Director, Project Management

Publicis Groupe; Chicago, Northern (IL, KY); Hybrid; USD 97,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Publicis Groupe in Chicago seeks a Director, Project Management to own key accounts and lead the PM team. You will manage end-to-end delivery for complex programs, create and maintain project plans, budgets, risks, and dependencies, and ensure disciplined practice across the PM function.

You will mentor Project Managers, set expectations for quality and execution, collaborate with senior stakeholders, and drive operational improvements.

Qualifications

• Proven ability to own and deliver complex programs end-to-end.
• Strong budget, risk and scope management experience.
• Excellent communication with senior stakeholders and clients.
• Mentors and develops Project Managers and aligns teams.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end delivery of a portfolio of complex accounts and programs from intake to post-delivery evaluation.
• Maintain project plans, timelines, scopes, budgets, risks and dependencies.
• Directly manage day-to-day delivery across projects and escalate issues when needed.
• Define and improve project management processes, templates and standards.

Skills

Project management

Budget management

Stakeholder communication

Leadership

Mentorship

PM methodologies

Job description

Company description

A global creative constellation built for what’s next—uniting the human vision of the Leo Burnett network with the innovation of Publicis Worldwide.

Leo is HI × AI: Human Insight, Human Ideas, Human Impact—supercharged by the data and technology to move faster, go further, and deliver everywhere.

Leo brings together 15,000+ people across 90 countries, combining global scale with creative firepower to drive outsized impact for brands.

Overview

The Director, Project Management is both an owner of their account(s), but also a leader across the Project Management team and the agency at large.Responsibilities include managing overall account health along with individual projects, detailed timeline creation and upkeep in our PPM tool, accurate scope creation and tracking, forecasting and managing workflow, as well as optimizing processes, ways of working and resources.

Additionally, the Director, PM may be accountable for internal and new business initiatives, project management / agency process optimization, thought leadership, mentorship and management of other Project Managers and strong collaboration across all agency departments.

The Director, PM is an analytical thinker and creative problem solver, seeking efficiencies across accounts and teams ,and thinking expansively and strategically. They lead by doing, modeling rigor in ownership and calm execution under pressure. They are a key leader – seeking not only to elevate the work, but also the way it gets delivered. The Director, PM is proactive, engaged and forward-thinking, always with an eye towards progress.

Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

1. Portfolio ownership & hands-on delivery
   • Owns the end‑to‑end delivery of a portfolio of complex integrated accounts and programs, directly managing initiatives from intake and planning through execution, launch and post‑delivery evaluation.
   • Serves as the primary owner of project plans, timelines, scopes, budgets, risks and dependencies, staying closely involved in all details.
   • Actively manages day‑to‑day delivery across owned projects, stepping in wherever needed to keep work moving forward.
   • Anticipates issues before they elevate and addresses challenges related to scope, resourcing, finances or timelines through direct action.
   • Translates ambiguity into clear actionable plans that align teams around objectives, milestones and success criteria.
   • Leads retrospectives / post‑mortems, and applies learnings immediately to improve future delivery.
2. Workflow & process excellence
   • Creates and maintains detailed project plans, schedules and workflows.
   • Establishes and evolves project management methodologies, tools, templates and standards while remaining flexible to meet client and business needs.
   • Ensures disciplined application of project management best practices through direct use, not just oversight.
   • Drives clear communication across teams and stakeholders through status updates, documentation and proactive alignment.
   • Leverages data, KPIs and historical insights to guide decisions, forecast outcomes and improve delivery performance.
3. Financial, scope & resource management
   • Leads scope definition including Statements of Work, estimates, staffing plans and change management.
   • Owns financial stewardship, including forecasting burn, tracking and profitability management.
   • Closely monitors budgets and timelines on active projects and takes corrective action when needed.
   • Identifies scope risks and opportunities, and proactively partners with Business Leadership and discipline leads to manage change.
   • Works directly with Resource Management and discipline leads to plan, allocate and adjust resources across active and future work.
   • Ensures accurate time tracking, financial reporting and accountability for delivery decisions.
4. People leadership & talent development (Not every Director, PM will have direct reports, but this role has the potential for direct reports should the need arise. Regardless of managing direct reports, the Director, PM acts as a leader on the PM team and at the agency, influencing ways of working, best practices, innovation and outcomes.)
   • Leads, mentors and develops Project Managers through hands‑on coaching and leading by example.
   • Sets clear expectations around quality, accountability and execution while supporting growth and career development.
   • Conducts regular 1:1s, performance reviews and development planning tied to department standards and real delivery experiences.
   • Models strong project management behaviors and decision making.
   • Acts as a visible advocate for the Project Management function across the agency.
5. Client & agency partnership
   • Acts as a senior client partner with direct involvement in delivery planning, execution and issue resolution.
   • Builds trust with clients through transparency, follow‑through and consistent delivery excellence.
   • Supports new business efforts through hands‑on scoping, estimating, workflow design and delivery strategy.
   • Collaborates with agency leadership to evolve operational models based on what is working in practice.
   • Represents Project Management in agency initiatives, audits and strategic planning.

Qualifications

Leadership Profile

• Brings clarity, structure and calm to complex, high-pressure environments.
• Proactive, anticipatory thinker who works ahead of risk rather than reacting to it.
• Strong collaborator who can also operate autonomously and make principled tradeoffs.
• Solution-oriented and deeply accountable.
• ~6–10+ years of progressive experience in project, program or delivery management within an integrated agency environment.
• Proven success managing large, complex, multi‑disciplinary projects and programs.
• Strong financial acumen with hands‑on experience managing scopes, forecasts, burn rates and profitability.
• High EQ and environmental awareness; strength in context-driven decision‑making.
• Strong ability to manage ambiguity, prioritize work and drive decisions through action.Clear, confident communicator with experience working directly with senior stakeholders and clients.
• Deep understanding of project management methodologies and best practices.
• Highly organized, detail‑oriented and calm under pressure, with a strong sense of ownership.
• Proactive self-starter who successfully holds themselves and others accountable.

What success looks like

• Projects are delivered with clarity, discipline and confidence.
• Teams feel supported, challenged and accountable through real partnership and shared ownership.
• Clients experience transparency, trust and strong delivery leadership.
• The Project Management function is known for execution excellence, reliability and business impact.

This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed, and is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities.

Additional information

Our Publicis Groupe motto “Viva La Différence” means we’re better together, and we believe that our differences make us stronger. It means we honor and celebrate all identities, across all facets of intersectionality, and it underpins all that we do as an organization. We are focused on fostering belonging and creating equitable & inclusive experiences for all talent.

Publicis Groupe provides robust and inclusive benefit programs and policies to support the evolving and diverse needs of our talent and enable every person to grow and thrive. Our benefits package includes medical coverage, dental, vision, disability, 401K, as well as parental and family care leave, family forming assistance, tuition reimbursement, and flexible time off.

If you require accommodation or assistance with the application or onboarding process specifically, please contact [e-mail].

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

#LI-JR2

Compensation Range: USD $97,375.00 - USD $139,965.00/Annually. This is the pay range the Company believes it will pay for this position at the time of this posting. Consistent with applicable law, compensation will be determined based on the skills, qualifications, and experience of the applicant along with the requirements of the position, and the Company reserves the right to modify this pay range at any time. Temporary roles may be eligible to participate in our freelancer/temporary employee medical plan through a third-party benefits administration system once certain criteria have been met. Temporary roles may also qualify for participation in our 401(k) plan after eligibility criteria have been met. For regular roles, the Company will offer medical coverage, dental, vision, disability, 401k, and paid time off. The Company anticipates the application deadline for this job posting will be 10/3/2026.