Project Manager
New York, NY

Job Description

Built to thrive amid the full complexity of today's modern marketing, Edelman Digital is backed by the world's largest independent communications agency. We help some of the world's most famous companies evolve, promote and protect their brands through a wide range of solutions, including performance marketing, e-commerce, digital transformation, newsroom strategy and execution, influencer, crisis and much, much more. To achieve this, we have assembled a stellar team of nearly one thousand Creatives, Strategists, Media Specialists, Analysts and Technologists across fifty offices in 25 countries. Our honors range from Cannes Lions for creativity to the Holmes Report for the 2018 Global Digital Agency of the Year and five times as Glassdoor's "Best Places to Work." Our success comes from our smart, passionate and curious people, who tell great stories and solve complex business problems day in and day out.

The purpose of this role is to lead, document, and manage all assigned Digital, Social, and Creative projects to an agreed schedule, budget and level of quality through a full project life cycle. The role works closely with all departments within the digital practice and the wider Edelman network, to deliver small to medium sized standalone projects and supports the VP, PD with the delivery of more complex work.

Key Responsibilities:

Setting Up & Planning Projects

* Supports with the production of robust and well-presented client proposals in response to new business briefs.
* Produces accurate task based budgets using a designated Project Management tools.
* Retrieves and documents scope detail in robust and effective SOWs.
* Owns the scope of assigned projects, ensuring that all the work that has been scoped and budgeted can be delivered.
* Plans, estimates and controls cost for assigned projects ensuring accurate tracking of spend.
* Provides project update reports and status reports ensuring regular communication with the client and internal teams.
* Identifies resource needs on assigned projects, utilizing an accurate understanding of the specialisms required to deliver strong strategic, creative, social and digital work.
* Ensures that resources are booked through established resource management process.
* Produces accurate and realistic timelines for assigned project work.
* Supports with the planning for simple video and animation projects.
* Engages appropriate resources to ensure viability checks are conducted on all proposals assigned.
* Ensures the identification of risk and mitigation planning for all assigned projects.
* Ensures that roles and responsibilities are clearly defined and communicated for all identified stakeholders and resources.
* Is a strong advocate for agreed Ways of Working (WOW) and explains and enforces process where possible across the digital practice.

Project Delivery and Closure

* Proactively 'leans-in' to enable the delivery of production (creative and digital) work by being a solutions focused and available resource who contributes to delivery of great work.
* Provides administrative support to assigned projects as they progress.
* Supports Insights Practitioners and Planners to facilitate the research, analysis and insight gathering processes required to laydown robust strategies for clients.
* Supports and facilitates creative conceptual exploration and tactical ideation.
* Manages the change management processes for assigned project work.
* Creates regular status reports and communications are produced and distributed for identified stakeholders and resources according to a communications plan.
* Brief production resources (Creative, Tech and QA) on defined work.
* Responsible for engaging and managing external suppliers, from both a procurement and a delivery perspective.
* Tracks all identified work streams in assigned projects to provide up-to-date status, spend and time-forecast information.
* Ensures that all assigned work undergoes a rigorous quality assurance process.
* Facilitates user acceptance testing/reviews with clients for all production delivered within assigned projects.
* Conducts a lessons learnt reviews upon project completion, utilizing learnings for future projects.
* Partners with Client Service professionals to manage stakeholder needs and expectations throughout the project life cycle.
* Represents the agency through the process of delivery ensuring that decisions that detriment quality or undermine profitability are discussed and approved before being actioned.

New Business

* Manages pitches for new business in the form of task management of a predefined pitch process.
* Supports with the production of pitch materials (proposals, presentations and ideas).
* Encourages and facilitates team cohesion where possible.

Required Experience:

* Previous experience of project management (at least 2 years)
* Experience of working in a digital / creative agency on large multinational accounts (at least 1 years)
* Previous delivery experience of projects such as: community management, digital/ social strategy, mobile app development, website development, creative for web and print, app/ games build.
* Experience of at least one project management methodology.

Required Skills:

* Computer literate on either Windows or iOS.
* Working knowledge of at least one software tool for the management of each of the following; task management, timeline management, test management, collaboration, budgeting, word processing, presentation delivery.
* Proficiency in MS Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Project.
* Understanding of the difference between Waterfall and Agile methodologies, and when both are appropriate.
* Understanding of what is required to manage social campaigns through appropriate social media channels.
* Understanding of what is required to deliver creative ideas as well as creative production.

Preferred Attributes:

* Strong personality able mediate, facilitate and speak-up when required to deliver assigned project work.
* Ability to remain calm under pressure.
* A positive 'can do' solutions focused attitude.
* Ability to effectively manages their time and that of others
* Ability to manage a meetings effectively to track and manage actions
* Ability to juggle a varied work load and prioritize effectively.
* Strong verbal and written communication skills.
* Confident enough to ask for clarity when something is not clear. Willingness to learn.