ET (IT Financial Management) Platform Implementation Director - 6 month FTC

Why we're hiring:

WPP's Enterprise Technology (ET) is undergoing a significant transformation. We're seeking an ET ITFM Platform Implementation Director on a 6 month FTC basis, to lead the end-to-end implementation of a Group-wide IT Financial Management (ITFM) and Technology Business Management (TBM) platform.

This critical role will replace legacy manual processes, establishing a modern, scalable financial architecture that fundamentally reshapes how ET plans, budgets, forecasts, and recharges technology spend across 700+ operating companies. A key milestone includes rebuilding the FY2027 budget process for automation and improved decision-making.

This isn't a back-office initiative; it's a hands-on, transformative role directly impacting ET's operating model. The ideal candidate will have deep enterprise system implementation and finance/FP&A experience, capable of leading large-scale global programs, managing detail, and presenting to senior leadership.

What you'll be doing:

This is a hands-on leadership role where you will drive a critical transformation across WPP. You'll be at the forefront of modernising our financial architecture and processes, directly shaping how technology spend is managed across a global enterprise.

• Lead the full lifecycle implementation of our Group-wide IT Financial Management (ITFM) and Technology Business Management (TBM) platform, ensuring delivery on scope, time, and budget.
• Architect the future: Define the solution architecture and data model, collaborating with vendors and internal teams for cost modelling, service costing, recharges, and benchmarking.
• Get hands-on: Directly configure the platform – building cost models, allocation hierarchies, validating data mappings, and meticulously testing outputs for accuracy.
• Integrate seamlessly: Partner with ET’s tech and data teams to establish robust integration points with existing platforms (ERP, CMDB, cloud tools), creating a unified technology ecosystem.
• Manage strategic partnerships: Oversee vendor relationships and third-party implementation partners, ensuring accountability for deliverables, quality, and timelines.
• Orchestrate adoption: Design and execute a phased rollout plan across ET and all WPP Networks, followed by establishing crucial data governance and reporting frameworks to ensure accurate, auditable financial data.
• Embed into operations: Drive the integration of the platform’s outputs into the working rhythms of ET Business Platforms, Technology Operations, Cyber, Risk & Compliance (CRC), and Network ET teams, ensuring widespread adoption beyond finance.

• Redesign our budget process: Lead the complete overhaul and implementation of ET’s FY2027 budget process, replacing manual, spreadsheet-driven methods with a structured, automated, and auditable framework via the new platform.
• Define financial clarity: Own the definition of ET budget structures, cost taxonomies, and planning inputs, establishing what needs to be included for comprehensive financial oversight.
• Empower decision-making: Develop advanced budgeting and forecasting models that provide granular transparency (service, cost-centre, and operating-company levels), enabling faster, evidence-based investment and cost decisions for ET leadership.
• Collaborate for alignment: Work closely with ET Finance and Network finance teams to define requirements, challenge assumptions, and ensure alignment with WPP’s strategic objectives.
• Automate for accuracy: Implement automated allocation and recharge methodologies, drastically improving accuracy and efficiency across all ET cost pools.
• Ensure financial integrity: Personally validate all key model outputs, reconciliations, and recharge calculations, ensuring the numbers are unequivocally correct before go-live.

• Be the programme’s senior voice: Act as the primary point of contact for the programme across ET, Networks, and operating companies.
• Bridge strategy and execution: Serve as the crucial link between ET Strategy & Transformation’s change agenda and the financial delivery requirements of ET Finance.
• Drive governance: Establish and chair a programme steering committee, providing clear, regular reporting on progress, risks, and dependencies to the Finance Director, Enterprise Technology, and senior Group leadership.
• Cultivate relationships: Build strong, collaborative partnerships across all ET verticals (Business Platforms, Technology Operations, CRC, Strategy & Transformation) and with Network ET teams, as well as procurement, tax, treasury, and operational teams.
• Lead critical communications: Own the communications plan for the FY2027 Budget process rollout across WPP.

