VML Catalyst Academy 2026 - APAC HQ (Singapore)

About VML

VML is a leading creative company that combines brand experience, customer experience, and commerce, creating connected brands to drive growth. VML is celebrated for its innovative and human first, award-winning work for blue chip client partners including AstraZeneca, Colgate-Palmolive, Dell, Ford, Microsoft, Nestlé, The Coca-Cola Company, and Wendy's. The agency is recognized by the Forrester Wave™ Reports, as a Leader among Marketing Creative and Content Service Providers, Commerce Services, Global Digital Experience Services, Global Marketing Services and, most recently, Marketing Measurement & Optimization. In addition, VML’s specialist health network, VML Health, is one of the world’s largest and most awarded health agencies. VML’s global network is powered by 26,000 talented people across 55+ markets, with principal offices in Kansas City, New York, Detroit, London, São Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore, and Sydney.

VML is a WPP agency (NYSE: WPP). For more information, please visit  www.vml.com, and follow along on Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.

VML APAC Catalyst Academy (Location: VML APAC HQ - Singapore)

Are You Ready to Ignite Your Future?

At VML, we don’t just adapt to the future—we shape it.

And this is your opportunity to shape yours, with an 18-month, paid rotation across Technology & AI, Experience & Design, Delivery & Project Management and Strategy & Consulting. The Catalyst Academy is VML's flagship early careers program, grooming our future leaders by creating opportunities for rotational learning, structured programming, development and exposure to clients and internal stakeholders and decision makers! Get ready to discover a career, where creativity merges seamlessly with technology, and your groundbreaking ideas find a home on the world’s stage.

Who we are:

At VML you won’t just create ads, you’ll uncover disconnects in behaviour and culture and use your creativity to connect with consumers through the power of global brands. Our foundation is built on an unmatched creative legacy, combining over 300 years of expertise from iconic agencies like J. Walter Thompson, Y&R, Wunderman, and VML. This heritage gives us a deep well of creative excellence and a pioneering spirit of technological innovation from which to draw. This connected vision is powered by our 26,000 talented people across more than 50 markets. They are the soul of our company. Their varied perspectives, local expertise, and cultural insights are not just a competitive advantage but essential to understanding a complex world and creating work that resonates. Our culture is built on the belief that connecting these viewpoints is the most powerful driver of creativity and innovation.

This commitment to connection extends beyond our client work and into our communities. We’re proud to make a positive impact through initiatives like the VML Foundation, which has contributed over $3.2 million to charitable causes. Ultimately, VML is a partner in brand and business transformation. We bring creative vision and technical depth together, proving that when you connect every part of the brand experience around a human truth, you create brands that don’t just grow — they thrive.

At VML, we are unwavering in our commitment to hiring and inspiring the next generation of creative advertisers. And the 2026 Catalyst Academy is your opportunity to make your mark.

The Catalyst Academy, is an eighteen-month, fully paid, rotational program. During this period, you will work in and learn from four different departments and help to create meaningful experiences for consumers and customers in an all-inclusive work environment.

Within VML Enterprise Solutions APAC, we seeking a catalyst with a curious and analytical mind with a passion for understanding our strategic capabilities and offerings to deliver unparalleled value to our clients across the region. This is a unique opportunity to gain hands on experience in shaping the future of brand experiences and innovation within an incredibly dynamic market landscape.

Position: Enterprise Solutions Catalyst, a part of the VML APAC Catalyst Academy 2026

Program Duration: 18 months followed by a potential landing role within VML

Location: APAC Regional HQ (Singapore)

Program Design: Virtual Rotations in APAC Enterprise Solutions Hubs including: India, Hong Kong, Australia and Thailand

Agencies Supported: VML, VML Enterprise Solutions

Reporting Structure: Chief Experience Officer, APAC

Who you are: You are a curious, creative, and strategic thinker with a passion for innovation and problem-solving. You thrive in dynamic environments and enjoy exploring emerging trends, analysing data, and turning insights into actionable ideas. Collaboration energises you—you’re comfortable working across diverse teams and disciplines, from technology and design to strategy and delivery.

You bring a blend of analytical rigour and creative flair, with the ability to research, organise, and communicate complex concepts clearly. You’re detail-oriented yet adaptable, capable of managing documentation, supporting projects, and contributing to brainstorming sessions.

Above all, you are driven to learn and grow, eager to participate in training, share knowledge, and stay ahead of industry developments. You see every challenge as an opportunity to innovate and make an impact.

What You Will Do:

Core Responsibilities – Technology & AI

• Be ready to present an up-to-date point of view on some emerging technology trends and the applications of Ai.

• Contribute to ideation session idea generation for technological innovations

• Document and organise prototypes, experiments, and learning through testing

• Be prepared to support the documentation of some technology projects, processes, and best practices.

