Program Manager

Description

Position at VMLY&R

Who we are:

At VML, we are a beacon of innovation and growth in an ever-evolving world. Our heritage is built upon a century of combined expertise, where creativity meets technology, and diverse perspectives ignite inspiration. With the merger of VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson, we have forged a new path as a growth partner that is part creative agency, part consultancy, and part technology powerhouse.

Our global family now encompasses over 30,000 employees across 150+ offices in 64 markets, each contributing to a culture that values connection, belonging, and the power of differences. Our expertise spans the entire customer journey, offering deep insights in communications, commerce, consultancy, CRM, CX, data, production, and technology. We deliver end-to-end solutions that result in revolutionary work.

VMLY&R is looking for an experienced Program Manager who can quickly understand our client's needs and objectives with the ability to effectively manage variety sized teams in their effort to deliver services. The program manager is expected to deploy and manage against defined processes throughout a client engagement.

This individual is also responsible for building, coaching and leading teams against said process to ensure successful deliveries. VMLY&R needs individuals who are proactive problem solvers that can manage team dynamics, manage project financial performance, clearly communicate status, and drive progression towards dates.

Responsibilities

Business & Technical Analysis

• May act as a client proxy for agile teams; may also coach and support Product Owner(s)
• Manage multiple activities/projects under one or more clients
• Support/provide strategic direction related to processes and resolution paths
• Support agile teams to groom and refine user stories and acceptance criteria to meet the agile team's definition of ready.
• Provide well researched POV documents on a variety of solutions related to project work
• Analyze processes continuously for refinement; execute measures for optimization

Project Management

• Continuously monitor project health via resourcing, profitability and burn rates.
• Works with clients to define KPI's and meaningful metrics to report project health
• Works closely with Client Engagement and delivery teams to architect solutions that best meet client requirements

Leadership & Team Management

• Support creation of RFP responses with other teams within VMLY&R and new business engagement.
• Create/draft contracts and scopes of work.
• Manages internal teams and client relationships in alignment with Client Engagement team
• Maintain direct client relationships with Product Owners and client management leadership
• Responsible for interviewing and making recommendations to hire analysts at the Manager and Senior Manager levels
• Coach, mentor and manage a Delivery team in the creation of business analysis tools/techniques and business requirements (i.e. user story mapping, process maps, rules matrices, mockups, textual requirements, user stories etc.)
• Serve as a key point of contact and liaison for cross-divisional teams, agency peers and management
• Support scoping and estimation exercises with Client Engagement teams

Required Skills & Experience

Required

• College degree or equivalent Project Management and/or Business Systems Analyst experience
• 7+ years of analyst, project management, technical, and/or business experience
• Master of agile software development methodologies, amongst other methodologies
• Experience in running or working with agile teams (preferably Scrum)
• Understanding of business requirements, user stories, and acceptance criteria
• Ability to provide proactive and assertive leadership in problem solving, managing financial success of projects, maintaining timelines, and reducing waste
• Strong interpersonal skills and able to resolve conflict with productive outcomes
• Ability to effectively work across departments with diplomacy and a firm understanding of other's roles and perspectives
• Ability to manage multiple work-streams (projects) effectively and efficiently.
• Extensive team management skills for teams of 5+.
• Ability to view problems in context at the system level and align solutions with the strategic direction of our clients and company
• Experience with multiple application lifecycle management solutions
• Proactive, adaptable, and flexible
• Life-long learner, demonstrated commitment to continuous improvement
• Strong attention to detail
• Demonstrable ability to operate under tight deadline with complex business/technical solutions
• Ability to manage workload with minimal supervision
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Preferred

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, computer science, computer information systems, marketing, or equivalent experience
• Certification for or extensive experience of JIRA and Confluence

The base salary for this position at the time of this posting may range from $60,000 to $140,000 . Individual compensation varies based on job related factors, including location, business needs, level of responsibility, experience, and qualifications. We offer a competitive benefits package, click here for more details.

At VML, we are committed to fostering an all-inclusive work environment that is both rewarding and career-forward. Our Inclusion, Equity & Belonging initiatives, alongside the VML Foundation, reflect our dedication to giving back and making a positive impact in our communities and beyond. Our people are the heartbeat of our organization-creators, doers, innovators, makers, and thinkers-who drive not just marketing, but meaningful experiences that resonate in every action and interaction.

VML is a WPP agency. For more information, please visit our website, and follow VML on our social channels via Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.

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