Senior Project Manager - Service Management Platform

Why we're hiring:

This role is responsible for leading the end-to-end delivery of WPP’s Service Management re-platform programme, replacing the current platform with a modern, AI-enabled service management capability.

You will be accountable for the planning, coordination, governance, and execution of a large-scale platform transformation, ensuring all workstreams are delivered in a controlled, structured, and timely manner.

Working under the Director of Service Delivery, you will coordinate cross-functional teams and strategic implementation partners, driving delivery across technology, process, data, integrations, and organisational change while ensuring alignment to scope, timelines, budget, and business outcomes.

This role requires a highly experienced programme delivery leader who can establish strong governance, manage complex dependencies, mitigate risk, and successfully deliver one of WPP’s most significant Service Management transformation programmes.

What you'll be doing:

Programme & Project Delivery

Lead the end-to-end delivery plan for the Service Management Platform programme.

Define, construct, and maintain detailed, integrated project plans, identifying critical paths, key milestones, and cross-functional dependencies.

Ensure all delivery activities align perfectly with the agreed scope, budgets, timelines, and priorities defined by leadership.

Successfully coordinate multiple concurrent workstreams, including platform architectural rebuilds, data migration, global configuration, and multi-market rollouts.

Execution Management

Drive a high-performance culture of execution discipline and accountability across all hybrid and cross-functional delivery teams.

Proactively track workstream progress, pre-emptively identify delivery roadblocks, and swiftly resolve blockers.

Establish clear ownership and definition of “Done” across all technical and operational project tasks.

Maintain tight change-control management over project scope to prevent scope creep while remaining agile.

Partner & Vendor Coordination

Act as the primary operational integration point with key strategic partners, including Kyndryl and ServiceNow.

Align external delivery methodologies and delivery schedules with WPP's internal technical teams and business targets.

Strictly track partner deliverables, ensuring contractual and execution commitments are met.

Establish clear pathways for early escalation of partner-related risks, gaps, or dependencies.

Governance & Reporting

Design, implement, and lead robust programme governance structures, including Steering Committees, weekly delivery forums, and peer reviews.

Synthesise complex data to provide transparent, clear, and highly professional reporting on project progress, risks, issues, and dependencies.

Own and actively manage the programme RAID log, ensuring risk mitigation plans are executed.

Deliver structured, data-driven, and polished executive-ready updates for senior leadership.

Planning, Adoption, and Rollout

Orchestrate integrated sequencing plans across all workstreams to prepare the business for successful transition-to-service.

Coordinate deployment readiness activities including extensive User Acceptance Testing, training alignment, and change communication campaigns.

Monitor business readiness metrics and platform adoption progress, escalating risks that could impact successful business-as-usual transition.

What you'll need:

Extensive SDLC Experience: Proven experience leading strategic, highly complex enterprise technology migrations or platform implementations across the entire Software Development Life Cycle, with a track record of managing multiple project tracks simultaneously.

Service Management Platform Expertise: Direct experience managing Service Management transformations, platform resets, or large IT Service Management / IT Operations Management platform rollouts is highly desired.

Global Stakeholder Management: A proven background coordinating and mobilising cross-functional, globally dispersed internal teams and major global external vendors such as Kyndryl and ServiceNow.

Adaptable Leadership: Highly resilient and quick to learn; able to reshape, reconfigure, and realign delivery solutions to meet changing priorities and challenging deadlines without compromising on delivery quality.

Relationship & Consensus Builder: Exceptional ability to work inclusively, establish instant credibility, solve conflicts, build consensus, and drive delivery alignment across competing business units.

Value-Oriented Self-Starter: Impeccable organisational and time management skills, prioritising activities that deliver the highest business value and outcomes.

Critical & Commercial Thinker: A strategic thinker who seamlessly blends technical, operational, and commercial insights into decision-making while challenging the status quo to optimise delivery.

Data-Driven Storyteller: Outstanding capability to translate metrics and project data into a compelling case for change, highlighting business outcomes and realised value.

Brilliant Communication Skills: Exceptional communication abilities, with the skill to translate highly complex, technical ServiceNow architecture concepts into succinct, clear, and impactful messages for non-technical business leaders.

Requirements Analysis: Strong functional analysis skills with the capability to capture, deconstruct, and prioritise well-formed business and technical requirements.

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 open-minded: to 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 aim to create a culture in which people can 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?

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