Engagement Manager / Programme Director

Job Description:

Merkle Aotearoa | Auckland | Permanent | Full time | R1109864

About us

Merkle Aotearoa (part of the dentsu group, Asia Pacific’s largest and most awarded agency network)  is a leading consulting firm specialising in delivering experience led digital transformation for our enterprise customers. For Merkle, this means a clear focus on creating connected experiences for our clients and their customers using human centred design principles, actionable data/insights and agile ways of working to implement world class technology solutions.

We partner with organisations to accelerate the design and delivery of strategy, and to lift organisational performance to meet the evolving market. Our focus is to create the conditions for an organisation, and the people within it, to thrive by leveraging best practice insights tailored to client context to create innovative solutions across the entire customer journey.

What your role and day might look like

At Merkle we help organisations define, design, build and transform into the business of the future. In tackling this challenge, we have had outstanding success in transforming the functions of some of New Zealand’s most iconic companies.

Building on our success, we’re searching for an extraordinary Engagement Manager to help our clients unlock the potential of digital technology. This role is a senior member of our Delivery team tasked with building and maintaining relationships with key client stakeholders, problem solving, uncovering opportunities, and taking a leadership role to deliver digital transformation programmes end to end. This is a highly collaborative role, bringing together expertise across our wider consulting teams, and embedding effective delivery methodologies to enable successful delivery – which will include playing a Delivery Lead role where needed. True to consulting and professional services, you’ll wear different hats depending on the need at the time to get the job done to the high standard that our clients expect with Merkle.

Responsibilities could include

• Playing a key leadership role across the delivery/project teams to ensure a cohesiveness and clarity of deliverables towards a programme of work.
• Set up Programme delivery methodologies utilising core agile principles but also flexible and adaptable enough to include waterfall principles to meet client needs.
• Manage overall programme health – managing expectations of senior stakeholders, tracking risks, issues and changes to clear blockers, and ensuring deliverables are meeting budget and timeline commitments.
• Change Management to ensure buy-in, support and influence from top down and bottom up with clients at all levels and will include being on client sites regularly.
• As a Consultant and Advisor, you will be engaging alongside our customers to maintain a strong relationship. This involves understanding their strategy, business roadmap and desired outcomes, and showcasing how Merkle and dentsu can support their vision.
• Lead or be involved in pre-sales activities, such as responding to RFPs, taking part in early engagement conversations and developing Statements of Work to continuously build on our pipeline of work.
• Mentor and support our Delivery Leads and Business Analysts in their career journey. This is not a line management role but plays a central figure to share and support learning, problem solve and uncover opportunities to gain new experiences for our team members.

A bit about you

• Project and Programme Management expertise, or similar capacity, leading on and offshore teams using core agile and waterfall methodologies. This includes programme and project planning to build out timelines and scope, budget management, resource management, risk mitigation and managing stakeholder management and status reports.
• Experience working within a Consulting or Professional Services firm delivering experience led, digital technology transformation programmes at an enterprise level.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills and ability understand problems, solve the root cause issues, and articulate the value of activity to outcomes to technical and non-technical teams.
• A commercially minded and detail orientated relationship builder. Not afraid of the administrative side of consulting – invoicing, billing, timesheets and putting together SOWs/RFPs.
• A good understanding and experience delivering enterprise applications/SaaS products. Experience with Salesforce or similar product would be a benefit, but not essential.  
• Certifications in Programme Management, Agile, Scrum, Product Management would be beneficial.
• A collaborative attitude and proactive communicator, able to bring customers at all levels on a journey through a digital transformation.

Join us to make meaningful progress

Our diverse and inclusive culture enables our employees to bring their whole selves to work and be proud of doing so. For us, this is the foundation for great innovation which, in turn, generates better outcomes for our people, partners and communities. This is why we welcome applications from people with disabilities, and of all ages, nationalities, backgrounds and cultures to come join us.

As a collective team between Merkle and dentsu Aotearoa, we have established values derived both from our Japanese roots and Te Ao Māori upbringing that inspires our award-winning work and culture. Some of our recent workplace recognitions include HRNZ 2025 winners of “DEI Initiative” and “Supreme HR”, Finalists in “2025 Best Places to Work” Aotearoa, Finalists for Campaign Asia 2025 “Best Places to Work”, “Best CSR Achievement of the Year” and “Best Culture”, demonstrating the strength in our people, purpose and values.

What we can offer you

• Generous benefits, including a 5 week of annual leave (after 2 years of service), Hauora (wellness) days each year, one day for change (volunteering leave) and more
• Grow your knowledge and skills by solving complex business problems through digital technology, learning alongside a collaborative people, learning platforms & established partnerships in market
• Be the best you with a hybrid working environment, with up to 2 days from home per week
• Great barista coffee available and loaded pantry for your breakfast and lunch

Next Steps
Share your details and interest with Merkle Aotearoa via our dentsu careers page and we’ll be in touch.

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