Senior Project Manager

Summary

Join AKQA's Delivery team as a Senior Project Manager, leading diverse, globally impactful digital media projects. You will manage the entire project lifecycle, from inception to delivery, ensuring high-quality results on time and within budget. Collaborate with clients and internal teams, building strong relationships and effectively communicating project updates. This role requires experience in a marketing/media agency, delivering full-life cycle projects and managing multiple resources across studios. You will be responsible for financial tracking, risk mitigation, and continuous improvement of AKQA's delivery practices. The position offers a hybrid work approach and the opportunity to work with globally recognized brands.

Requirements

• Experience delivering full life-cycle projects in a marketing/media agency or consultancy environment, implementing innovative, interactive, and consumer-focused solutions
• Experience working on Digital or ATL Media, digitally-led campaigns and content production. Media, data, and innovation project experience is also desirable
• An accomplished communicator who gains the business's confidence and clients’ trust
• Able to build strong relationships and achieve results under potentially difficult circumstances
• Proven ability to work well under pressure with high flexibility and fluidity. Self-motivated and comfortable working independently
• Possess good business acumen and sound judgment
• Strong customer service ethos, committed to quality, with the will to drive improvements
• Excellent attention to detail
• Constantly strive to improve AKQA delivery practices, processes, and procedures

Responsibilities

• Lead a diverse range of fast-moving local and global projects that are Digital Media led, technically and organisationally complex, strategic, digital, brand and comms-focused, from resourcing and scoping to delivery
• Successfully deliver projects with high-quality deliverables, on time, and to budget
• Work alongside the client service leads to create detailed briefs and debriefs for the team to action against
• Identify what success looks like for each project, with client agreement, to ensure we achieve that as a team
• Tailor and communicate an appropriate project structure by methodology or project phase. Document this clearly in the scope of work
• Work with leads to accurately estimate a project according to the most appropriate model (e.g. fixed-price, capped time and materials, by project phase)
• Write thorough, considered scopes of work that can act as contracts for your projects. Define and agree on the scope of work internally and with clients, and ensure projects are delivered within this agreed scope
• Forecast resource requirements across teams and assist Resource Management to plan proactively
• Use the AKQA management information system to create, track and monitor overall projects, burn rates, and financial progress. Highlight potential overruns before they occur. Escalate and resolve financial issues as they happen
• Strategise to maintain optimal client profitability by tracking and reporting the financial status of a project against the current estimates. Highlight potential overruns before they occur
• Present and communicate effectively internally and externally, both verbally and in writing
• Manage multiple resources and studios to ensure the best outcome for clients and AKQA. Keep stakeholders informed of project progress at all times and manage expectations proactively
• Proactively identify, manage, and mitigate risks on a project, focusing on solutions
• Balance specific client demands with project realities and reliably close the loop on all open issues in a timely manner
• Engage in new business pitches; supporting global and regional delivery leads
• Collaborate with the Delivery & Operations Director to craft long-term delivery strategies and implement industry best practices
• Lead and inspire, sharing your knowledge with peers and mentoring mid/junior project managers. Cultivate a positive team environment, promoting proactivity, enthusiasm for client businesses, and continuous improvement

Benefits

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