Director of Strategy & Transformation (Business Platforms & Corporate Functions)

WPP is the creative transformation company. We use the power of creativity to build better futures for our people, planet, clients, and communities.

Working at WPP means being part of a global network of more than 100,000 talented people dedicated to doing extraordinary work for our clients. We operate in over 100 countries, with corporate headquarters in New York, London and Singapore.

WPP is a world leader in marketing services, with deep AI, data and technology capabilities, global presence and unrivalled creative talent. Our clients include many of the biggest companies and advertisers in the world, including approximately 300 of the Fortune Global 500.

Our people are the key to our success. We're committed to fostering a culture of creativity, belonging and continuous learning, attracting and developing the brightest talent, and providing exciting career opportunities that help our people grow.

Why we're hiring:

WPP is embarking on a major 3-year Transformation to simplify, modernise, and unify its technology platforms across the group. This change is critical to:

• Enable cost-effective transformation and operational efficiency

• Accelerate adoption of AI, data, and digital platforms

• Ensure consistent delivery of value and benefits across all agencies and markets

• Minimise disruption and maximise engagement during large-scale change

A dedicated Strategy and Transformation Director is needed to orchestrate the people side of this transformation, ensuring that new ways of working are adopted, benefits are realised, and change fatigue is minimised.

What you'll be doing:

• Champions Enterprise Technology Portfolio Global Discipline (incl. tools, templates and processes) across the Business Platforms and Corporate function and fosters an energised change culture that embraces change and collaboration, to enable the agency clusters to become more agile and responsive to future technological advancements and the priorities of WPP as a whole.

• Drafts the Business Platforms and Corporate function sub-portfolio strategy and delivery plan for the CIO Corporate & Business Platform, ensuring alignment with the Enterprise Technology global themes and wider Technology Strategy.

• Ensures that the portfolio continues to reflect and balance the goals of Enterprise Technology and Global portfolio priorities and Strategic Outcomes to maximise consumption, ROI and WPP outcomes.

• Owns the roadmap of technology change for the Business Platforms and Corporate function ensuring that business impacts are understood, facilitating smooth transitions, preventing change fatigue, avoiding interference with key business activities (e.g. Pitches) and ensuring adoption / consumption of new technology. 

• Analyses the portfolio progress against this roadmap and prepares regular sub-portfolio dashboard and reports for the function Check-In and Portfolio Progress Committee ensuring anomalies or areas of concern are highlighted and making recommendations to decision makers, as required.

• Provides delivery assurance within the Business Platforms and Corporate function transformation scope, ensuring Programme and Projects are delivered in line with the confirmed guidelines and delivery standards including programme financial and benefit mgt.

• Supports with preparing and administering the Business Platforms and Corporate function sub-portfolio initiatives, through the gated Transformation Delivery Lifecycle.

• Co-ordinates all ‘transform’ demand into Enterprise Technology governance and assurances processes to ensure new initiatives are consistently commissioned and communicated to key stakeholders.

• Support in the early mobilisation of new initiatives and assembling the required squads within Business Platforms and Corporate function, partnering with the relevant Business Platforms and Corporate function SMT as well as the strategic portfolio office and involved programme disciplines.

• On behalf of the S&T Director, monitors transformation resources within the Business Platforms and Corporate function Delivery Squad and reports allocation and requirements regularly to the Strategy and Portfolio Office.

• Maintains the Business Platforms and Corporate function sub-portfolio cost and benefits forecast, updating regularly to reflect actuals and new initiatives being approved.

• Ensures Business Platforms and Corporate function Business cases and other Enterprise Technology artefacts are prepared consistently with Enterprise Technology financial standards, governance, assurance and benefits eligibility rules.

• Establish and maintains the Business Platforms and Corporate function sub-portfolio-level RAID register, ensuring entries are appropriately analysed, managed and escalated as required.

• Co-ordinates sub-portfolio planning, estimation and prioritisation exercises and reports changes to the Strategy & Portfolio Office to approve.

• Ensure dependencies into, out of and within the sub-portfolio are effectively managed and issues escalated as required.

• Identifies constraints within the sub-portfolio and works to overcome them.

• Acts as secretariat for any Business Platforms and Corporate function level strategy & transformation governance.

• Identifies improvements in portfolio management practices through PIRs, periodic sub-portfolio reviews and health checks and champion's best practice.

What you'll need:

Critical Knowledge and Experience:

• Extensive strategy and portfolio management experience

• Excellent knowledge and experience of strategy development and portfolio management

• Excellent knowledge and experience in Information Technology

Skills:

• Strategic Thinking and Design

• Strategy Development

• Business Planning

• Data Analysis & Reporting

• Portfolio Management

• Demand Planning & Management

• Business Case Development

• Value and Benefits Tracking

• Stakeholder Management

• Stakeholder Engagement

• Financial/Budget Management

• Agile Acumen & Experience

• Change Management

• Customer-centric Thinking

• Problem-solving & Innovation

• Team Management & Leadership

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?

#LI-Hybrid

We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office around four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

WPP is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to particular characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.

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