Senior Program Director

WPP PLC•Chicago, IL

34d•$75,000 - $180,000•Hybrid

About The Position

VML is hiring a Senior Program Director to oversee commerce program delivery for a large CPG company in a client-facing capacity. You have commerce expertise and a proven track record of standing up commerce clients across various retailers. Your breadth of account and PM experience enables you to lead large, multi-disciplinary teams to successfully deliver fast-paced client solutions.

Requirements

10-12 years of experience in PMO leadership and delivery management, ideally within an agency setting.
Shopper Marketing and Commerce experience is a must, with a background in CPG brands and omnichannel programs.
Proven track record of standing up successful project management teams
Experience working with integrated agency teams and external partner agencies.
Familiarity with Smartsheet, Excel, Monday.com, Workday, and Jira.
Interest in AI and how to leverage it as a delivery tool.
Strong project management operations skillset, including effective meeting management and capturing actionable next steps.
Ability to prioritize tasks, navigate challenges, and build operational rigor.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Workfront or Proof HQ is a plus.

Responsibilities

Partner with Account leads to provide ongoing client satisfaction.
Oversee the development of integrated project and program deliverables across teams and agency partners, handling concurrent workstreams for multiple retailers across North America.
Establish and maintain project and program communications.
Oversee project estimations and staffing recommendations, while implementing new processes across large workstreams.
Ensure calendars and deployment schedules are maintained for multiple operating units globally.
Leverage AI where possible to optimize delivery and efficiency.
Responsible for project profitability.
Plan, track, and approve project expenses, billing, and invoices.
Partner with the finance team to develop a consistent profitability and utilization view across all workstreams.
Manage resource allocation on an ongoing, weekly basis, and monitor project burn rates, budgets, and reconciliations.
Drive projects forward from point A to point B, ensuring excellent and timely delivery.
Provide purpose, direction, and motivation to the team.
Be a champion for the work and internal project team by taking notes, following up, building timelines and plans, etc.
Build slides, create compelling stories, and manage comprehensive documentation.