Director, Strategic Operations (6 month FTC)

Location: London, United Kingdom; hybrid working with teams in the office around four days a week. This is a UK-based role and requires the right to work in the United Kingdom.

Company

hirify.global is WPP’s AI-driven media operating unit, combining media, data, partnerships, and the WPP Open marketing platform.

What you will do

• Lead end-to-end execution of business-critical “One Company” projects from business case and inception through delivery.
• Translate executive priorities into work breakdown structures, deliverables, timelines, milestones, dependencies, and ownership.
• Own the master portfolio across people, finance, data, technology, and operations, optimizing resources and competing priorities.
• Establish practical project management standards, tools, KPIs, charters, RACI matrices, RAID logs, and milestone plans.
• Maintain the central executive plan and provide transparent reporting on progress, risks, dependencies, capacity, and RAG status.
• Align senior leaders, department heads, business leads, agencies, and execution teams while escalating risks and removing blockers.

Requirements

• Significant senior-level experience leading complex portfolio, programme, and project management initiatives.
• Expert knowledge of Agile, Waterfall, and hybrid project management approaches, including business cases, benefits realization, WBS, RACI, RAID management, milestone planning, and critical path tracking.
• Experience operating at Director level, influencing executive decisions, holding cross-functional teams accountable without direct line authority, and turning around troubled projects.
• Exceptional communication skills for synthesizing complex workstream status into clear updates for the C-suite, senior leadership, and VP-level stakeholders.
• PMP, APM, or PMI certification is required or strongly preferred.
• Must have the right to work in the United Kingdom.

Culture & Benefits

• Open and inclusive working environment built on trust, respect, collaboration, and professional growth.
• Access to hirify.global and WPP networks for learning, professional connections, and development.
• Medical, retirement, vision, and dental benefits, with significant paid time off.
• Preferential partner discounts and employee mental health awareness days.
• Employee resource groups and regular in-office events.