Senior Project Manager - Unilever

Department: Unilever

Location: London
Contract type: 9-Month Fixed Term
Full Time / Part Time: Full Time

Reporting to: Head of Global Operations

About Ogilvy:  

Ogilvy UK has been creating iconic ideas that deliver impact at scale for clients ever since David Ogilvy founded the company in 1948. Ogilvy UK specialises in bringing together brand advertising, customer experience marketing, PR, influence and consulting, all fuelled by Behavioural Science. Our world-class award-winning creative campaigns deliver solutions for clients including Sainsbury’s, Argos, , Mondelēz International, Unilever, TK Maxx and Pernod Ricard.  

In 2023, Ogilvy UK celebrated their 75th anniversary and was the most awarded agency in Europe. Ogilvy is home to the largest influencer marketing practice globally, and hosts the world’s biggest festival of behavioural science and creativity, Nudgestock – now in its 12th year. 

Role Summary

We are seeking an experienced Senior Project Manager to take charge of overseeing integrated projects within our forward-thinking agency. Your primary focus will revolve around our leading client in the beauty sector. With extensive experience in project management, your pivotal role involves ensuring the seamless execution of projects, from initial client briefings to the final delivery of assets.

Drawing from your wealth of expertise, you'll navigate complex project landscapes adeptly, offering insightful guidance to cross-functional teams to ensure precise adherence to project milestones. Your talent for aligning resources, whether it's fostering collaboration among creative minds or coordinating technical specialists, will create an environment conducive to turning ideas into tangible outcomes. Your strategic foresight and reliable judgment will drive projects forward seamlessly, adapting to changing needs and unforeseen challenges while consistently aligning with broader business objectives.

Senior Project Managers should have experience and understanding of working on a global, integrated account. The SPM should be able to demonstrate first- hand experience in TV/video, offline (KVs & print), digital, social, influencer and line management experience.   This truly is an integrated account.

Main areas of focus for Senior Project Manager:

Collaboration

• The SPM will work closely to build relationships with their project team (account management, creatives, design, strategy, production, and more) and be the hub on their projects.
• Proven ability to be part of, lead and nurture high-performing teams, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and excellence within project groups.
• Strong proficiency in managing diverse stakeholders, including clients, team members, senior management, and external partners. Skill in building and maintaining effective relationships crucial for project success and client satisfaction.
• Build collaborative relationships with our global network agencies to ensure work is delivered within the agreed scope and timeline. Take ownership of network agency relationships for your team's projects, flagging any concerns to PMO Lead in good time so as to prevent any negative impact on project delivery and timelines
• Be confident in collaborating with multi‐agency teams both within Ogilvy London, the wider Ogilvy network and WPP agencies.

Making work we’re proud of

• Leads triage on their assigned clients, where relevant. Partners with wider PMO team and Managing Partners to ensure complete integration and alignment on all workstreams.
• Actively can participate in conversations around the creative product, adding value where relevant. Works with key stakeholders to ensure that creativity is protected in the delivery of the project.
  
  

Day to Day Project Management

• Manage schedules and deliver on multiple work streams across all campaign channels to agreed scope, timings and budget. Ensure that the process is as per the Galapagos working model.
• Scope out all projects and share with PMO lead and account lead for approval.
• Be responsible for creating and maintaining project timing plans from pre brief to final delivery - with input from specialist departments (TV, Art Production, digital, influencers, PR, etc). The SPM should also be confident to collaborating with multi‐agency teams. If any part of the schedule slips, the SPM will notify all relevant departments and any change to the final delivery date.
• Own resource bookings for their category - working with the Resource Manager to assign bookings and flag any issues or shortfalls in resource, communicating clearly how this could impact on project timelines and overall delivery
• Deliver clear, accurate documentation for all category projects, working with additional team members for reviews/approval as needed. Uphold the highest standards of professionalism, precision, and excellence across all project documentation.
• Keep documentation up to date throughout the project life cycle. Core documentation covers:
• Client Estimates and SOWs
• Timelines
• Network Agreements
• Project Trackers
• Master Status Sheet
• Change Requests
• In-depth knowledge and practical experience using various project management software and platforms. Competence in leveraging these tools for efficient project planning, task allocation, progress monitoring, and team collaboration. Learn how to use core platforms – 10k FT, Workday, SWOP and estimation tools through internal training, practice and consulting with colleagues
• Lead the status call for your category's live projects, discussing each project's status with confidence and authority, highlighting issues in a clear and concise manner and working with the Head of Operations and PMO Lead to find resolutions.

