Director, Project Management

Company Description

CoLab is a fully integrated, cross-discipline team that provides best-in-class services in a fluid and modular way. With our clients at the center, we create brand movement at the speed of people’s lives by connecting real-time data with world-class creative, content, and media in service of growth and ROI. 

CoLab is a “power of one” solution, encompassing data, media, and production. By drawing from across the vast Publicis Groupe network, we are uniquely positioned to deliver innovation and specialized skills to our clients, as well as enriching opportunities and inclusive benefits to our employees. We pride ourselves on combining the energetic atmosphere of a startup company with the stability and experience of a global leader.

Job Description

The Director is an account team’s production lead! Ultimately responsible for the delivery of high-quality deliverables that power client satisfaction, meet business requirements, and balance client and agency economics. The Director leads a multi-skill (ie online and offline) team of project managers. This person owns project definition, scope monitoring, budgeting & timing at the account level. Career-manages a team of direct reports. 

Key Responsibilities: 

Knowledge 

• PM Approach: Ensures that the project management team utilizes a flexible project management approach 
• PM Technical Skills: Leads large teams to drive complex programs/campaigns to completion based on scope and budget. Well-versed in production needs; considered a specialist in multiple channels and understands other mediums well enough to be a strategic problem solver 
• Talent Selection: Demonstrates the ability to hire and retain highly capable people while cultivating diversity and career development 
• SOWs: Accountable for the accuracy of all team SOWs 
• Problem Solving: Team’s chief problem solver and talent choreographer 
• Agency process: Develops key operational tools (i.e. team or brand specific processes) 
• Growing Talent: Demonstrated ability to grow mid-level producer talent; able to effectively handle performance issues 
• Client finances: Collaborates (with Business Manager if available) to provide accurate and realistic cost-to-complete estimates and forecasts for assigned projects 
• Technology: Continuously learning technology. Advanced Microsoft Project and Excel ability. Solid understanding of today’s digital technologies 

Strategy 

• Resource allocation: Reviews all projects across account to resolve resource and skill requirements; drives resource allocation management; ensures the right resources are cast to the need 
• Project Plans: Accountable for account-level master project plan creation and management. 
• Process improvement: Proactively sees opportunities to adjust processes for efficiencies 
• Quality Control: Structures and leads project status reviews; leads cross-team post-mortem sessions 
• Advising: Partners with account/ marketing team to provide appropriate and consistent communication directly to client(s) in an effort to clearly manage expectations 
• Risk Management: Leads large teams to develop and manage risk mitigation plans 

Tactics and Execution 

• Agency Cost Management: Vigilantly seeks to optimize both agency services and internal resources 
• Internal Relationships and Team Leadership: Collaborative business partner to team capability leads 
• Management: Responsible for the career development of others 
• Execution: Prioritizes work in progress (WIP) with production and account teams to pull work forward and break bottlenecks 
• Vendors: Point of escalation for vendor management concerns 
• Scope Definition: Scopes and estimates complex, multi-channel engagements 

Client Relationship 

• Relationship: Client-facing lead on issues related to production and project management 
• Client knowledge: Understands the client’s business and plans projects accordingly 
• Passion: Demonstrates passion for the brands and our work 
• Accountability: Owns vendor/partner relationships 
• Problem Solving: Able to drive difficult or complex production discussions with client and facilitate resolution 
• New Business: Production lead on new business pitches; identifies upsell opportunities 
• Communication and Writing: Uses advanced interpersonal and listening skills. Solid written and presentation skills 

Qualifications

Qualifications 

• Professional presentation and client facing skills 
• Dynamic negotiation and conflict management skills 
• Advanced in Microsoft Office including Exce