Program Manager

twentysix; Cincinnati (OH); Hybrid; USD 60,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Competitive benefits package

Job summary

VML (a WPP agency) in Cincinnati is seeking a PROGRAM MANAGER – CX, PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT to lead CX strategy and design for digital customer experiences. The role focuses on websites, content, and cross‑functional collaboration within a hybrid office setting.

You will guide strategy, manage schedules, and mentor teams while embedding customer feedback into product development, shaping CX outcomes and governance.

Qualifications

• 5-7 years of experience in CX design, product development, or a related field.
• Practical experience in Agile methodologies with the ability to facilitate core ceremonies.
• Client & agency partner experience with enterprise clients.
• Solid understanding of CX principles and frameworks and their application to digital projects.
• Experience with customer research methods and process development (interviews, usability testing, surveys).
• Technical aptitude and process orientation; familiarity with website technologies (HTML/CSS).
• Portfolio showing CX projects and process improvements (preferred).
• Agency experience (preferred) and loyalty program experience (optional).

Responsibilities

• Facilitate and manage strategy and design phases for customer experiences across digital touchpoints (websites and content).
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to manage schedules, resources, and governance.
• Support customer research activities and document scalable processes.
• Develop user-centered website and content strategies aligned with business goals.
• Lead creation of customer journey maps and CX artifacts for ongoing measurement.
• Drive design development of layouts and digital assets and establish design standards.
• Participate in QA testing focused on customer experience.
• Advocate for the voice of the customer throughout the project lifecycle.
• Collaborate with Delivery team to standardize tools and improve processes.

Skills

CX design

Agile

Stakeholder collaboration

User research

Journey mapping

Content governance

Project management

Tools

HTML/CSS

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.

VML is in search of a PROGRAM MANAGER – CX, PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

What you’ll do:

• Facilitate and proactively manage the strategy and design phases for customer experiences across digital touchpoints, focusing on websites and content. Ensuring initiatives are on schedule, on budget and within scope.

• Orchestrate & collaborate with cross‑functional teams (strategy, design, content, marketing, research) managing day‑to‑day project schedules, tracking team capacity, coordinating resource assignments, and refining collaborative ways of working to maximize team efficiency and impact.

• Support customer research activities, including user interviews, usability testing, and surveys, to gather insights and inform design decisions. Develop and document research processes for consistent and scalable application.

• Manage the creation of user‑centered website and content strategies, aligning them with business goals and customer needs. Help establish and document content strategy and governance processes.

• Lead the development and maintain customer journey maps and other CX artifacts to visualize and optimize the customer experience in partnership with other disciplines. Contribute to building an operational model for ongoing CX measurement and improvement.

• Drive the design development of user‑centered website layouts, digital assets and content. Ensure all final designs align with business goals and customer needs, while helping to establish and document design standards and content governance processes.

• Participate in quality assurance testing, focusing on the customer experience and identifying areas for improvement.

• Advocate for the voice of the customer throughout the project lifecycle, contributing to customer‑centric solutions. Help embed customer feedback loops into product development processes.

• Collaborate as an active member of the Delivery team to co‑create, optimize, and maintain shared delivery tools, templates, and operational processes, driving continuous improvement and standardizing best practices across the PMO.

Who you are:

• Customer‑focused: Passionate about creating positive customer experiences and understanding customer needs.

• Strong communicator and collaborator: Clearly communicate customer insights and design recommendations to stakeholders. Facilitate effective cross‑functional collaboration.

• Process‑oriented problem‑solver: Identify and address customer pain points through thoughtful design solutions. Develop and improve operational processes for CX.

• Organized and detail‑oriented: Maintain organization and attention to detail in CX design and implementation, including process documentation.

• Proficient in CX methodologies and tools: Familiar with customer research methods, journey mapping, service blueprinting, and human‑centered design principles.

• Driven to improve ways of working: Proactive in identifying opportunities to optimize processes and create more efficient and effective workflows.

• Comfortable in agile environments: confident leading, managing, and facilitating core sprint ceremonies and routines to keep multi‑disciplinary teams on track.

What you’ll need:

• 5-7 years of experience in customer experience (CX) design, product development, or a related field: Demonstrated experience applying CX methodologies to digital projects and websites, including experience developing and improving related processes.

• Practical experience in Agile methodologies: Proven track record working within an agile product lifecycle, with strong comfort levels independently facilitating core sprint ceremonies.

• Client & Agency partner experience: Demonstrated success working with enterprise‑level clients and navigating cross‑agency environments.

• Solid understanding of CX principles and frameworks: Knowledge of Forrester's definition of CX and its implications for website and content development. Experience operationalizing CX principles within a team or organization.

• Experience with customer research methods and process development: Familiarity with user interviews, usability testing, and surveys.

• Technical aptitude and process orientation: Understanding of website technologies (HTML/CSS). General familiarity with the technical product lifecycle and navigating handoffs of creative designs to development teams to build.

• Portfolio showcasing CX projects and process improvements (preferred): Examples of past projects demonstrating your ability to apply CX principles and methodologies, as well as examples of process development or improvement initiatives.

• Agency experience (preferred, but not required): Experience working within an agency environment or a similar collaborative setting.

• Loyalty program experience (preferred, but not required): Experience working within a loyalty program or similar setting.

The base salary range for this position at the time of this posting is indicated below. Individual compensation varies based on job‑related factors, including location, business needs, level of responsibility, experience, and qualifications. We offer a competitive benefits package, click WPP Benefits for more details.

_$60,000—$140,000 USDWe 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, andfollowalong on Instagram,LinkedIn, andX.