Programme Manager - Strategic Operations

Director, Strategic Operations - 6 Month FTC

Contract: 6-month FTC
Location: London / Hybrid

6 month FTC
Salary: £90,000 per year pro rata

We're looking for an experienced Director-level Strategic Operations / Programme Management professional to join a leading global media and marketing organisation on a 6-month fixed-term contract.

This is a high-visibility role focused on turning senior leadership strategy into action. You'll take ownership of a portfolio of business-critical, cross-functional initiatives, bringing structure, pace and accountability to complex programmes across areas such as people, finance, technology, data and operations.

This is not simply a role for someone who manages project plans. We're looking for someone who can connect the dots across a complex organisation, challenge senior stakeholders, remove blockers and make sure things actually get delivered.

The Role

Working closely with senior leadership, you'll translate strategic priorities into clear, actionable plans and establish the frameworks, governance and reporting needed to keep multiple workstreams moving.

You'll own the central portfolio view, ensuring leadership has a clear picture of progress, risks, dependencies, capacity and priorities.

You'll also work directly with senior business leads to resolve issues, manage competing priorities and hold workstream owners accountable for delivery.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end delivery of a portfolio of business-critical strategic and operational projects.
• Translate high-level strategic priorities into clear deliverables, milestones, dependencies and ownership.
• Build and maintain a central portfolio plan, providing senior leadership with a clear view of progress and priorities.
• Manage multiple complex workstreams across functions including people, finance, technology, data and operations.
• Establish clear project governance, methodologies and ways of working across the portfolio.
• Introduce practical PM tools including project charters, business cases, RACI matrices, RAID logs, milestone plans and portfolio reporting.
• Drive accountability across workstream owners and senior stakeholders, ensuring commitments are delivered.
• Identify risks, dependencies, capacity constraints and potential blockers before they impact delivery.
• Work hands-on with business leads to resolve problems and keep projects moving.
• Provide concise, visual and commercially focused reporting to senior leadership.
• Act as the link between executive leadership, functional leads and delivery teams.
• Challenge existing processes and introduce more efficient ways of working.
• Ensure governance remains light-touch and purposeful, with a strong focus on outcomes rather than unnecessary administration.
• Help turn around projects or workstreams that are off track.

About You

You'll be an experienced portfolio, programme or project leader who is comfortable operating at Director level within a complex organisation.

You'll ideally have:

• Significant experience leading large-scale, complex programmes or portfolios.
• Experience working within a media, marketing, agency, advertising or similarly fast-paced environment would be advantageous.
• A strong understanding of programme and project management methodologies, including Agile, Waterfall and Hybrid approaches.
• Expert knowledge of practical delivery tools including business cases, WBS, benefits realisation, RACI, RAID management, milestone planning and critical path tracking.
• Experience establishing PM frameworks, governance and reporting across multiple business areas.
• A proven ability to influence and hold senior stakeholders accountable without direct line management authority.
• Experience managing competing priorities, resources and dependencies across a complex portfolio.
• Strong commercial and operational thinking, with the ability to understand the bigger picture while being willing to get into the detail when required.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to turn complex information into clear, concise updates for C-suite and senior leadership audiences.
• A confident, pragmatic and solutions-focused approach.
• The ability to quickly identify what's getting in the way of delivery and do something about it.
• A track record of successfully turning around challenging projects or programmes.
• PMP, APM, PMI or equivalent project/programme management certification would be highly desirable.

What Makes This Role Different?

This is a genuinely influential role sitting close to senior leadership, with responsibility for making strategic priorities visible, actionable and deliverable.

You'll have the opportunity to shape how major initiatives are managed across the organisation, introduce better ways of working and work directly with senior stakeholders to make meaningful change happen.

If you're someone who can look at a complex portfolio, quickly understand what matters, what's stuck and what needs to happen next, this could be a great fit.

Sphere Digital Recruitment is acting as an Employment Business in relation to this vacancy.