Senior Director, Program & Change Management

WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. With exceptional talent, trusted data and intelligence, and world-class partnerships – all united by our pioneering agentic marketing platform, WPP Open – we help clients navigate change, capture opportunity, and deliver transformational growth. 

WPP Media is WPP's AI-driven media operating unit, bringing together media, data, and partnerships to deliver creative personalisation at scale. Connected through WPP Open and powered by Open Intelligence, clients see exactly where, how, and why their media investment is working.

For more information, visit wppmedia.com.

Media Futures Group (MFG) is a bespoke team within WPP that delivers on our commitment to Google for a more strategic, creative and integrated media approach established to drive better business results. 

The MFG team is made up of best in class digital, offline, and integrated media experts who work together to enhance media’s contribution to Google’s business. MFG is powered by WPP Media and other constituent parts of the WPP network around the world. The MFG team operates in a seamlessly integrated way across strategy, planning, investment, creative, production, business sciences and analytics, data and technology. The profile of people who work in MFG are world class, committed to establishing a new high water mark in the media industry. 

MFG is committed to the growth of our people as a means to unleash the potential of Google’s business. We are invested in whole-person wellbeing, values and behaviors that reflect our mission and purpose, and providing the tools and systems needed to do the best work of your career. This is a team empowered by limitless possibilities.

About the role / Some of the things we’d like you to do: 

This role is a team leader within the newly formed Global Applied Transformation function on MFG.  The Applied Transformation function is responsible for implementing large-scale, global changes as we partner with Google to radically transform marketing in an AI-fueled, data-driven, rapidly changing environment. The Program and Change management team is also responsible for leading projects / programs essential to day-to-day excellence and execution.  This role will be responsible for a team of Project / Program managers as well as creating a change management / communications capability.  As the program and change management lead, you will wear many hats… 

• As leader for the project and program managers team you will…
• Provide direct line management, mentorship and coaching to project managers
• Define project management competency models and performance expectations across career stages
• Provide a strategic direction for the project / program management discipline
• Establish agile / adaptable standards and best practices for project and program management 
• As a leader for a cadre of change managers you will…
• Establish agile / adaptable standards and best practices for change management and communications 
• Establish strong working relationships with Global Functional leads, Global POD leads and Regional leads to understand nuances and unique requirements across operational units that impact adoption and engagement.  
• Own a holistic change management / communications roadmap across transformation workstreams and BAU initiatives to ensure methods and approaches are designed to drive successful engagement and adoption
• To achieve the above, maintain a “think global, act local” perspective. We should strive for consistency across regions, yet relevance in markets is mission critical.
• Where appropriate, partner with the Talent team to leverage tools and expertise to support change journeys
• Work with key stakeholders and practitioners to proactively identify the impacts and effects of transformation initiatives. As part of this, provide a lens that considers our full organization at all levels and areas of specialism
• Challenge the status quo to ensure transformation initiatives are aligned to strategic priorities / objectives and driving step change
• As a facilitator and collaborator you will…
• Build strong working relationship across the WPP network and MFG team to ensure visibility, clarity, progress and strategic alignment
• Work across workstreams, projects and programs to solve unexpected issues, facilitating collaboration to stay-on track and removal of barriers.
• Connect the dots as needed across concurrent transformation initiatives to ensure dependencies and interlocks are addressed
• Work closely with partners in Talent, Operations, and Finance to share context and operate in lock step with our business and people priorities 

About yourself / Requirements: 

• Project & Program Management / Process Design / Change Management
• Hands-on, roll-your-sleeves up, can-do leader who’s comfortable setting the vision, getting into the details, and able to connect the dots
• Quintessential project and program planner who can plot the course from start to finish, anticipate and plan for risks, seamlessly shift between the strategic and tactical, and course correct as needed
• Extensive experience operating at a Director level  in a consulting / management consulting organization focused on transformation 
• SME level analytical and problem solving skills
• Expert process documentation, design and optimization skills working in conjunction with functional experts and practitioners
• Expert level change management skills - understands various change management approaches / methodologies, able to create change strategy, identify audiences and personas, create / curate required artifacts, drive and track adoption / impact.
• Adept coach and mentor for Project / Program and Change managers
• Communications and collaboration
• Comfortable having tough conversations with key stakeholders (internal and external)
• Excellent written / verbal communication and storytelling skills including ability to tailor messages based on audience
• Adept at conflict resolution and driving through conflicting priorities across diverse stakeholder groups
• Fosters an environment of inclusive collaboration
• Lifelong learner / innovator / early adopter mindset
• Adept at learning new technologies
• Proactive problem identifier and solver
• Embraces the opportunity to identify ways to leverage AI, automation and technology solutions to improve processes, drive efficiency and quality
• Develops a deep understanding of Google’s business 
• Comfortable with ambiguity and breaking down complex problems into simple solutions

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