Director, Project Management

Publicis Groupe; New York (NY); On-site; USD 97,000 - 156,000; Full time

Job summary

Publicis Groupe’s Saatchi & Saatchi Health unit in New York seeks a Director, Project Management to serve as the operational lead for assigned client accounts, overseeing delivery of integrated marketing initiatives across channels. You will lead planning, staffing, budgets, scope, and process optimization while guiding a team of Project Managers.

The role partners with Account, Strategy, Creative, Production, and Finance to ensure on-time, on-budget delivery with high quality.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience.
• 8+ years of project management experience within advertising, marketing, healthcare communications, or agency environment.
• Experience leading large-scale integrated marketing programs across digital, print, experiential, and omnichannel initiatives.
• Proven success managing complex project portfolios, multiple workstreams, and cross-functional teams.
• Strong understanding of project scoping, estimation, Statements of Work (SOWs), forecasting, and budget management.
• Demonstrated experience managing and developing project management teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead the planning, execution, and delivery of complex, multi-channel marketing programs and campaigns.
• Oversee project management activities across assigned accounts, ensuring timelines, budgets, resources, and deliverables are effectively managed.
• Develop and maintain account-level project plans, staffing strategies, and operational frameworks that support successful delivery.
• Monitor project scope and financial performance, ensuring work remains aligned to approved estimates, budgets, and Statements of Work (SOWs).
• Drive resource planning and allocation across projects, ensuring teams are appropriately staffed and workload is balanced.
• Partner with Account, Creative, Strategy, Production, and Finance teams to identify risks, remove obstacles, and maintain project momentum.
• Lead risk assessment and mitigation planning for complex engagements, proactively resolving issues before they impact delivery.
• Establish and improve operational processes, workflows, and team best practices to increase efficiency and effectiveness.
• Facilitate project status reviews, operational meetings, retrospectives, and post-mortem discussions to drive continuous improvement.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for production, workflow, resource, and vendor-related concerns.
• Provide accurate forecasting, cost-to-complete estimates, and financial reporting in partnership with Finance and Business Management teams.
• Build strong relationships with client stakeholders and serve as the lead point of contact for project management and operational discussions.
• Manage vendor and partner relationships, ensuring quality deliverables and operational accountability.
• Find opportunities for account growth and support new business pitches by providing operational strategy, project planning, and staffing recommendations.
• Lead, mentor, and develop Project Managers while supporting career growth, performance management, and succession planning.
• Champion operational excellence and a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Skills

Budget management

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Forecasting

Client-facing

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Excel

Project management tools

Job description

Company description

At Saatchi & Saatchi Health, we believe in making the impossible possible in health. We partner with our clients to turn complexity into clarity, ideas into impact, and ambition into real-world outcomes.

By combining creativity, data, and technology, we create work that doesn’t just reach people--it moves them, connects with them, and makes a difference in their lives. Because when our people bring curiosity and courage to the work, we unlock new possibilities for our clients, and better outcomes for the patients they serve. We’re here to push what health can be. And to make it matter.

Overview

The Director, Project Management serves as the operational lead for assigned client accounts, overseeing the successful delivery of integrated marketing initiatives across channels. This role is responsible for project planning, resource management, financial oversight, scope management, and process optimization while leading and developing a team of Project Managers. The Director partners closely with Account, Strategy, Creative, Production, and Finance teams to ensure work is delivered on time, on budget, and at the highest quality standards. As a senior client-facing leader, this individual helps drive operational excellence, client satisfaction, and business growth.

Responsibilities

• Lead the planning, execution, and delivery of complex, multi-channel marketing programs and campaigns.
• Oversee project management activities across assigned accounts, ensuring timelines, budgets, resources, and deliverables are effectively managed.
• Develop and maintain account-level project plans, staffing strategies, and operational frameworks that support successful delivery.
• Monitor project scope and financial performance, ensuring work remains aligned to approved estimates, budgets, and Statements of Work (SOWs).
• Drive resource planning and allocation across projects, ensuring teams are appropriately staffed and workload is balanced.
• Partner with Account, Creative, Strategy, Production, and Finance teams to identify risks, remove obstacles, and maintain project momentum.
• Lead risk assessment and mitigation planning for complex engagements, proactively resolving issues before they impact delivery.
• Establish and improve operational processes, workflows, and team best practices to increase efficiency and effectiveness.
• Facilitate project status reviews, operational meetings, retrospectives, and post-mortem discussions to drive continuous improvement.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for production, workflow, resource, and vendor-related concerns.
• Provide accurate forecasting, cost-to-complete estimates, and financial reporting in partnership with Finance and Business Management teams.
• Build strong relationships with client stakeholders and serve as the lead point of contact for project management and operational discussions.
• Manage vendor and partner relationships, ensuring quality deliverables and operational accountability.
• Find opportunities for account growth and support new business pitches by providing operational strategy, project planning, and staffing recommendations.
• Lead, mentor, and develop Project Managers while supporting career growth, performance management, and succession planning.
• Champion operational excellence and a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience.
• 8+ years of project management experience within an advertising, marketing, healthcare communications, or agency environment.
• Experience leading large-scale integrated marketing programs across digital, print, experiential, and omnichannel initiatives.
• Proven success managing complex project portfolios, multiple workstreams, and cross-functional teams.
• Strong understanding of project scoping, estimation, Statements of Work (SOWs), forecasting, and budget management.
• Demonstrated experience managing and developing project management teams.
• Ability to effectively prioritize competing demands and drive projects to successful completion.
• Strong financial competence and experience managing project profitability and resource allocation.
• Excellent problem-solving and decision-making skills with the ability to navigate ambiguity and resolve complex challenges.
• Strong client-facing experience with the ability to manage executive-level stakeholder relationships.
• Experience managing external vendors and production partners.
• Advanced proficiency in project management tools and Microsoft Office applications, including Excel.
• Exceptional communication, presentation, collaboration, and leadership skills.

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.

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Compensation Range: USD $97,375.00 - USD $155,961.00/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 8/31/2026.