Project Manager - Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness, New York
New York, NY

Job Description

Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness is looking for a Project Manager to join our Project Management team in New York.

Walk the halls of SSW and you'll find a rather spirited and passionate group of people. It's a stimulating assembly of professionals-writers, managers, strategists, art directors, planners, analysts and developers.

We believe the only way to move people to live healthier, happier lives is to create ideas that move them emotionally. Never powered by reason alone, people - whether they're consumers, caregivers, doctors or payers - are motivated to take action by emotion. Only when people feel something will they be willing to do something.

For decades, Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness has provided consumer and professional marketing, strategic consulting and medical education to pharmaceutical and wellness brands. Today, we're dedicated to continuing that legacy by raising the bar and crafting award- winning work online, on-air, in print and in-office. Going beyond addressing simply the absence of illness, our vision is to inspire a healthier, happier world. Together, we strive to help brands thrive in today's culture of wellbeing by leveraging the power of Wellness IntelligenceSM.

About the Role:

The Project Manager leads the production of cross-media projects of medium size or complexity, and is ultimately responsible for the on-time on-budget delivery of high-quality deliverables that power Client satisfaction, meet business requirements, and balance Client and Agency economics.

Key Responsibilities

Knowledge

* Project Management Skills: Proficient in flexible/adaptive project planning methodologies. Well-versed in production needs and processes; strong in at least one delivery medium (interactive/digital, print, or content development) but understands other media well enough to manage and deliver work as a strategic problem solver.
* SOWs: Prepares detailed project scope definitions and estimates with quick turnaround time and minimal revisions. Creates or reviews statement of work documentation, collaborating across disciplines for buy-in and sign-off.
* Finances: Accountable for top-down and bottom-up budgets for medium-sized projects to ensure estimates reflect required work effort and resourcing. Accurately calculates cost-to-complete estimates for cross-media projects, projecting and escalating potential overages, and working with the discipline lead and project team to come up with solutions to contain the financial impact.
* Thought Process: Demonstrates critical and strategic thinking skills, and is solution-oriented and flexible in their approach.
* Technology: Understands development processes, technology architectures, and requirements across digital platforms including but not limited to web, mobile, CRM, and display ads. Interest in and able to learn and quickly adapt to new technologies.
* Agency Process: Advocate and champion of Agency processes. Able to define and manage team adherence to work stream and delivery process, communication plan, and rules of engagement; ability to identify risks to customizing processes and escalating to senior leads for confirmation prior to adoption as necessary to meet timeline or budget constraints.

Strategy

* Creativity: Creative problem solver; suggests creative alternative solutions to process, resource, budget, time, and/or technology constraints.
* Project Plans: Collaborates across disciplines to create and manage master project plans and timelines; real-time adjustment of timelines as necessary to address issues as they arise, projecting and escalating risks to delivery.
* Quality Control: Is accountable, alongside other project stakeholders, for quality of end delivery; manages review cycles and ensures team adherence to QC plan.
* Process Improvement: Proactively identifies opportunities to adjust and streamline processes for efficiencies, and suggests alternative workable solutions where dictated by timeline or budget constraints.
* Trouble Shoot: Projects potential issues and escalates to discipline lead before occurrence; collaborates with the team to reach a suitable resolution.
* Conflict Resolution: Arbitrates team conflicts and facilitates cross-capability collaboration to reach a resolution; manages up to discipline lead proactively for support as appropriate.
* Collaboration: Proactively keeps team informed of next steps and any changes as they occur. Communicates clearly and frequently. Leads team communication plan; monitors and adjusts as needed to ensure effective and efficient communication.
* Risk Management: Identifies, escalates, and monitors project risks; facilitates mitigation planning and implementation of solutions.

