Director, Project Management

Responsibilities

• Owns the end-to-end delivery of a portfolio of complex integrated accounts and programs, directly managing initiatives from intake and planning through execution, launch and post-delivery evaluation.
• Serves as the primary owner of project plans, timelines, scopes, budgets, risks and dependencies, staying closely involved in all details.
• Actively manages day-to-day delivery across owned projects, stepping in wherever needed to keep work moving forward.
• Anticipates issues before they escalate and addresses challenges related to scope, resourcing, finances or timelines through direct action.
• Translates ambiguity into clear actionable plans that align teams around objectives, milestones and success criteria.
• Led retrospectives/post-mortems, and applies learnings immediately to improve future delivery.
• Create and maintain detailed project plans, schedules and workflows.
• Establishes and evolves project management methodologies, tools, templates and standards while remaining flexible to meet client and business needs.
• Ensures disciplined application of project management best practices through direct use, not just oversight.
• Leverages data, KPIs and historical insights to guide decisions, forecast outcomes and improve delivery performance.
• Financial, scope & resource management:
• Leads scope definition including Statements of Work, estimates, staffing plans and change management.
• Owes financial stewardship, including forecasting burn, tracking and profitability management.
• Closely monitors budgets and timelines on active projects and takes corrective action when needed.
• Identifies scope risks and opportunities, and proactively partners with Business Leadership and discipline leads to manage change.
• Works directly with Resource Management and discipline leads to plan, allocate and adjust resources across active and future work.
• Ensures accurate time tracking, financial reporting and accountability for delivery decisions.
• People leadership & talent development:
• Leads, mentors and develops Project Managers through hands-on coaching and leading by example.
• Sets clear expectations around quality, accountability and execution while supporting growth and career development.
• Conducts regular 1:1s, performance reviews and development planning tied to department standards and real delivery experiences.
• Models strong project management behaviors and decision making.
• Acts as a visible advocate for the Project Management function across the agency.
• Client & agency partnership:
• Acts as a senior client partner with direct involvement in delivery planning, execution and issue resolution.
• Builds trust with clients through transparency, follow-through and consistent delivery excellence.
• Supports new business efforts through hands-on scoping, estimating, workflow design and delivery strategy.
• Collaborates with agency leadership to evolve operational models based on what is working in practice.
• Represents Project Management in agency initiatives, audits and strategic planning.

Qualifications

• Bridges clarity, structure and calm to complex, high-pressure environments.
• Proactive, anticipatory thinker who works ahead of risk rather than reacting to it.
• Strong collaborator who can also operate autonomously and make principled tradeoffs.
• Solution-oriented and deeply accountable.
• ~6–10+ years of progressive experience in project, program or delivery management within an integrated agency environment.
• Proven success managing large, complex, multi-disciplinary projects and programs.
• Strong financial acumen with hands-on experience managing scopes, forecasts, burn rates and profitability.
• High EQ and environmental awareness; strength in context-driven decision-making.
• Strong ability to manage ambiguity, prioritize work and drive decisions through action.
• Clear, confident communicator with experience working directly with senior stakeholders and clients.
• Deep understanding of project management methodologies and best practices.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented and calm under pressure, with a strong sense of ownership.
• Proactive self-starter who successfully holds themselves and others accountable.