Department: PR and Influence
Location: London (Sea Containers)
Contracttype: Fixed-Term (12 months) Maternity Cover
Full Time/Part time: Full Time
Reporting into: Client Partner
About Ogilvy
Ogilvy UK has been creating iconic ideas that deliver impact at scale for clients ever since David Ogilvy founded the company in 1948. The agency specialises in bringing together brand advertising, customer experience marketing, PR, influence and consulting, all fuelled by Behavioural Science. Our world-class award-winning creative campaigns deliver solutions for clients including Sainsbury’s, Lloyds BankingGroup, Madri, Unilever and Mondelēz International.
Ogilvy’s influencer marketing practice is the largest globally; we are proud to be the most awarded influencer agency for six years running and the recipient of the Cannes Grand Prix for Social & Creator for two consecutive years.
Ogilvy UK also hosts the world’s biggest festival of behavioural science and creativity, Nudgestock – which is now in its 12th year. James Murphy is the CEO of Ogilvy Group UK, which includes Ogilvy UK and New Commercial Arts (NCA), a boutique creative agency he co-founded in 2020, recently acquired by WPP.
The Role
We are looking for a Programme Director to oversee project management and operations across a significant influencer marketing experience. With a specialist focus in influencer marketing, this beauty account has been set up to service every element of the client’s influencer marketing business – from paid campaigns to gifting, across all divisions and brands.
Given the scale and scope of the business, solid skills and experience in project management fundamentals are a must (budgeting, planning, developing statements of work etc.) and managing operational success within an agency environment, including managing forecasting and resourcing. We are also after an individual with an appreciation and understanding of social media and influencer marketing, from the creative process, strategy, data through to the production – as well as the people skills to foster a collaborative and efficient team culture.
Project Management Systems and Process
* We have recently implemented Wrike as our central project management platform. A significant part of this role will involve owning and administering the system, including supporting day-to-day use, training team members, and identifying opportunities to improve workflows and functionality.
* The successful candidate will be confident working with project management tools and comfortable acting as a systems champion – helping others adopt new processes and improving how the team uses the platform.
* Strong digital literacy and the ability to learn and optimise new systems quickly are essential.
Key Responsibilities
* Oversee project delivery and operations across a large client team, supporting the team with all commercial and resource management.
* Support client teams to analyse and identify better ways of working, ensure processes are being followed and identify operational improvements.
* Act as the central point of coordination across multiple working groups, ensuring projects progress in line with agreed timelines and priorities.
* Lead regular working group meetings, including agenda setting, facilitation and clear follow-up of actions.
* Maintain project trackers and documentation, ensuring actions, owners and deadlines are clearly recorded and communicated.
* Provide structure and momentum across initiatives, supporting stakeholders to move from discussion to delivery.
* Provide ongoing maintenance, training for and enhancements to our central campaign management system.
* Work in collaboration with Account Leads on creation, and updates to statements of work, staff plans and project budgets.
* Working in partnership with the commercial accountant to achieve commercial targets – attend commercial meetings with client teams to ensure revenue forecasts, cap plans and resource needs are accurate.
* Support account team and others to share our delivery process with clients and adhere to it.
* Monitor budgets and work with the business to avoid overburns – run weekly burn reports, providing analysis and support with servicing levels.
* Resource Management to plan proactively including resource trackers and capacity plans across departments.
* Provide regular training for the team on operational and finance processes.
* Support team with financial administration such as raising POs, vendor creation and job number creation and working with Finance on issues relating to invoices, payments, budgets and vendors.
Requirements
* Strong interest in project management and operations management.
* Demonstrate a proven experience of managing teams and delivering across a wide range of multi-channels, including influencer marketing.
* Requires proven experience of working on a fast‑paced account, ideally within the influencer marketing space.
* Experience of having adapted a delivery process around client needs.
* Experience working with multiple business systems and platforms, ideally including Wrike and Workday (or similar tools).
* Confident navigating, maintaining and improving system processes, with strong overall systems literacy. Strong organisational skills; responsive to colleagues for overall efficiency and effectiveness.
