Job description
Programme Implementation Director
Description
Background
We are a key partner for our client globally and our aim is to create meaningful change through connected experiences. We co-create new customer experiences with our client to transform their business and brand – focusing on the customer experience (CX). Our work is rooted in a humancentred approach to architecting connected customer and employee experiences using our key competencies in Strategy, Creative, Experience Design and Technology.
As part of our European CX programme, we identified the opportunity for our client to create this exciting new project in Europe; A small team has been working on a top level strategy & business case, taking learnings from a similar project in a different region. We will now need to mobilise a team to launch in one country, test, learn & expand and then grow to other countries. This will be a multi year project for a multi-disciplinary team and the project is sponsored at the highest level of the client business.
We are looking for a Senior Programme Director who can play the central role in bringing this project from a business case to an experience that is live in customers hand in App and web – someone as comfortable partnering with a client to help them create the plan to align their internal stakeholders as they are orchestrating agency delivery. They will build the team that delivers the first release and will then grow it to expand the project and move to other markets.
Scope of the agency task which this role will lead:
• Partner with our clients to set up the project business unit – operating model, governance, reporting etc. • Partner with our clients to create an overall project plan & operating model for European launch (and following phases to support and expand the project), collaborating with other client business units such as IT, marketing, customer service, sales, finance the team in the first launch market. • Partner with the clients to take the high level strategy for the project and derive the detailed engagement & communications strategy for launch and the strategy for expansion of the project both in the launch market and additional markets • Own the design of the digital experience (UX, design, content) working collaboratively with the client IT organisation (who will be responsible for development) and the business stakeholders • Deliver launch & sustain communications & CRM – strategy/communications planning, creative development, Asset production • Provide Data & analytics support for the project
Key Responsibilities:
1. Partner with the client Project Owners and Business leads to direct the delivery of the programme and co-create the overall programme plan. Support the project owners to develop robust project plans to achieve the project objectives. Working with client
stakeholders to ensure people, resources, tools are planned ahead. 2. Be responsible for Agency scope and lead delivery, helping to build out the team, prioritise efforts and ensure best in class outputs. Provide hands on expertise where required to plan & execute Experience design & communications workstreams, and provide direction for project/account management staff as required. Forge a strong partnership with the client's IT teams to ensure delivery. 3. Put in place effective Programme management structures – process, tools and communications. 4. Support the client team in presenting to management and obtaining business buy-in and ongoing support. 5. Identify and mitigate project risks and issues. Escalate as required within client and agency organisation. 6. Work closely with the with the WPP strategy team to ensure the customers needs are kept at the forefront and high quality customer centric solutions are developed. 7. Ensuring regular communication to agency leadership team and flagging support required. 8. Manage agency resources against the agreed budget for the programme, scope budget extensions and facilitate (with leadership team support) approvals.
Key experience/attributes
• 10+ years programme management experience - with exposure to large corporate environments. Experience in Delivering strategic, omni channel, customer focussed programmes comprising digital experience development (app/web), CRM/communications and change management. • Strong organiser/planner/problem solver. Able to grasp a set of programme and project objectives and analyse the path to achieve them from multiple areas – Organisational dependencies, project governance, political challenges, technical dependencies, quality assurance and business acceptance & communications. • Diplomatic & emotionally intelligent. Possess ‘gravitas’ and able to set the agenda and lead the client when required. Excellent presentation skills. Strong team player and supportive colleague. • Able to think multiple steps ahead to ensure that inputs, resources and decisions are planned for and available as needed to stay on track. • Experienced in working in fluid and evolving engagements. Energetic, able to “roll up sleeves”, flexible mentality. Action oriented individual. • Comfortable building relationships and partnering with senior clients. • Whilst specific technology skills and management of a technology team are not required, candidate should be experienced in collaborating with technology teams.
Our values
We are proudly and defiantly diverse employer. We only care that you are a good human, who is amazing at your job, who is interested and interesting, who wants to do truly transformational work. We don't care much about gender identity, sexual preference, skin colour, able-bodied-ness, marital status or otherwise of our team members. We just want to work with the best.