Programme Director

Marks; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 120,981 - 130,981; Full time

Job summary

Marks, part of the Propelis Group, is a consumer experience agency delivering brand design, packaging, content, and consumer connections. The Programme Director leads strategic project delivery, balancing creativity with operational excellence to meet client expectations and budgets.

This role serves as the central point of contact for clients and internal teams, coordinating designers, strategists, and account managers to ensure timely, on-budget delivery and strong margins across major

Qualifications

• Experience delivering projects at scale (e.g., $5M+ accounts).
• Strong leadership of cross-functional teams including designers, strategists, and account managers.
• Ability to manage budgets, margins and project timelines to target VCM.
• Proven ability to build and maintain client relationships and communicate milestones clearly.

Responsibilities

• Lead cross-functional teams to ensure smooth project execution.
• Own gates, risks and commercial controls for major accounts.
• Develop scopes, timelines and budgets with clients and internal stakeholders.
• Monitor margins and drive optimization to meet target VCM.
• Collaborate with Client Services and PMO to ensure governance and quality.
• Track project performance in Workfront and report progress to Portfolio Leads.

Skills

Project leadership

Budget management

Risk management

Client relationship management

Team mentoring

Cross-functional collaboration

Workfront

Tools

Workfront

Job description

Marks, part of the Propelis Group, is a consumer experience agency creating engaging moments across the entire brand spectrum—from brand design and packaging, to content and consumer connections. We are a collaborative global network of 1,900+ team members across 25+ studios and 20+ countries, partnering with some of the world’s most recognized brands to solve complex business challenges through design, strategy, and craft.

Job Summary

The Programme Director is a strategic leader responsible for overseeing the planning, execution, and delivery of projects within Marks. This role requires balancing creativity with operational excellence to ensure projects meet client expectations, remain within budget, agreed margin, and are delivered on time. The ideal candidate will serve as the central point of contact for clients and internal teams regarding project delivery, fostering collaboration between designers, strategists, and account managers.

Key Responsibilities

• Project Leadership & Strategy
  • Responsible for effective delivery of work within a major CPG account ($5M+).
  • Owns all gates, risk and commercial controls to run the accounts they are accountable for, for best utilisation, workflows, and delivery.
  • Develop project scopes, timelines, and budgets in collaboration with clients and internal stakeholders.
  • Define project goals and ensure alignment with the client’s vision and objectives.
  • Own and track margins and optimisation solutions for the accounts they are accountable for, ultimately delivering to the target VCM.
  • Work hand in hand with their Client Services counterparts.
• Team Management & Collaboration
  • Lead cross-functional teams to ensure smooth project execution.
  • Mentor and guide project managers and junior staff to develop their skills and ensure high performance.
  • Foster a collaborative and positive working environment that encourages innovation and accountability.
• Client Relationship Management
  • Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, acting as their key point of contact for project delivery-related matters.
  • Proactively communicate project updates, milestones, and risks to ensure transparency and trust.
• Operational Excellence
  • Collaborate closely with the PMO to ensure projects align with organizational goals and governance standards.
  • Implement PMO methodologies and best practices throughout the project lifecycle to ensure consistency and quality.
  • Track project performance in partnership with the PMO, ensuring adherence to timelines, budgets, and resource allocation.
  • Manage project portfolios alongside the PMO, ensuring strategic alignment across all projects.
  • Maintain data integrity within project management tools like Workfront, ensuring accurate reporting and alignment with organizational objectives.
  • Drive continuous improvement by integrating PMO processes with day-to-day project execution and facilitating clear communication across teams.
  • Monitor project progress, ensuring deliverables meet quality standards and deadlines.
  • Manage project budgets, track expenses, and oversee resource allocation in collaboration with Ops.
  • Mitigate risks by identifying potential issues and implementing proactive solutions.
  • Monitor and report on project health to Portfolio Leads and Ops.
• Process Improvement
  • Continuously improve agency workflows, tools, and processes to enhance efficiency and scalability.
  • Stay updated on industry trends, tools, and best practices to keep the agency competitive.

Compensation and Benefits

Our compensation reflects the cost of labor across several U.S. geographic markets, and we pay differently based on those defined markets. The U.S. pay range for this position is $120,981 USD - $130,981 USD annually. Ultimately, in determining pay, we will consider the successful candidate’s location, experience, and other job-related factors.

Group benefits currently include a selection of health care plans with prescription drug coverage, dental plan, vision plan, basic and supplemental life insurance, a flexible spending account for medical and dependent care expenses or a health savings account based on plan selection, short/long term disability and 401(k) Savings Plan.

EEO Statement

We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need. We offer equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, genetic information, age, disability or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. Equal Opportunity Employer Minorities/Women/Veterans/Disabled.

We strive to make our employment website and application process accessible to all users and applicants. In doing so, we provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you have a disability and require a reasonable accommodation or assistance completing the application process, please contact a member of our Human Resource Team.