Director, Strategic Operations; FTC)

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We areseekingan exceptionally seasoned and dynamic Director, Strategic Operations, UK tolead the project management,execution, tracking, and delivery of our business-critical "One Company" project portfolio.

Reporting directly to theVP, Strategic Operations, UKand working alongside theCOO, you will take the EXCO "Plan on a Page" and turn it into clear, connected actions across the business-making progress visible, setting rigorous PM frameworks, holding workstream owners to account, and keeping projects moving forward.

This role requires a heavy-hitting portfolio/programme/project management expert who thrives in a high-visibility environment. You are not just a manager of timelines-you are a strategic driver-an operational leader who knows how to align complex teams to deliver exceptional results.

• Drive "One Company" Projects: Drive the end-to-end execution of company-wide, critical operational projects from business case /inception through delivery, ensuring alignment with executive business goals.

• Work Breakdown & Task Management: Translate high-level priorities into clear, practical deliverables-defining detailed Work Breakdown Structures (WBS), timelines, key milestones, dependencies, and precise task ownership.

• Portfolio & Resource Optimisation: Oversee the master project portfolio across business streams (e.g., people, finance, data, tech, operations). Optimise resource allocation, balance competing priorities,identify capacity constraints, and ensure high-value initiatives are delivered on time and within scope.

• Keep Things Moving: Work directly with business leads to solve problems, clear blockers, and ensure projects cross the finish line on time.

• Set & Embed Frameworks: Assess existing delivery methodologies andestablishbest-in-class PM standard operating procedures, tools, and KPIs. Embed simple, practical project toolkits (e.g.,Business Case Templates,Project Charters, Portfolio Reports,RACI matrices,RAIDlogs, and milestone plans) across all initiatives.

• Hold Teams Accountable: Drive a culture of accountability and precision. Establish clear ownership for every workstream, leading regular portfolio/project reviews and huddles to keep business leads strictly accountable for their deliverables and commitments.

• Light-Touch Governance: Run light but highly effective tracking. Cut out unnecessary paperwork and "admin for the sake of admin," focusing purely on actions, outputs, and operational efficiency.

• Single Source of Truth: Maintain and own the central executive plan,providing senior leadership with absolute transparency on progress, RAG status,RAID logs, percent-completes, and capacity.

• Stakeholder Alignment & Escalation: Serve as the key connective tissue between senior leadership, department heads, and execution teams. Communicate project health, risks, and strategic trade-offs effectively,maintaininga direct line of communication with the VP, Strategic Operations and COO to escape risks early.

• Break Down Silos: Act as the connective tissue between central functions, capability teams, and agencies, ensuring teams are aligned and working toward shared outcomes rather than in isolation.

• Experience: Progressive portfolio/programme/project management experience, including significant experience leading and orchestrating large-scale, complex initiatives at a senior level (agency/media network experience preferred).

• Execution & Framework Mastery: Deep, expert-level mastery of project management frameworks (PMP /APM / PMI certifications requiredor…