Senior Project Manager

At AKQA (Part of WPP), we blend 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 and deliver impressive returns for our clients.

The Delivery team are at the epicentre of all projects, ensuring they’re delivered to the highest quality, on time, and that clients receive the greatest possible value from their investment.

The team’s key focus is to build collaborative relationships and effective communication with project teams and clients alike. AKQA’s process and governance standards are industry leading; providing the tools, training and team support to make this possible.

Working with globally recognised brands, the Senior Project Manager is responsible for the full life cycle of complex, multidisciplinary client projects from inception through to delivery. Projects may span digital products and platforms, websites and apps, brand experiences, integrated campaigns, content, innovation and emerging technology.

Working closely with Programme Directors, Client Service Leads and senior discipline leads, the Senior Project Manager translates client ambitions into clear scopes, delivery plans and successful outcomes. They take ownership of project commercials, resources, risks and delivery, while providing confident leadership to multidisciplinary teams and building trusted relationships with senior client stakeholders.

This is a highly collaborative and client-facing role requiring strong judgement, adaptability and effective communication across all internal disciplines and external partners.

ROLE REQUIREMENTS

• Successfully lead and deliver large-scale and complex projects, ensuring high-quality deliverables are achieved on time and to budget.
• Manage multiple projects or interconnected workstreams, balancing priorities, dependencies, resources and commercial requirements.
• Establish clear project objectives and measures of success with clients and internal teams.
• Lead projects across a broad range of work including digital products, websites, apps, platforms, integrated campaigns, brand experiences, content, innovation and emerging technology.
• Translate complex client briefs and business requirements into clear project approaches, scopes, plans, budgets and deliverables.
• Write thorough, considered scopes of work that clearly define deliverables, assumptions, dependencies, timelines and commercial parameters.
• Work with discipline leads to accurately estimate and agree scopes of work using the most appropriate commercial model.
• Take ownership of project financials, including budgets, forecasting, burn rates and profitability. Identify potential overruns early and take appropriate action.
• Use AKQA’s management information systems effectively to create, track and monitor projects and financial progress.
• Forecast resource requirements across multidisciplinary teams and work proactively with Resource Management and People teams to secure the right capabilities at the right time.
• Define and communicate the appropriate delivery approach and project structure according to the work, methodology and project phase.
• Proactively identify and manage project risks, issues and dependencies, bringing solutions and recommendations rather than simply escalating problems.
• Lead project teams across Strategy, Creative, Design, Experience, Technology, Data and other specialist disciplines, creating clarity and momentum throughout delivery.
• Build strong relationships with senior client stakeholders, confidently managing expectations, challenging where appropriate and navigating changing requirements.
• Manage third-party suppliers, technology partners and production partners to ensure the best outcome for both clients and AKQA.
• Maintain clear project governance and communication, including accurate status reporting, decision-making, documentation and escalation.
• Navigate ambiguity and changing priorities while protecting the quality of the work, commercial health of the project and wellbeing of the team.
• Support and guide more junior members of the Delivery team, sharing knowledge and contributing to consistently high standards of project management.
• Contribute to the continued development.

QUALITIES AND CHARACTERISTICS

• +5 years of experience of managing a multi-disciplined service delivery function in an agency environment implementing innovative, interactive and consumer focused solutions.
• Experience in leading complex on location content production shoots.
• Knowledge of content product process, including how to work with production third-parties a must.
• Strong organisation skills – responsive to colleagues for overall efficiency and effectiveness.
• Self-motivation with the ability to work autonomously.
• Make sound commercial/financial decisions, quickly understand problems, propose solutions and manage customer situations.
• Ability to discuss with clients regarding merits/drawbacks of projects/work streams being delivered. Must be client facing.
• Strong attention to detail. Strive for the best quality of production.
• Systematic, methodical and pragmatic approach to your own work and the projects you run.
• Show pro-activity and don’t hesitate to take initiative to challenge and improving the existing.
• Strong customer service ethos – committed to quality with the will to constantly drive improvements. Committed to high standards of excellence and integrity.
• Negotiates well, listens actively and makes compelling points.
• Business-level fluency in both German and English. This includes the ability to effectively communicate, both verbally and in writing, in a professional business context. Applicants should be comfortable engaging in complex discussions, negotiations, and preparing formal documentation in both languages.

Explore our extensive range of benefits here.

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.