Programme Director

DEPT® is a Growth Invention company built to help the world’s most ambitious brands grow faster. Operating at the intersection of technology and marketing, our 4,000+ specialists deliver growth invention services across Brand & Media, Experience, Commerce, CRM, and Technology & Data. We’re 50|50 tech and marketing, partner-led, and first to move. Clients include Google, Lufthansa, Meta, eBay, and OpenAI. We have been certified B Corp and Climate Neutral since 2021.

JOB PURPOSE

We're looking for a Programme Director to lead delivery on one of our most exciting and fast-scaling retained accounts. It's a creative-led production engine spanning four specialist pods, covering the full production spectrum from generative AI and prompt-led creative through to traditional shoot, stock and everything in between, all delivered across paid social and brand activity.

You'll sit at the centre of Creative, Design, Production, Strategy and Client Services - orchestrating how an entire studio of specialists comes together to deliver at pace and at scale. As part of that, you'll directly manage a small team of Project Managers, providing the leadership, direction and day-to-day support that keeps delivery running smoothly across every pod. This is a role for someone who knows how to take an operation that's grown fast and make it work smarter — identifying where process is missing or fragmented, and putting the right foundations in place without disrupting momentum.

You'll also play a key role in shaping how this account works globally, partnering with our US counterparts to align ways of working across regions, identify shared tools and processes that genuinely improve delivery, and ensure the UK team operates as one unified, efficient studio alongside our global colleagues.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Own and orchestrate the integrated delivery model across Creative, Design, Production, Strategy and Client Services, working in partnership with Client Services leads to ensure DEPT® operates as one connected team for the client.
• Build the programme's governance model, delivery cadence, and ways of working - pulling together a team that is scaling fast across four pods, with many people joining at once.
• Act as the senior point of contact for cross-pod alignment, ensuring priorities, timelines and dependencies are clear across all teams and pods. 
• Partner with the US team to align ways of working across regions - identifying shared tools and processes that genuinely streamline delivery, reduce duplication, and ensure the UK studio operates as one unified team alongside our global colleagues.
• Bring senior-level fluency in creative, design and production workflows - you understand how creative development, motion design, and production actually work across the full spectrum, and can speak credibly with craft leads rather than simply coordinating around them.
• Run and lead planning cycles (weekly, monthly, quarterly) coordinating inputs from multiple specialist pods and craft disciplines.
• Partner closely with Delivery Leads, Creative Directors, Design Directors and Strategy leads to maintain absolute clarity on scope, priorities, risk and resourcing.
• Maintain a strong, trusted relationship with the client, ensuring confidence in delivery cadence, programme health and governance as the team scales from its current size toward full strength.
• Monitor programme health, resourcing, and operational efficiency - working with team leads to unblock issues quickly rather than letting them escalate.
• Support commercial management (scoping, forecasting, change control) in partnership with local and central Delivery teams.
• Help define what "good" operationally looks like for this account — recognising that some structure and process is to be built, while resisting process for the sake of process.

WHAT YOU BRING

• Senior delivery/programme management experience within a creative, content, or production-led agency environment - comfortable being hands-on with creative and production workflows, not just adjacent to them.
• Proven experience building or significantly maturing a delivery operation - you've stood up governance and process before, not just maintained it.
• Confident operating across complex, multi-stakeholder environments - comfortable navigating global account structures and working collaboratively with international teams. 
• A genuinely collaborative approach to process design - you bring people with you rather than mandating change, but you're equally comfortable being decisive and direct when something isn't working.
• Strong understanding of creative production pipelines - ideally including motion design, content production, and emerging AI-led creative workflows.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, able to influence senior clients and internal leaders, including pushing back diplomatically but firmly when needed.
• Highly organised, calm under pressure, and experienced managing complex resourcing and scale-up environments.
• Experience managing delivery across large, rapidly scaling teams — comfortable onboarding significant headcount while keeping day-to-day delivery on track.
• A naturally proactive, solutions-led mindset - confident spotting risk early and unblocking it before it becomes a problem for the wider team.

WE OFFER

• A flexible, hybrid working policy
• The choice of medical healthcare providers (Bupa or Medicash) 
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays and your birthday off each year
• Company pension scheme 
• EAP scheme
• Ride to work scheme 
• Enhanced family friendly policies
• Buddy Program: You will be paired with a ‘Buddy’ to help you through your first weeks’ at DEPT®.
• A reputation for doing good. DEPT® has been a Certified B Corp® since 2021 and named ‘Agency of the Year’ at both The Lovies and The Webby Awards.
• Awesome clients. Whether big or small, local or global — at DEPT® you’ll get the opportunity to work with clients of all sizes and across all industries. And we celebrate all of our successes together!
• The opportunity for possibility. We want to enable you to do what you do best and help you develop your skills further with training, development and certifications.
• Global annual DEPT® Cares Month in which employees come together and donate their skills to support local charities.

WHY DEPT®?

We are a Growth Invention company built to help the world’s most ambitious brands grow faster. Operating at the intersection of technology and marketing, we create what is next by pioneering ideas, acting fast, and moving further because standing still just is not in our DNA.

We are drawn to people who stay curious, move with intent, and never stop inventing. Our culture runs on three values: better together, relentlessly curious, and get sh*t done. It is how we work, how we grow, and how we make things that matter.

At DEPT®, you will find the freedom to explore, the space to collaborate, and the trust to make a real impact for our clients, for each other, and for the world we are helping to build.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION 

At DEPT®, we take pride in creating an inclusive workplace where everyone has an equal opportunity to thrive. We actively seek to recruit, develop, nurture, and retain talented individuals from diverse backgrounds, with varying skills and perspectives.

Not sure you meet all qualifications? Apply, and let us decide! Research shows that women and members of underrepresented groups tend not to apply for jobs when they think they may not meet every requirement, when in fact they do. We believe in giving everyone a fair chance to shine.

We also encourage you to reach out to us and discuss any reasonable adjustments we can make to support you throughout the recruitment process and your time with us.

Want to know more about our dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion? Check out our efforts here.