Senior Project Manager - Freelance

AKQA; Atlanta (GA); Hybrid; USD 103,000 - 117,000; Full time

Job summary

AKQA is hiring a Freelance Senior Project Manager to drive a complex digital product engagement for high-profile clients. You will coordinate strategy, UX, design, and technology teams with client stakeholders, managing schedules, risks, and scope across a hybrid delivery model.

The role emphasizes discovery, digital vision, and strategic roadmap work, with a remote-friendly setup and required East Coast presence. Compensation is hourly, reflecting experience and project scope.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of project management experience within a digital agency or product delivery environment.
• Experience leading or contributing to discovery, digital vision, and strategic roadmap projects.
• Proficiency with Jira, Confluence, Smartsheet or similar tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day project management across a complex digital product engagement with clear priorities and timelines.
• Serve as the central point of coordination between AKQA teams and client stakeholders.
• Manage schedules, milestones, risks, and dependencies with meticulous detail.
• Oversee scope management, change control, and alignment on approved work.
• Support resourcing coordination and ensure the right people are engaged.
• Facilitate regular project ceremonies and maintain thorough project documentation.
• Partner with the client to manage expectations and communicate progress.
• Ensure delivery processes align with agile, waterfall, or hybrid methodologies.
• Contribute to improving delivery practices within the team.

Skills

Project management

Stakeholder coordination

Cross-functional collaboration

Agile/Waterfall hybrid

Tools

Jira

Confluence

Smartsheet

Job description

At AKQA (part of WPP), we believe in the imaginative application of art and science to create beautiful ideas, products and services. With an entrepreneurial and collaborative approach, we design adaptive digital services and applications that capture the imagination, delivering impressive returns for our clients.

Project Managers at AKQA are trusted delivery partners, bringing structure, clarity, and accountability to complex digital engagements. They build the conditions for great work to happen, aligning teams, managing competing priorities, and ensuring that every workstream moves forward with purpose and precision.

We are seeking an experienced Freelance Senior Project Manager with a strong emphasis on digital product delivery to support two high-profile clients. Previous experience leading or contributing to discovery, digital vision, and strategic roadmap projects is required, as this experience will be critical to establishing and developing new working relationships with one of these clients.

Role Requirements

• Lead day-to-day project management across a complex digital product engagement, ensuring clarity of priorities, timelines, deliverables, and accountability across all workstreams
• Serve as the central point of coordination between internal AKQA teams (strategy, UX, design, technology) and client stakeholders
• Manage project schedules, milestones, and dependencies with meticulous detail, proactively identifying risks and driving timely resolution
• Oversee scope management and change control, partnering with discipline leads to assess impact and maintain alignment on approved work
• Support resourcing coordination, ensuring the right people are engaged at the right time across the project lifecycle
• Facilitate regular project ceremonies and working sessions, keeping teams aligned and focused on outcomes
• Maintain clear and consistent project documentation (status reports, RAID logs, decision logs, meeting notes) that keep all stakeholders informed
• Partner with the client to manage expectations, communicate progress, and navigate complexity with composure and clarity
• Ensure delivery processes align with agile, waterfall, or hybrid methodologies as required by the engagement
• Contribute to continuously improving delivery practices and ways of working within the project and broader team

Qualities and Characteristics

• Has prior experience leading or contributing to discovery, initiative launch ("ignition"), digital vision, and strategic roadmap projects.
• 5+ years of project management experience within a digital agency or product delivery environment, with a strong emphasis on digital products and services
• Proven ability to manage complex, multi-workstream engagements with overlapping timelines, dependencies, and stakeholder groups
• Highly organized and detail-oriented, with strong instincts for anticipating issues before they elevate
• Clear, confident communicator with both technical and non-technical audiences
• Comfortable working independently and proactively in a fast-paced, remote environment
• Proficiency with project management and collaboration tools (e.g., Jira, Confluence, Smartsheet, or similar)
• Collaborative and solutions-oriented, with a team-first approach and a commitment to quality delivery

Location & Commitment

• East Coast residence required.
• Some travel for client meetings may be required.
• September, 14th - November, 24th, 2026
• 40 hours/week for 6 weeks, then 20 hours/week for 4 weeks. Potential to extend.
• Expected compensation: $75 - $85/hour based on experience

We believe great work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why We've adopted a hybrid approach including required in-office days. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

AKQA is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to particular 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.

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.