Senior Project Manager - Technology Operations

Why we're hiring:

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

As part of Technology Operations portfolio, you will be defining, leading and supporting one of our strategic and business impacting initiatives.

We are looking for an experienced and dedicated Senior Project Manager to ensure that these initiatives are mobilised with clear scope, governance, plans and accountabilities. Delivery milestones, risks, dependencies, and decisions are managed transparently. Senior stakeholders have confidence in delivery progress and issue resolution. And that business readiness, adoption and benefits realisation are actively supported.The Senior Project Manager is responsible for leading complex technology projects that deliver strategic outcomes for the organisation. This role ensures projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to the required quality standards, while managing risks and dependencies across multiple workstreams. Acting as a key liaison between stakeholders and delivery teams, the Senior Project Manager owns and drives successful delivery, governance, fosters collaboration, and champions change adoption to maximise business value.

What you'll be doing:

• Own transformation initiatives from the Technology Operations portfolio, responsible for successful delivery.
• Plan, manage, and execute programme workstreams to time, cost, quality, and compliance standards.
• Ensure alignment with programme objectives and strategic outcomes.
• Actively manages programme risks, issues and dependencies across the transformation initiatives.
• Define and mobilise the governance model for the initiatives.
• Maintain RAID, produce status reporting, and coordinate assurance across technical and cross‑functional teams.
• Ensure adherence to Strategy and Transformation standards, tools, processes, and compliance requirements; ensuring accurate and timely reporting across governance layers.
• Act as a liaison between engineering teams, partners and WPP Technology Operations, ensuring decisions are informed and escalations handled promptly.
• Work closely with the Programme Director, Technology Operations, partners and wider Enterprise Technology and WPP.
• Build strong relationships with senior stakeholders and sponsors.
• Communicate project status, risks, and decisions clearly and regularly.
• Manage project budgets, resource allocation, and vendor relationships.
• Track costs and benefits to ensure value delivery.
• Work closely with our Change & Adoption to coordinate business readiness, support planning, and ensure migration impacts are understood and managed.
• Work closely with our Change & Adoption specialists to support readiness and adoption of new technologies and processes.
• Work closely with our Change & Adoption to minimise disruption and embed change effectively across teams.
• Contribute to the Portfolio and Programme Management (PPM) community, fostering continuous learning and career progression.
• Coach and mentor project teams to embed a high-performing culture aligned with organisational values.
• Maintain accurate role assignments and project documentation.
• Support governance reporting and ensure timely updates in project management tools.

What you'll need:

• Senior project management experience in leading complex Technology / IT projects across the full delivery lifecycle, including managing multiple projects in parallel.
• Proven track record mobilising and delivering strategic, operationally complex initiatives with cross-functional internal and external teams across global or matrixed organisations.
• Strong governance, planning, RAID, reporting and stakeholder management capability.
• Experience managing budgets, vendors, dependencies and delivery risks.
• Strong leadership and influencing skills, with experience engaging and coordinating globally dispersed teams.
• Excellent communicator, able to translate complex technical information into clear, concise messages for varied stakeholders.
• Adaptable and resilient, able to respond to changing priorities and keep delivery on track under pressure.
• Strategic and commercially aware thinker, able to balance technical, operational and commercial considerations.
• Agile, waterfall or hybrid delivery experience.
• Project management qualification such as PRINCE2, PMP, MSP, AgilePM or equivalent.
• Experience in large-scale organisational change or business readiness.
• Excellent relationship-building skills, with the ability to establish credibility, solve problems, build consensus and achieve outcomes.

Who you are: