnicity? Select...

How would you describe your sexual orientation? Select...

Do you consider yourself to have a long-term health condition, impairment or disability? Select...