Technical Operations Transformation Director

Ogilvy, part of WPP, has been creating impact for brands through iconic, culture-changing, value-driving ideas since the company was founded by David Ogilvy 75 years ago. It builds on that rich legacy through Borderless Creativity – innovating at the intersections of its advertising, public relations, relationship design, consulting, and health capabilities with experts collaborating seamlessly across over 120 offices in nearly 90 countries. Ogilvy currently ranks as the #1 global agency network for creative excellence and effectiveness by WARC, signifying its ability to deliver creative solutions that drive unreasonable impact for clients and communities. Ogilvy is a WPP company (NYSE: WPP). For more information, visit Ogilvy.com, and follow us on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and Facebook.

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.

Our vision is to inspire brands and people to impact the world. To create big ideas that make a significant contribution to the planet, society, and the bottom line. We believe in today’s world this is the best way for our clients to achieve sustainable growth. We achieve this by breaking down the barriers that restrict talent and ideas.

Which is why our teams work fluidly across 5 capabilities: Advertising, Consulting, Experience, PR & Influencer, and Health. This allows us to not only operate but innovate at the intersection of capabilities and talent. We believe impact and magic lies at this intersection. Ogilvy scales this by seamlessly connecting and accessing the deep cultural expertise of 132 offices in 83 countries.

The result is multifaceted ideas for our clients that drive impact and are born from the intersection of platform x culture x technology.

We call this Borderless Creativity.

Ogilvy was ranked the number one UK agency at D&AD and was the only UK agency to win a Glass Lions at Cannes. Ogilvy was also nominated network of the year in Cannes Lions, Campaign, Effie Awards EMEA, London International Awards, The One Show and WARC Rankings.

We are embarking on a major step-change in how we operate for our Google client—a brand-new approach for our people, a re-engineered delivery process, and a new tech platform stack. This is an activation-focused, hands-on leadership role, not a consultancy position.

We need a Technical Operations Transformation Director to own the critical job of translating our ambitious AI and technology transformation strategy into a tangible, operational reality. You will be the activation point, the one who bridges the plan with its actual implementation over an intensive 90-day mandate. You will be responsible for driving change across the three core pillars of People, Process, and Platform, working at pace to quickly earn trust and build a new operational model that runs smoothly and sustainably long after your direct input.

The ultimate success factor is the delivery of measurable operational outcomes that are live and running before the conclusion of your contract.

• →Global Strategy Alignment: Engage with the WPP Global GCL Team for Google to align on the WPP-level AI and technology strategy, ensuring the UK operation is a full and active contributor to that global programme.
  
  
• →Local Activation: Activate the AI and tech transformation within the UK Google operation, translating global strategy into local implementation with full synergy across WPP Google Media and UK operations.
  
  
• →Transition Management: Own the master transition plan from day one; build it, communicate it, and hold the agency accountable through weekly governance cadences with senior leadership.
  
  
• →Process Engineering: Operationalise the recent pitch methodology into documented, repeatable processes that teams can execute without reliance on individual institutional knowledge.
  
  
• →Client Leadership: Act as the client-facing lead on transformation where required, reassuring senior stakeholders that promised capabilities are on track and evidencing progress.
  
  
• →Organisational Design: Partner with the Project Management Lead and Managing Partner to redesign team structures, define new role profiles, and close talent gaps through strategic hiring or development plans.
  
  
• →Platform & Technology Adoption: Drive platform adoption, working alongside technology leads in WPP to onboard teams onto new tools, embed them into day-to-day workflow, and retire legacy systems cleanly.
  
  
• →Change Management: Build and run the change management engine; create stakeholder maps, communications plans, resistance tracking, and feedback loops to bring the entire team on the journey.
  
  
• →Performance & Reporting: Define and track transformation KPIs, reporting fortnightly to the C-suite with honest RAG assessments and clear escalation paths for blockers.
  
  
• →Sustainable Handover: Ensure that by the end of the 90-day period, the new operating model is fully embedded, documented, and capable of being sustained by the existing leadership team without ongoing transformation support.

• By Day 30: The master transformation plan is fully ratified, communicated, and has full leadership buy-in.
• By Day 60: New, re-engineered processes are live and being actively used within the UK Operation.
• By Day 90: The full new operating model (People, Process, Platform) is embedded, documented, and handed over to permanent leadership.
• Days 90 - 180 (Post-Handover): Success is measured by the sustained performance and optimisation of the new model by the existing team.
  
  

• A proven track record of leading complex operational transformations within a marketing, creative, or communications agency environment.
• Deep, simultaneous experience across all three pillars: people-led change (org design, training), process re-engineering, and platform/technology transitions.
• Demonstrable experience delivering successful 90-day (or similar short-term, high-intensity) activation programmes.
• Strong executive stakeholder management skills, with confidence and credibility in client-facing situations at the CMO or C-suite level.
• Structured programme management expertise, with fluency in governance, risk management, reporting, and escalation frameworks.
• A reputation as a trusted integrator and coalition-builder who brings people along with change rather than imposing it.
• Exceptional communication, interpersonal, and leadership skills.
• High levels of personal drive, resilience, and determination to deliver tangible outcomes under pressure.
  
  

• Reports to: Managing Partner, with a full mandate to execute the transformation.
• Works with: All department heads, People Team, Technology, Client Leads, and external vendors.
• Authority: Budget holder for transformation-related spend; has decision rights over process and tooling within the agreed-upon strategic parameters.

• 25 days annual leave + 1 Volunteer Day
• Bupa Healthcare
• Enhanced Maternity, Adoption and Shared Parental Leave
• Flexible Working Model with core working hours: 10am – 4pm
• A 1.5:1 Matching Pension Structure
• Wellbeing and Health: Up to £25.00 per month towards physical or online exercise class membership, Unmind membership, LifeWorks tool and annual eye tests.
• Season Ticket Loan and Cycle to Work Scheme
• Life Assurance