VP, Program Director

We are in relentless pursuit of an equitable and inspiring workplace that is respectful of all, reflects and represents the world in which we live, and fosters trust, collaboration and belonging. Consistent with this approach, we hire the best qualified candidates for all positions.

The Edelman Project Management team is passionate about finding smart ways to deliver great work. We sit at the center of our business, collaborating with best-in-class teams to ensure Edelman ideas make an impact in our clients’ real worlds. From cars to consumer goods, fashion and retail, financial service, food and beverage, luxury, technology or healthcare – we are fanatics about integrated project management and enable our creative, strategy and account teams to deliver smart and brilliant programming for our clients.

This is an exciting opportunity for a process-oriented, go-getter who wants to become a key part of a forward-thinking, integrated team. We want passion and excitement. We want someone who is unafraid to ask questions, is willing to challenge the norm and is eager to be the best in the business. Our Program Directors have deep experience in integrated project management and are leaders within the Project Management team and across a portfolio of clients, recognized as a go-to for high priority program definition, delivery best practices, and PM team leadership.

About Your Day-to-Day:

Edelman Program Directors are responsible for providing structure and overall delivery vision on projects and for overseeing a client portfolio consisting of multiple work streams and disciplines. Serving as the overall program management lead on accounts, they oversee a team of project managers that lead schedules, deliverables, priorities and teams towards flawless execution. They are a strategic core team leader and counselor to Account and Specialty leads in program management, project delivery approach and financial health. Program Directors are also leaders within the Project Management team, guiding career development and fostering an inclusive, growth-minded team culture.

• Own the intake of new work and the evaluation of new briefs, devising delivery approaches for each assignment drawing on PM best practices
• Own and manage project definition in scopes and staff plans with account leads and specialty teams, producing indicative pricing and detailed budgets that match a description of deliverables and actual work effort.
• Champion project management tools and best practices that standardize how to author and maintain project schedules, project briefs, cost estimates, financial management (OOP & fee) and other relevant project documentation.
• Independently own the delivery of large, complex programs independently and with support from more junior project managers.
• Serve as an escalation point to manage risks and provides solutions-oriented consultation to integrated team leads, proactively looking around corners, controlling project scope and the change control process, and collaborating with leads to strategically identify and implement win-win solutions.
• Partner with Finance and Account teams to ensure clients are profitable, fees are appropriate, forecasts are accurate and SOWs are approved.
• Drive client discussions related to project plans, financial health, Edelman capabilities and approach to delivery.
• Partner with Resource Management to forecast current and future staffing requirements in order to identify the best talent for the work.
• Establish workflow and best practices on integrated businesses that enable teams to efficiently deliver against program goals.
• Ensure quality checks and consistency of all outputs across all project deliverables
• Ensure flexibility in approaches to fit client, creative, and business needs, while managing change and the exploration of various budget/time scenarios to elevate work.
• Contribute to project operations and “the work behind the work” – prioritizing of new project opportunities establishing flexible frameworks and best practices with new teams and providing input on PM team assignments.
• Manage and mentor Project Management team members, including resolving project escalations, setting and managing performance goals, coaching individual career growth paths, and balancing workloads.
• Balance a sense of urgency with a calm and confident leadership at all times.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in relevant field
• At least 8 years of project management experience in an integrated marketing/PR agency or related industry

Preferred Qualifications:

• Mastery of large, complex project delivery on integrated programs, from planning through execution
• Demonstrated ability to motivate teams, foster career development and oversee performance of junior team members
• Fluency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Smartsheet (or other similar project management tool) is required.

About You:

• A self-reliant multi-tasker, with the ability to work calmly and efficiently in a fast-paced environment
• A strategic mindset, with a knack for critical thinking and creative, head-on problem solving
• A bias for action and the unshakeable ability to confidently lead projects and teams through ambiguity
• A people leader with a “get things done” and positive mentality
• A passion for the art and the science of creative problem solving and operational excellence
• A strong and fearless communicator, with the ability to navigate conflict resolution and influence teams to a desired end goal
• A positive role model for fostering individual career development and an inclusive team culture

An employee’s pay position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, seniority, geographic location, performance, travel requirements, revenue-based metrics, any contractual agreements, and business or organizational needs. The range listed is just one component of DJEH’s total compensation package for employees. Other rewards may include annual bonuses, a Paid Time Off policy, and region-specific benefits.

DJEH offers a wide range of benefits: medical and dental insurance, vision, 401K, life insurance, disability insurance, paid time off, travel assistance and wellness programing.

DJEH is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and believes in diversity, equity, and inclusion. We seek applications from all qualified candidates without regard to race, color, gender, sex, age, religion, physical or mental disability, military and veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law. If you require a reasonable accommodation in any part of the employment process, please let us know.