• Analyse data to evaluate technology performance, prepare and present the result to internal stakeholders.

• Learn about our partners technology platforms, compile feature comparisons and returns on client investments

• Attend training sessions and knowledge-sharing forums. Staying curious and continuously building understanding of VML’s technology ecosystem

• Assist technology team in preparing pitch decks, case studies, and internal presentations showcasing technology capabilities.

Core Responsibilities – Experience and Design

• Gather insights on customer experience trends, design best practices, and competitor benchmarks. Compile findings into clear summaries to support experience and design strategy development.

• Dive into data analysis: collect and organise customer feedback, survey results, and performance metrics.

• Explore the creation of journey maps, contribute to the experience design tracks of work & rapid prototyping activity.

• Participate in the organisation, running and documentation of testing synthetic and real customer panels

• Support the preparation internal and client-facing presentations showcasing experience strategies and design concepts.

• Play an XD role in cross-functional project teams working with CX strategists, designers to assist in workshops, brainstorming sessions, and design sprints.

• Be ready to participate in training sessions, service design jams and design reviews. Stay curious about emerging trends in customer experience, design ethics, and sustainability.

Core Responsibilities – Delivery & Project Management

• Assit in developing and tracking project timelines, deliverables and help to maintain and update project management tracking systems and status reports

• Gather operational and performance data (e.g., project progress, resource utilisation) and help prepare dashboards or summaries.

• Support sprint teams with coordination and logistics for meetings, workshops, and training sessions – helping to remove barriers and challenges that prevent progress

• Get up to date with the standards and benchmarks we work too, assist in checking and quality assurance processes.

• Join training sessions on project management methodologies (e.g., Agile, Scrum).

• Explore Ai driven works flows and new technology tools that offer increases program efficiencies

Core Responsibilities – Strategy and Consulting

• Gather and synthesize market, consumer, and cultural insights through LLM Ai tool, desk research, social listening, and trend analysis. Compile and summarise findings into clear reports or presentations for the strategy team.

• Diagnose through analytics and performance reporting strategic ways to defeat out client’s grow challenges

• Actively contribute to competitor audits, and benchmarking reports to inform strategic recommendations

• Help develop creative and innovation briefs and contribute to brainstorms and ideation session to kick-off and expand these.

• Support the development of pitch decks, case studies, and client-facing materials showcasing strategic thinking.

• Help schedule and organise workshops, meetings, and internal knowledge-sharing sessions for the strategy and consulting team

• Maintain and update internal repositories of research, tools, and ai agents

• Complete training sessions on our strategy toolkits and ai utilities.

• Be curious about emerging trends in consumer behaviour, reactions to technology advancements and emerging business, products and service models.

During this eighteen-month period, you will have the opportunity to complete the fully paid for IPA Global Certification. This certification is made up of self-learning modules as well as a final exam.

Please apply if you have the legal right to work in Singapore (this is a fully on-site job in our office in Singapore). The program participants are not offered accommodation or local travel arrangements/allowances (we do not require previous work industry experience or knowledge)

Along with your online application/resume, you must submit your video profile to us on [email protected]. To be considered for the Catalyst Academy, we need both your resume and your video profile.

Video Profile Details:

At VML, being Human First is our guiding creative philosophy. We believe the most powerful ideas — the ones that truly move people and businesses forward — are born from a deep and empathetic understanding of human needs, desires, and motivations. Our Human First approach means we create value for people first, knowing that this is the most authentic and sustainable way to create value for the brands we serve. And we live by our Core Values, These are the guiding principals that drive all of our actions: Heart, Brains and Courage. Know more about VML's Core Values HERE

Create a compelling story as to who you are: how you resonate with VML's core values, why you decided to apply for the Catalyst Academy 2026, what really stood out for you and how that links to the future direction you want to head in (make the video a truly creative and authentic representation of who you are!)

What are we looking for?

* 90 seconds maximum

* Big ideas, not big budgets/productions, or big file sizes (record using only a mobile phone)

* We are looking for your ability to create a compelling story, demonstrate creativity and individuality, communication skills and outside the box thinking.

* We do not expect you to be an actor or seasoned speaker. If you struggle with presenting, you can be creative and think further than ‘piece to camera’ format. Be original and let your personality shine through.

* Submit the video in English (must)

Please complete your video and upload to a video streaming page of your choice (unlisted YouTube or Vimeo preferred). Once complete please submit the link of your video to [email protected].

We are working to ensure the process is as accessible as possible. If you require any accommodations, please let us know and we will work with you to ensure you’re comfortable and supported.

Thank you again for all the time and your interest in joining The APAC Catalyst Academy 2026!

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 an average of four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

WPP (VML) is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to 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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