Established in 2004, OLIVER is the world’s first and only specialist in designing, building, and running bespoke in-house agencies and marketing ecosystems for brands. We partner with over 300 clients in 40+ countries and counting. Our unique model drives creativity and efficiency, allowing us to deliver tailored solutions that resonate deeply with audiences.
As a part of The Brandtech Group, we're at the forefront of leveraging cutting-edge AI technology to revolutionise how we create and deliver work. Our AI solutions enhance efficiency, spark creativity, and drive insightful decision-making, empowering our teams to produce innovative and impactful results.
Role: Global Programme Director
Location: London, United Kingdom (1-3 days a week from our London HQ)
THE OPPORTUNITY
OLIVER is growing — and we're building our pipeline of senior programme talent ahead of new account wins across our global network.
We're looking to connect with experienced Global Programme Directors who are open to an early conversation about upcoming opportunities. As we pitch for and win major international accounts, we want to hear from programme leaders who thrive in complex, multi-region environments and have a consistent track record of delivering at scale.
This isn't a specific vacancy. It's an invitation to start a conversation.
Based in London, with a hybrid working pattern (1–3 days in our London offices), these roles sit at the intersection of strategic direction, commercial leadership, and operational excellence. We support flexible working and are open to discussing different arrangements. We offer reasonable adjustments throughout our process.
THE ROLEGlobal Programme Directors at OLIVER are the most senior programme voice on their accounts — trusted by clients at executive level and accountable for delivery health, financial performance, and team capability across everything they touch.
You'll lead medium-to-complex, multi-region programmes, bringing together creative, production, technology, and commercial disciplines to deliver transformational outcomes for some of the world's most ambitious brands. You'll drive measurable change within one of the most innovative in-house agency models in the industry — and help shape what programme excellence looks like across OLIVER's global network.
WHAT YOU'LL DOProgramme Delivery and Governance
- Lead medium-to-complex global programmes, maintaining alignment to strategic goals, financial targets, and client expectations throughout
- Develop and drive programme vision — managing organisational change and delivering integrated outcomes across studios, functions, and geographies
- Hold full accountability for delivery health: governance, risk management, issue resolution, and stakeholder coordination across concurrent workstreams
- Establish and track KPIs; produce regular programme status reports covering risks, issues, and performance metrics; implement corrective actions as needed
- Lead enterprise-scale transformation programmes centred on technology, people, and process — mapping dependencies, managing timelines, and ensuring nothing falls between workstreams
Commercial Leadership
- Hold full accountability for account gross profit, including all approvals that affect GP: resourcing decisions, freelancers, expenses, and ad hoc cost requirements
- Build complex scenario plans across multiple brands and regions, modelling the impact of tools, technology, and commercial decisions on programme performance
- Create and manage Corrective Action Plans to protect GP targets; make strategic adjustments to people and cost base as required
- Present revenue forecasting and financial performance to COO, SVP, and executive stakeholders; secure business approvals on decisions with financial implications
- Drive cost efficiency across tightly resourced teams — identifying and implementing appropriate levers without compromising output quality
Technical and Solution Design
- Develop deep fluency across OLIVER and BTG technology and services, including delivery platforms, automation tools, and AI
- Lead senior-level client conversations on technical solutions — knowing when to resolve directly and when to bring in specialist expertise
- Design solutions that integrate commercial thinking, people resources, and technology to meet client needs at scale
- Partner with the Senior Leadership Team on solution packaging and client proposals
Resource and Team Leadership
- Oversee resource scheduling and utilisation across account portfolios, ensuring people are deployed efficiently and workloads are balanced across the wider OLIVER network
- Work with Client Services and Resource Management on pipeline planning to ensure team structure is correctly sized and skilled at each stage of delivery
- Ensure clear RACI frameworks are in place across all disciplines; confirm reporting lines and accountabilities are understood across the programme
- Build and develop programme teams — providing leadership, mentoring, and structured feedback that raises capability and performance at every level
- A strong track record of leading global programme delivery across large-scale, multi-studio account portfolios in complex organisational environments.
- Ideally Advertising/ Marketing industry experience
- Deep expertise in programme and project management — including governance, risk management, delivery health, and stakeholder coordination across multiple concurrent workstreams.
- Advanced commercial acumen — experience managing large-scale budgets with direct accountability for gross profit, revenue forecasting, and financial performance reporting to executive stakeholders.
- Executive-level client partnership experience — building and sustaining trusted relationships with senior clients, managing escalations, and leading strategic conversations with confidence.
