Director, Project Management
About The Role
Our Client is seeking a Director, Project Managementto join the team. This individual will be instrumental in establishing, leading, and growing the project management function. They will design the systems and processes that allow the company to operate with clarity, efficiency, and accountability. This role will partner closely with finance, client service, creative, strategy, tech, analytics, and leadership to drive seamless project delivery while mentoring and developing a high-performing team of project managers. This role is primarily a leadership role, but all team members are expected to play a part in the day-to-day. For this role, that may look like PM’ing a new business opportunity while the team hires.
The individual will report to the Managing Partner, Growth and Innovation.
Key Responsibilities
Project Process & Delivery Excellence
- Lead and implement project management methodologies, tools, and best practices tailored to a fast-paced, client-focused agency environment to help unlock the organization’s next phase of growth.
- Work with the team to help ensure projects are scoped accurately, resourced appropriately, and delivered on time, on budget, and to the highest quality.
- Establish consistency across accounts and help define processes as needed in collaboration with other stakeholders.
- Lead tracking of project health, utilization, and profitability in partnership with the PM team, finance, client service, and leadership.
Team Leadership & Development
- Build, lead, and mentor a team of project managers, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
- Provide coaching and guidance to help project managers grow their skills in client management, prioritization, and communication.
- Work with other department leads to help drive change through the agency.
Resource & Capacity Planning
- Lead resource management, ensuring the right talent is matched to the right projects while balancing workload and capacity.
- Anticipate hiring needs and contribute to workforce planning in collaboration with HR and department leads.
- Optimize utilization to drive efficiency without compromising quality or creativity.
- Support financial forecasting models from a project-by-project bottom-up view to help see the bigger picture.
Agency Leadership & Collaboration
- Serve as a thought partner to senior leaders in improving workflows, project forecasting, and cross-team collaboration.
- Act as a trusted advisor to account and creative leaders, ensuring alignment between client priorities and internal resources.
- Champion a project management perspective in agency decision-making, helping the organization scale effectively while staying true to its values-driven ethos.
Required Qualifications
- 10 years of experience in scaling and overseeing project management within an advertising, marketing, or related professional services environment.
- 5 years in pharmaceutical or healthcare marketing managing projects, including product launches.
- 3 years leading a team of project management professionals.
- Proven experience leading and developing a project management function, ideally as the first or early hire in a scaling organization.
- Strong understanding of agency operations including scoping, budgeting, resourcing, and reporting.
- Demonstrated ability to lead, mentor, and inspire a team.
- Excellent communication, influencing, and relationship-building skills across creative and business functions.
- Comfort balancing strategic leadership with hands-on project oversight.
- Familiarity with project management and resourcing tools (e.g., Wrike, Asana, Workfront, Float, or similar).
- Excel at Excel.
Note:
“We are not the EOR (Employer of Record) for this position. Our role in this specific opportunity is to connect outstanding candidates with a top-tier employer. Swooped helps candidates around the world to discover and stay focused on the jobs they want until they can complete a full application in the hiring company career page/ATS.”