At AKQA (part of WPP), we believe in the imaginative application of art and science to create beautiful ideas, products and services. With an entrepreneurial and collaborative approach, we design adaptive digital services and applications that capture the imagination, delivering impressive returns for our clients.
Project Managers at AKQA are trusted delivery partners, bringing structure, clarity, and accountability to complex digital engagements. They build the conditions for great work to happen, aligning teams, managing competing priorities, and ensuring that every workstream moves forward with purpose and precision.
We are seeking an experienced Freelance Senior Project Manager with a strong emphasis on digital product delivery to support two high-profile clients. Previous experience leading or contributing to discovery, digital vision, and strategic roadmap projects is required, as this experience will be critical to establishing and developing new working relationships with one of these clients.
ROLE REQUIREMENTS
- Lead day-to-day project management across a complex digital product engagement, ensuring clarity of priorities, timelines, deliverables, and accountability across all workstreams
- Serve as the central point of coordination between internal AKQA teams (strategy, UX, design, technology) and client stakeholders
- Manage project schedules, milestones, and dependencies with meticulous detail, proactively identifying risks and driving timely resolution
- Oversee scope management and change control, partnering with discipline leads to assess impact and maintain alignment on approved work
- Support resourcing coordination, ensuring the right people are engaged at the right time across the project lifecycle
- Facilitate regular project ceremonies and working sessions, keeping teams aligned and focused on outcomes
- Maintain clear and consistent project documentation (status reports, RAID logs, decision logs, meeting notes) that keep all stakeholders informed
- Partner with the client to manage expectations, communicate progress, and navigate complexity with composure and clarity
- Ensure delivery processes align with agile, waterfall, or hybrid methodologies as required by the engagement
- Contribute to continuously improving delivery practices and ways of working within the project and broader team
QUALITIES AND CHARACTERISTICS
- Has prior experience leading or contributing to discovery, initiative launch (“ignition”), digital vision, and strategic roadmap projects.
- 5+ years of project management experience within a digital agency or product delivery environment, with a strong emphasis on digital products and services
- Proven ability to manage complex, multi-workstream engagements with overlapping timelines, dependencies, and stakeholder groups
- Highly organized and detail-oriented, with strong instincts for anticipating issues before they escalate
- Clear, confident communicator with both technical and non-technical audiences
- Comfortable working independently and proactively in a fast-paced, remote environment
- Proficiency with project management and collaboration tools (e.g., Jira, Confluence, Smartsheet, or similar)
- Collaborative and solutions-oriented, with a team-first approach and a commitment to quality delivery
Location & Commitment
- East Coast residence required.
- Some travel for client meetings may be required.
- September, 14th - November, 24th, 2026
- 40 hours/week for 6 weeks, then 20 hours/week for 4 weeks. Potential to extend.
- Expected compensation: $75 - $85/hour based on experience
We believe great work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach including required in-office days. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.
AKQA is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to particular characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.
About WPP
WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. We unite cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel in a single company – powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open, to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth. For more information, visit WPP.com.
Skills Required
- Experience leading or contributing to discovery, initiative launch, digital vision, and strategic roadmap projects
- 5+ years of project management experience within a digital agency or product delivery environment
- Strong emphasis on digital products and services
- Experience managing complex, multi-workstream engagements with overlapping timelines, dependencies, and stakeholder groups
- Strong organizational and detail-oriented skills, including proactive issue identification
- Clear communication skills with technical and non-technical audiences
- Ability to work independently and proactively in a fast-paced remote environment
- Proficiency with Jira, Confluence, Smartsheet, or similar project management and collaboration tools
- East Coast residence
- Availability for the specified September 14 to November 24, 2026 engagement and stated weekly schedule
AKQA Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about AKQA and has not been reviewed or approved by AKQA.
-
Parental & Family Support — Policies include fully paid parental leave for all parents, adoption support, and family leave for caregiving needs. Additional supports such as subsidized backup childcare and regional enhancements reinforce family care.
-
Healthcare Strength — Health coverage offers multiple plan options with full preventive care, mental‑health resources, and dental and vision coverage. Some regions provide 24/7 virtual doctor access and supplementary healthcare budgets for services not covered by insurance.
-
Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time‑away provisions include generous paid holidays with increases over tenure and a companywide year‑end closure. Special, study, and event‑based leave (e.g., weddings, moving) broaden the range of available time off.
AKQA Insights
What We Do
AKQA is the frontier agency, uniting imagination, design, craft and technology to create new forms of value. For more than three decades, we've helped brands imagine what’s next and make what matters, from pioneering digital to defining the next era of AI. Operating across 19 countries and 30 locations, we work with organisations to build intelligent systems, digital products, connected ecosystems and immersive experiences that shape culture, deepen brand relevance and unlock growth. AKQA is a WPP agency.