Tactics and Execution

* Ownership of Execution: Manages production of engagements from award to completion to post delivery.
* Client Finances: Responsible for project cost management. Provides accurate and realistic cost-to-complete estimates and forecasts for assigned projects to internal stakeholders, and actively manages projects to budget.
* Communication: Proactively and precisely articulates verbally as well as in writing to communicate with the team, 3rd-party vendors, internal stakeholders and Clients. Able to break down tasks and scenarios into clear succinct points; able to adopt clear but diplomatic Client-speak in Client communications.
* Organization: Keeps project and account folders organized and clearly labeled to facilitate ease of sharing files; able to juggle multiple projects simultaneously without cross contamination of files or information.
* Resource Allocation: Leads resource allocation discussions at the project level with cross-capability team, working with the Resource Manager for appropriate skills-based resource allocation and identification of resourcing needs in advance.
* Vendors: Manages 3rd-party vendor engagement, communicating budgets and timelines, facilitating review processes and smooth transition of assets and deliverables, as well as proper invoicing and scope and budget adherence.
* Change Orders: Identifies scope and/or budget overages prior to occurrence and escalates to internal stakeholders for discussion and resolution; manages Change Request process, documenting changes in scope and associated budget implications.
* Internal Relationships and Team Leadership: Positive influence within the discipline. Develops strong and positive working relationships with other discipline leads and project stakeholders; strong project team lead, motivating project teams to excel, while supporting their various work streams to ensure adherence to objectives, process, and timelines.
* Management: May mentor and direct the activity of an Associate or Senior Associate Producer, escalating to senior leads as and when appropriate.
* Culture: Promotes and contributes to business unit's culture and environment; sets an example within the project team and discipline for adherence to quality and process.
* On-boarding: On-boards new project and discipline team members to the brand and agency processes.

Client Relationship

* Client Processes: Intimate understanding of Client's processes and project priorities; able to partner with the Client to meet their production needs; able to guide conversations around scope and timelines.
* Managing Expectations: Ensures Client and internal stakeholder expectations are set and managed appropriately in a timely manner.
* Documentation & Communication: Works hand-in-hand with Account Management to ensure timely and accurate Client documentation and communication of Client feedback to the internal team. Presents complex data or messages in a clear, succinct, compelling manner.
* Delivery: Ensures production deliveries are timely and on budget, and meet Client requirements.

About You:

* Professional presentation
* Strong verbal and written communication skills
* Strong organizational skills
* Must be proactive and self-managing
* Must demonstrate financial acumen
* Must have history of delivering projects on-time and on-budget
* Effective negotiation and conflict management skills
* Solid Microsoft Office skills
* Solid Microsoft Project skills
* Knowledge of digital media and execution processes
* Exhibits Integrity and Trust
* Exhibits Self Awareness and Development
* Bachelor's degree required
* 4-6 years of experience
* Knowledge and experience in healthcare and pharma is a strong plus
* Demonstrates progression in level of responsibility within a professional project management environment
* Client-facing experience preferred
* Creative agency experience preferred
* Experience in communications or marketing environment preferred

About Publicis Health

Publicis Health is the world's premier health-oriented agency network. A division of Publicis Groupe, Publicis Health manages top-tier agencies specializing in promoting innovative solutions in advertising, digital, branding, message delivery, market access, and medical communications. Publicis Health's mission is to be the indispensable force for health and wellness business transformation through the alchemy of creativity and technology-for good.

With more than 5,000 employees around the world, Publicis Health manages 17 agency brands through 40 offices located in seven countries. Publicis Health brands include Digitas Health, Discovery USA, Heartbeat, in-sync, Langland, Maxcess Managed Markets, PDI, PlowShare Group, Publicis Health Media, Publicis LifeBrands, Publicis Resolute, Publicis Touchpoint Solutions, Razorfish Health, Real Science, Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness, Tardis Medical Consultancy and Verilogue.

Web: www.publicishealth.com | Facebook: www.facebook.com/publicishealth | Twitter: www.twitter.com/PublicisHealth/

SSW is headquartered in New York City and part of the largest healthcare communications group in the world, Publicis Health Global network.

Learn more at www.saatchiwellness.com