  Problem solving & decision making

• Demonstrated ability to manage crises efficiently and make well-informed decisions under pressure, maintaining project momentum while effectively navigating unforeseen challenges.
• At the start of a project, analyse areas that could potentially throw the delivery off‐track, and where possible mitigate against them.
• Always look to improve how we work. Focus on implementing and refining quality assurance methodologies within project delivery processes. Establishing protocols for ongoing review and enhancement of project outcomes and workflows.

Commercial Acumen

• Be commercially savvy, Develop a complete understanding of the client’s renumeration & commercial model. At all times the SPM should be aware of the financial status of their projects and forecast (and flag) any resource overspend - with budgets updated and approved accordingly.  
• Develop commercial knowledge of the estimation process, ensuring that all relevant items are included in costing and scope management. This knowledge can be developed through internal training sessions, working closely with the finance team and conversations with other team members.
• Work with the finance team to understand what each deliverable can 'afford' in terms of resourcing and ensure resourcing plans are built around this
• Be responsible for the creation and maintenance of all core commercial documentation
• Ensure that projects are staffed at an appropriate level for the available budget and any freelance resourcing requests are made with a clear understanding of impact on project and category commercials.
• Understand how revenue is recognized
• Calculate available budgets for our global network agencies and ensure these budgets are managed throughout the project with any changes in scope communicated clearly to the network agency and relevant documentation updated
• Actively participate in core finance meetings, having a clear POV on the health and needs of the category:
  • WIP
  • Revenue
  • Resource
  • Burn
• Work with the finance team to ensure you have access to the data you need to be able to report on the burn rates of your projects. Proactively suggest reporting features you feel are needed but may not yet be available.
• Track weekly report burn rates across projects and report any deviation from the anticipated burn rate and be able to confidently discuss the reasons why and propose solutions to bring burn back to the accepted rate.

Being professional

• Be visible – we encourage everyone to be in the office a minimum of 2 days a week. Monday and Tuesdays are fixed anchor days.
• Participate in core team meetings – we are always open to suggestions for process improvements and better ways of doing things.
• Everything communicates – ensure that all documentation, costings, briefs, scopes and presentations are of the highest possible standard. Maintain good housekeeping and enforce this across your category team.
• Be positive and a force for good within the team – even when faced with difficult problems. Be solutions focused.
• Be a Self‐Starter –our team is enthusiastic, open to change and innovation. We’re looking for someone flexible with approach and eager to get involved.
• Be a champion for the creative – helping push (and when necessary, protect) the creative to enable cut-­through, award-­winning work.
• Help to make Ogilvy a great place to work and not least to try and have fun whilst carrying out the above.

How we help you Thrive:     

•  25 days annual leave + 1 Volunteer Day 
• Bupa Healthcare
• Enhanced Maternity, Adoption and Shared Parental Leave
• We have a 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 and development budgets and Wellbeing incentives and activities throughout the year 
• Season Ticket Loan and Cycle to Work Scheme
• Life Assurance

 

Our ambition is to attract the very best diverse talent to Ogilvy, and to be the employer of choice in the UK. We want everyone to feel welcome when they join us, and once they’re here, for them to want to stay with us, grow their career, and to feel they belong with us.

We are an equal opportunity employer and we’re committed to creating an inclusive, welcoming environment for everyone who wants to work at Ogilvy. For us, diversity, equity and inclusion is integrated into everything that we do. We believe that for creativity to flourish, everything about how we work must have diversity at its core. Your race, colour, ethnic, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, have no bearing on our hiring decisions, but we encourage everyone to feel free to express their true selves in an environment we are consistently striving to make as inclusive as possible.

We aim to facilitate an accessible and positive application experience for all candidates. If you require any adjustments from us to support you through the process or expect to require any adjustments to working conditions to be able to best perform in the role, please let us know. We are happy to consider all reasonable adjustments.

If you live with a disability and you would like to take advantage of our offer of a guaranteed interview under the Disability Confident Scheme, please ensure you fill out our voluntary Equal Opportunities Questionnaire when applying.