Associate Director, Business Operations

PHD is a global communications planning and media buying agency network delivering smart strategic thinking and creative innovation for the world’s leading brands. Brilliant media thinking is in our DNA. A culture of thought‑leadership, creativity and innovation has seen us grow from a challenger agency in the UK, to a global leader with over 6,000 employees in over 100 offices worldwide. We combine the latest industry insight with the best creative minds to produce planning innovation and create award‑winning work for some of the world’s largest advertisers. Finding a better way is our ethos and sums up how we approach everything – from a new client brief to the way we work. Overview The Business Operations (Project Management) team serves as the backbone, orchestrating the intricate mechanisms that drive our business forward. From enhancing communication to managing significant investments, each member of the team plays a crucial role in aligning our activities with overarching company goals. Our culture is our cornerstone, fostering empowerment and success in both professional and personal realms for every member of our dynamic team. Through collaboration, innovation, and a relentless pursuit of excellence, our team empowers the company to navigate challenges, capitalize on opportunities, and achieve sustainable growth in a dynamic and competitive landscape. We are looking for a highly skilled and motivated Manager to join our dynamic Business Operations team. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in interfacing with leadership across the organization to drive operational excellence in a wide variety of business planning and operations functions, financial and vendor management, communications and engagement, and daily operations. The Manager, Business Operations will support the broader strategy, investment, and Marketing Science teams on a key account for our agency. This role will be critical in marshalling cross‑disciplinary and inter‑agency teams to drive meaningful impacts to the business and our agency‑client relationship. A successful candidate will be process oriented, able to communicate effectively, and able to partner with account leadership to maintain momentum against key workstreams. Responsibilities Lead project management efforts to ensure the successful planning, launch, and reporting of media campaigns Confirm operational best practices with discipline teams, embedding finance expertise into workflow definitions and project timelines (e.g. client and deliverable expectations, turnaround times, client escalations, client‑facing deliverable consistency) Consult and confirm implementation governance and best practices, ensure training compliance across platforms Lead integration and connectivity between cross‑functional teams (e.g. Planning, Integrated Investment, Marketing Science, Finance, Project Management) - inclusive of integration between onshore and offshore resources Collaborate with investment + activation and operations teams both onshore and offshore, act as liaison for offshore work deployment. Confirm consistency in client facing deliverables (e.g. Budget Deliverables) in partnership with Team Leadership and BPM Collaborate with Budget Project Management, Planning Analysts, and Account Leadership to ensure that all invoicing for fees and media is delivered timely. Ensure utilization of planning and tracking tools to ensure accurate delivery of campaign data for the client (including Proof of Performance, monthly campaign budget tracking, and bi‑weekly financial ‘status’, etc.) Serve as the first POC for collaboration systems and tools related inquiries, including Smartsheets, Teams, and SharePoint Support gathering of financial rigor and strategic insight around business decisions that affect both client and agency. Foster good working relationships and understanding with various teams as well as the client to facilitate flawless execution Leverage industry experience (where applicable) to advise on best practices and address questions and/or issues as they arise Assist in managing relationships with vendors, especially when discrepancies arise, finding creative solutions to complex situations Qualifications 3+ years knowledge of the principles of advertising, marketing and media (Broadcast, Digital, Print, & Strategic environment preferred) Proven experience in project management, preferably in a technology‑driven environment. Familiarity with Media Ocean, Prisma, and Media Tools preferred Advanced Microsoft Excel skills a must, ability to work with large excel spreadsheets Strong ability to problem solve to develop solutions, troubleshooting a must 3+ years’ experience managing multiple projects delivering value to internal customers to maximize their workflow productivity levels. Intellectually curious and ability to ask the right questions to solve a business problem even when the problem is not explicitly stated. Effective communication and leadership skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate effectively across all levels of the organization. Demonstrated ability to drive results and manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast‑paced environment. Experience with Agile framework and methodology, understanding of the software development process. Experience in artificial intelligence or related technologies is highly desirable. Exceptional critical thinking skills and mindfulness. Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Visio, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Word), O365 experience a plus. Experience with Microsoft D365 a plus. Compensation and Benefits This is the pay range the Company believes it will pay for this position at the time of this posting. Consistent with applicable law, compensation will be determined based on relevant experience, other job‑related qualifications/skills, and geographic location (to account for comparative cost of living). The Company reserves the right to modify this pay range at any time. For this role, benefits include: health insurance, vision insurance, dental insurance, 401(k), Healthcare Flexible Spending Account, Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account, vacation days, sick days, personal days, paid parental leave, paid medical leave, and STD/LTD insurance benefits. Compensation Range: $50,000—$95,000 USD Hybrid Work Arrangements This role is hybrid, requiring three (3) days per week in the office. The remaining two (2) days may be worked remotely. Specific in‑office days will be discussed during the interview process, with flexibility to align with team needs. Please note that the number or required in‑office days may be adjusted over time, potentially increasing the number of required in‑office days based on business needs. Review Our Recruitment Privacy Notice #J-18808-Ljbffr