- Proven ability to lead and develop large, geographically distributed teams — creating accountability, clarity, and high performance across diverse disciplines.
- Experience leading enterprise-scale transformation programmes centred on technology, people, and process change.
- Fluency with delivery management platforms and operational tools, including Agile and scrum methodologies. Familiarity with automation and AI platforms is a strong advantage.
- Ability to design commercially viable solutions that integrate people, technology, and process — and to partner with senior leadership on how those solutions are packaged and communicated to clients.
- A clear track record of meeting and protecting GP targets across complex, multi-region accounts, including experience presenting financial performance and forecasting to COO and SVP-level stakeholders.
Gen AI and Agentic Thinking
- Strategic integration of AI and automation across programme delivery and studio operations — identifying where these tools create measurable efficiency and quality gains
- Experience setting AI governance and quality standards at programme or studio level, ensuring responsible and effective adoption across teams
- Track record of developing AI capability across multiple teams and disciplines, embedding new ways of working into programme operations and client delivery
- Agentic leadership for complex, multi-stakeholder business challenges — systematic and goal-oriented in approach to problem-solving at scale
- Thought leadership on AI's evolving role in agency operations, contributing to best practice internally and with clients
Commercial and Budget Skills
- Experience managing programme-level budgets at significant scale, with accountability for gross profit, scenario planning, corrective action planning, and strategic cost management
- Confidence presenting budget performance and financial forecasting to senior and executive stakeholders
Qualifications: Formal qualifications are welcome but not required. Equivalent experience counts — gained through work, study, or professional development.
If you're excited about where OLIVER is heading and don't meet every point above, we still encourage you to get in touch.
Our values shape everything we do:
Be Ambitious to succeed
Be Imaginative to push the boundaries of what’s possible
Be Inspirational to do groundbreaking work
Be always learning and listening to understand
Be Results-focused to exceed expectations
Be actively pro-inclusive and anti-racist across our community, clients and creations
OLIVER, a part of the Brandtech Group, is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating an inclusive working environment where all employees are encouraged to reach their full potential, and individual differences are valued and respected. All applicants shall be considered for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, neurodivergence, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by local laws.
OLIVER has set ambitious environmental goals around sustainability, with science-based emissions reduction targets. Collectively, we work towards our mission, embedding sustainability into every department and through every stage of the project lifecycle.
Skills Required
- Proven track record leading global programme delivery across large-scale, multi-studio account portfolios
- Deep expertise in programme and project management including governance, risk management, and stakeholder coordination
- Advanced commercial acumen with direct accountability for gross profit, revenue forecasting, and financial reporting
- Executive-level client partnership experience, managing escalations and strategic conversations with senior stakeholders
- Experience leading and developing large, geographically distributed teams with clear RACI and reporting frameworks
- Experience leading enterprise-scale transformation programmes focused on technology, people, and process change
- Fluency with delivery management platforms and operational tools; familiarity with Agile and Scrum methodologies
- Familiarity with automation and AI platforms and experience embedding AI-driven ways of working across teams
- Ability to design commercially viable solutions integrating people, technology, and process and to package proposals with senior leadership
- Proven record of meeting and protecting GP targets across complex, multi-region accounts and presenting to COO/SVP-level stakeholders
- Advertising/marketing industry experience
- Experience setting AI governance and quality standards at programme or studio level
- Formal qualifications welcomed but not required; equivalent experience accepted
OLIVER Agency Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about OLIVER Agency and has not been reviewed or approved by OLIVER Agency.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Feedback suggests vacation, sick leave, and paid holidays are strong elements, with time off frequently highlighted as a standout part of the package. UK materials also describe generous annual leave that increases with service alongside additional personal days.
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Retirement Support — Feedback suggests U.S. employees can access a 401(k), and at least one account notes an immediate match. UK materials indicate a formal pension arrangement within the parent group.
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Affordable Benefits — Feedback suggests U.S. medical coverage is paired with employer-funded HSA/HRA or flex contributions that help offset high deductibles. These subsidies can meaningfully reduce out-of-pocket costs for some employees.
OLIVER Agency Insights
What We Do
Established in 2004, we are the first and only company to design, build and run bespoke in-house agencies and ecosystems for brands. Today, we create work that delivers business growth, fame and purpose for over 200 clients in 46 countries and counting. Our unique model moves at the speed of modern business to drive change from the inside out; working smarter to make our clients’ money go further, and helping them build better solutions, systems and brands. Client solutions include Unilever’s U-Studio (a platform used by almost three-quarters of Unilever's brands globally), adidas’ off-shore hub and PepsiCo’s global digital team.