• Craft the change journey: Develop and own a comprehensive change management strategy covering stakeholder engagement, communications, training, and adoption measurement to ensure successful Group-wide uptake.
• Communicate with impact: Lead stakeholder communications throughout the system transition, providing regular updates, impact assessments, and readiness briefings tailored for diverse audiences.
• Navigate resistance: Proactively identify and manage resistance to change, demonstrating value and building advocacy for the new platform and processes.
• Empower through training: Design and deliver robust training programmes and support materials to upskill finance and technology teams on new ways of working.
• Build a lasting legacy: Establish a clearly defined operating model, ensuring named owners are in place for ongoing budget cycles, forecasting, allocations, and platform maintenance.

• Build & Inspire a High-Performing Team: Recruit, lead, and develop a project team of permanent staff and external contractors.
• Mentor & Develop: Provide coaching and mentoring, fostering professional development and a collaborative, results-oriented environment.
• Drive performance: Set clear objectives, manage performance, and ensure your team consistently delivers against programme milestones.

What you'll need:

• Financial Acumen: A professional finance or accounting qualification (e.g., ACA, ACCA, CA, CIMA, CPA) is highly preferred. Candidates without a formal qualification who demonstrate equivalent senior-level financial expertise in IT financial management, TBM, or finance transformation will also be considered.
• Proven Implementation Leadership:  Significant experience leading enterprise-scale system implementations in complex, global environments, with a strong focus on IT finance, TBM, or ITFM domains. Crucially, you'll have a track record of hands-on involvement in platform configuration and data modelling, not just program oversight.
• ITFM & TBM Mastery: Deep understanding of IT Financial Management principles, including service costing, cost allocation, technology benchmarking, and TBM frameworks (e.g., TBM Council taxonomy).
• Strategic FP&A & Budgeting: Demonstrable ability to redesign and implement large-scale budgeting and FP&A processes, leveraging technology for automation and insight.
• Vendor & Partner Management: Proven success in managing third-party vendors and implementation partners throughout full program lifecycles.
• Complex Financial Environments: Experience operating in intricate recharge and cost-allocation landscapes, ideally within a multi-national group structure.
• Data & Analytics Rigor: Exceptional analytical skills, comfortable handling and interpreting large, complex data sets.
• Project & Program Management: A robust track record of successful project and program delivery, consistently meeting multiple deadlines under pressure.
• Change Agent: Proven experience driving change management and platform adoption across diverse business units and geographies.
• Technology Fluent: Highly comfortable engaging with solution architects, data engineers, and platform vendors on technical design decisions (without needing to be a developer).
• Communication & Influence: Excellent communication, presentation, and influencing skills, capable of engaging and inspiring senior stakeholders.
• Tool Proficiency: Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, experience with ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle), and data visualisation tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau).
• Accounting Knowledge (Preferred): Familiarity with accounting standards (IFRS) and financial reporting in large, multi-currency group environments is a plus.

• Proactive & Accountable: You take full ownership, are results-oriented, and drive initiatives forward with a strong sense of responsibility.
• Detail-Oriented & Strategic: Equally comfortable diving into the specifics – interrogating data, testing configurations, and validating outputs – as you are presenting strategic insights to a steering committee.
• Empathetic Leader: Proven experience building, leading, and mentoring teams (10+ people) through complex, fast-paced programs.
• Critical Thinker: Exceptional problem-solving abilities, coupled with critical, strategic, and commercial thinking.
• Collaborative & Influential: Strong interpersonal skills, adept at building credibility and influencing senior leadership across a matrix organisation and comfortable working effectively across organisational boundaries (tech, transformation, finance).
• Adaptable & Resilient: Thrives in dynamic environments, comfortable with ambiguity, and skilled at managing competing priorities.
• Passionate about Impact: Genuinely energised by the intersection of technology and finance, driven to build platforms that fundamentally change how an organisation operates, not just how it reports.

Who you are: