Transformation Overview
WPP is embarking on a major 3‑year Transformation to simplify, modernise, and unify its technology platforms across the group. This change is critical to:
- Enable cost‑effective transformation and operational efficiency
- Accelerate adoption of AI, data, and digital platforms
- Ensure consistent delivery of value and benefits across all agencies and markets
- Minimise disruption and maximise engagement during large‑scale change
Programme Director Role
A dedicated Programme Director is needed to orchestrate the people side of this transformation, ensuring that new ways of working are adopted, benefits are realised, and change fatigue is minimised.
Responsibilities
- Define and maintain the programme vision, objectives, and roadmap, ensuring alignment with business strategy.
- Establish robust governance frameworks, manage risks, and ensure compliance with organisational standards.
- Drive delivery of measurable business benefits, tracking progress against agreed KPIs and outcomes.
- Build strong relationships with senior stakeholders, sponsors, and delivery teams to secure commitment and resolve issues.
- Oversee programme budgets, resource allocation, and vendor management to optimise cost and value.
- Ensure readiness and adoption of new capabilities, minimising disruption and embedding change effectively.
- Develop the global vision and roadmap for the programme.
- Build strong relationships with leaders to influence and drive collaboration.
- Establish and lead transformation programmes across WPP Enterprise Technology.
- Ensure deliverables are of the highest quality with clearly articulated scope and quantifiable business benefits.
- Be accountable for programme definition, planning, orchestration, and delivery.
- Identify, define and manage all aspects of the programme's projects including overall programme project plan, execution, resource management, risk and issue tracking, quality, governance, change management, risk management, communications and budget.
- Coordinate dependencies with projects, suppliers and stakeholders outside of the programme.
- Create visibility across teams to mitigate coordination challenges.
- Develop and maintain programme risk management plans. Coordinate programme risk identification, qualification, response development and control.
- Work closely with the PMOs to ensure the programme is reported on accurately.
- Run stage gates for each project in the programme with PMOs.
- Act as liaison between stakeholders, sponsors and steering committee and manage these relationships.
- Conduct financial analyses on programme alternatives including cost/benefit analysis to determine programme feasibility and direction.
- Develop and compose business cases to support the justification of programme investment.
- Manage third‑party suppliers/partners to contract commitments.
- Performance manage project management staff and provide coaching and feedback to support their professional growth.
- Ensure the programme projects use Strategy and Transformation delivery standards and tools (Transformation Delivery Framework, and Wrike).
- Support the PPM Centre of Excellence by identifying and championing areas where improvements may benefit project performance.
- Share activities and lessons learnt across PM community.
Qualifications
- Extensive experience leading large‑scale, complex technology transformation programmes in a global or multi‑entity organisation.
- Proven track record of delivering enterprise‑wide platforms, cloud migrations, infrastructure modernisation, or major application deployments.
- Strong background in portfolio, programme, and project management, with familiarity in both waterfall and hybrid delivery.
- Experience working in environments with multiple vendors, system integrators, and third‑party delivery partners.
- Ability to define and articulate a clear programme vision, roadmap, and benefits case.
- Strong leadership presence with the ability to influence senior stakeholders, including C‑suite, functional heads, and agency/market leaders.
- Experience leading matrixed teams and managing cross‑functional delivery across geographies.
- Demonstrated ability to set the right delivery culture, behaviours, and expectations.
- Deep understanding of programme governance, including stage gates, reporting, RAID management, and financial controls.
- Ability to establish and maintain robust delivery frameworks, quality standards, and assurance.
- Skilled in risk management, including identifying systemic risks, interdependency conflicts, and developing mitigation plans.
- Ability to ensure regulatory, security, and compliance alignment across programme components.
- Strong capability in budget ownership, forecasting, cost control, and benefits realisation.
- Experience conducting business cases, cost‑benefit analysis, and ROI assessments.
- Ability to manage vendors against contractual commitments and performance KPIs.
- Exceptional communication skills, able to simplify complex programme detail into exec‑level insight.
- Ability to build trusted relationships with senior sponsors, delivery teams, and external partners.
- Skilled in managing change impacts, driving adoption, and minimising business disruption.
- Experience overseeing change management, including communications, training, and readiness.
- Ability to ensure new processes, technologies, and capabilities are embedded and sustained.
- Comfortable addressing change fatigue, capability gaps, and resistance points.
- Strong understanding of relevant enterprise technologies.
- Ability to balance technical constraints, architectural requirements, and business needs.
- Highly organised, resilient, and comfortable operating in ambiguous or evolving environments.
- Strong problem solver with ability to make clear decisions under pressure.
- Inclusive, people‑centred leader who motivates high‑performing teams.
Equal Opportunity
WPP 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.
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