* Ability to build strong relationships with peers, external clients, and suppliers, and can achieve results under challenging circumstances.
* Ability to make sound commercial and financial decisions, quickly understand problems, propose solutions, and manage client situations.
* Ability to stay calm under pressure and to have a focused and positive approach, and be self‑motivated, self‑driven and comfortable working independently if required.
* Strong client service ethos, with a commitment to quality and the will to constantly drive improvements. Commitment to high standards of excellence and integrity.
* Possess good business acumen and sound judgment. Must be able to be collaborative, supportive and adopt a team‑based approach. Will be eager to provide insight and receive feedback.
* An accomplished communicator who gains confidence of the business whilst being experienced at operating at all levels.
* Negotiates well, actively listens and makes compelling arguments. Can build strong relationships both with clients, peers, and business counterparts.
* Negotiation skills – achieves the best possible outcome in every negotiation in which you take part. Anticipating, defusing, and resolving conflict between colleagues and clients.
* Resource forecasting (across departments) – helps the company forecast resource requirements for the coming months by project.
* Expert methodology selection – advanced knowledge and application of the company’s project delivery framework. Knowledge and application of industry best practice.
* Knowledge of client methodology – the ability to deliver a project using a client's delivery methodology and reporting standards.
* Presentation skills – the ability to contribute to and deliver considered, concise and relevant presentations to colleagues and clients.
* Knowledge of the company’s services offering and interdependencies – sound knowledge of all the company’s service offerings.
* Knowledge of digital business platforms (e.g. project management and HR systems such as Wrike, Workday, Asana, Monday.com or similar).
Managerial Capabilities
* Stakeholder management – ability to successfully manage multiple suppliers, partners and clients to ensure the best outcome for both client and the company.
* Budget and financial management – ability to set, monitor and deliver projects and tasks within agreed financial parameters. Ability to understand, interpret and report on all financial aspects of the role.
* Mentoring – supports and encourages team members and colleagues across the wider business to manage their own learning.
Leadership Attributes
* Think strategically.
* Inspire creativity and innovation – stimulate team creativity.
* Drive results – hold self and others accountable to high performance standards.
* Build teams – proactively address performance issues and take appropriate action.
* Exhibit professional excellence – maintain composure under pressure.
* Build relationships – manage the needs of diverse stakeholders.
* Communicate effectively – effectively persuade others to support ideas.
* Champion change – build commitment to change.
How we help you Thrive
* 25 days annual leave + 1 Volunteer Day.
* Enhanced Maternity, Adoption and Shared Parental Leave.
* We have a Flexible Working Model with core working hours: 10am – 4pm.
* Wellbeing and Health: Up to £25.00 per month towards physical or online exercise class membership, Unmind membership, LifeWorks tool and annual eye tests and development budgets and wellbeing incentives and activities throughout the year.
* Season Ticket Loan and Cycle to Work Scheme.
* Life Assurance.
Our ambition is to attract the very best diverse talent to Ogilvy, and to be the employer of choice in the UK. We want everyone to feel welcome when they join us, and once they’re here, for them to want to stay with us, grow their career, and to feel they belong with us.
We are an equal opportunity employer and we’re committed to creating an inclusive, welcoming environment for everyone who wants to work at Ogilvy. For us, diversity, equity and inclusion is integrated into everything that we do. We believe that for creativity to flourish, everything about how we work must have diversity at its core. Your race, colour, ethnic, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability have no bearing on our hiring decisions, but we encourage everyone to feel free to express their true selves in an environment we are consistently striving to make as inclusive as possible.
We aim to facilitate an accessible and positive application experience for all candidates. If you require any adjustments from us to support you through the process or expect to require any adjustments to working conditions to be able to best perform in the role, please let us know. We are happy to consider all reasonable adjustments.
If you live with a disability and you would like to take advantage of our offer of a guaranteed interview under the Disability Confident Scheme, please ensure you fill out our voluntary Equal Opportunities Questionnaire when applying.
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