IT Programme Manager

#LI-Hybrid

Why we're hiring:

At WPP, technology is at the heart of everything we do, and it is WPP IT’s mission to enable everyone to collaborate, create and thrive. WPP IT is undergoing a significant transformation to build the transformation platform that will power the next evolution of WPP. WPP is on a journey to clarify and simplify the operating model between our brands and WPP, modernise and create tech-enabled colleague experiences, and create an open, integrated technology innovation platform across WPP. 

 Along that journey we will ensure WPP IT is a destination for tech talent, modernise our ways of working, shift to cloud and micro-service-based architectures, drive automation, digitise colleague and client experiences and deliver insight from WPP’s petabytes of data. 

 As we continue on this journey, we have identified the need for a pivotal new role – EMEA IT Programme Manager. We are reimaging and scaling our Portfolio and Programme capabilities and this role will be responsible for both delivering our portfolio and creating a community of diverse and highly skilled specialist across the EMEA region. This role will be part of the Strategic Portfolio Delivery community, reporting into the EMEA Chapter Lead, Programme Management in the Global Portfolio and Programme Management Team.  

 This role will help ensure the Transformation function is executing WPP IT’s vision, while professionalising how we mobilise and deliver programmes as a service, ensure value focused approach, and benefits & cost control through tools that are fit for purpose. It will also play a crucial role in helping to establish a PPM community built on continuous learning, a support network, and a compelling career progression framework. It will be responsible for embedding a high-performing culture that has WPP’s values at the heart of how it operates. It will have a strong focus on supporting and leading a diverse team from across various business functions, while guiding, coaching and supporting them to succeed.  

What you'll be doing:

• Part of a team of Programme Management professionals across EMEA; sustains the wider PPM community, encompassing Programme and Project Management professionals in WPP IT, as well as those that may remain embedded within OpCos, the TMO organisation, or partially retain some PPM activities as part of other substantive roles 
• Leads a matrix team of PPM professionals, as well as business representatives, focusing on guiding, coaching and supporting them to deliver value for the business   
• Responsible for the mobilisation and delivery and active management of programme(s) across WPP IT portfolio encompassing the E2E lifecycle – ie planning, resourcing, deliverables tracking, benefits and cost tracking and realisation, risks, issues, dependencies, assumptions, reporting, change, governance  
• Collaborates with a diverse multi-disciplinary global team to understand business needs and outcomes and works closely with key stakeholders across the company to deliver 
• Leads continuous improvement of processes and procedures across the team and inputs into the overall framework with a focus on continually evolving best practices, tools and standards for mobilisation and delivery; ensuring that these are adopted universally across the delivery portfolio and continually improved  
• Convenes third parties, including strategic partners and highly skilled PPM contractors, to bring external best practice and improve alignment in ways of working across the wider PPM community 
• Inputs, develops and professionally supports the wider team of Programme Management practitioners, building and embedding a culture of continuous improvement and the learning journeys needed to build capability and technical expertise in the team 
• Responsible for all people leadership activities for the Programmes they lead, ie hiring, developing, input into performance evaluation  
• Actively sponsor and champion the shift to agile methodologies, in line with broader IT Transformation ambition and agenda, supporting teams as we continually look to improve flow 
• Within this role you will form part of the PPM practitioners pool and will be allocated to future programmes to support your development and business needs 

What you'll need:

• Extensive project & programme management experience, with demonstrated capability of delivering complex programmes in a fragmented global business 
• Proven track record of successful mobilisation and delivery of ambitious, strategic, and operationally complex programmes with internal and external cross-functional teams  
• Experience and proven success in delivering Workplace related programmes; physical or digital workplace, campus uplifts, o365 or SharePoint 
• Ability to work effectively and comfortably with ambiguity in an unregulated environment using a methodical approach to reach the required outcomes 
• Ability to effectively stakeholder manage in a complex multi CIO global business 
• Proven track record as a people leader and influencer with motivational and engagement skills including the ability to lead globally dispersed teams throughout all levels of the organisation.  
• Quick to learn and adaptable to changing priorities, with the ability to reshape, reconfigure and realign solutions to meet challenging deadlines without jeopardising the successful delivery of the programme  
• Ability to build and maintain relationships by engaging and working inclusively to establish credibility, solve problems, build consensus, and achieve objectives 
• A self-started with impeccable organisational and time management skills, focusing on value and outcomes; enthusiastic with a can-do attitude 
• Strategic and critical thinker – blending technical, operational and commercial strategic considerations into decision making, while continuously challenging the status-quo  
• Story telling with data – strong skills in building the case for change, identifying the business outcomes, value proposition for the respective area 
• Brilliant communicator – strong communication and stakeholder management skills; able to turn complex technical messages into effective, succinct communications; ability to manage and influence stakeholders with competing priorities 
• Functional analysis skills to enable the capture and breakdown of well-formed requirements and priorities  
• Experience in project management tools & dashboards 
• Experience in delivery methodologies (e.g. SAFe, Scrum, waterfall) 
• Experience working in an Agile team as a Scrum Product Owner or Scrum Master is beneficial 
• Recognised Agile or Project management certifications are beneficial 

Who you are:

You're open: We are inclusive and collaborative; we encourage the free exchange of ideas; we respect and celebrate diverse views. We are accepting: of new ideas, new partnerships, new ways of working.

You're optimistic: We believe in the power of creativity, technology and talent to create brighter futures or our people, our clients and our communities. We approach all that we do with conviction: to try the new and to seek the unexpected.

You're extraordinary: we are stronger together: through collaboration we achieve the amazing. We are creative leaders and pioneers of our industry; we provide extraordinary every day.

What we'll give you:

Passionate, inspired people – We promote a culture of people that do extraordinary work.

Scale and opportunity – We offer the opportunity to create, influence and complete projects at a scale that is unparalleled in the industry.

Challenging and stimulating work – Unique work and the opportunity to join a group of creative problem solvers. Are you up for the challenge?