Senior Program Director

Company: VML
Location: Schiller Park
Posted on: January 13, 2026

Job Description:

Who We Are: At VML, we are a beacon of innovation and growth in an ever-evolving world. Our heritage is built upon a century of combined expertise, where creativity meets technology, and diverse perspectives ignite inspiration. With the merger of VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson, we have forged a new path as a growth partner that is part creative agency, part consultancy, and part technology powerhouse. Our global family now encompasses over 30,000 employees across 150 offices in 64 markets, each contributing to a culture that values connection, belonging, and the power of differences. Our expertise spans the entire customer journey, offering deep insights in communications, commerce, consultancy, CRM, CX, data, production, and technology. We deliver end-to-end solutions that result in revolutionary work. Who We Are Looking For: VML is hiring a Senior Program Director to oversee commerce program delivery for a large CPG company in a client-facing capacity. You have commerce expertise and a proven track record of standing up commerce clients across various retailers. Your breadth of account and PM experience enables you to lead large, multi-disciplinary teams to successfully deliver fast-paced client solutions. What Youll Do: People | Partner with Account leads to provide ongoing client satisfaction. Youll oversee the development of integrated project and program deliverables across teams and agency partners, handling concurrent workstreams for multiple retailers across North America. Process | Establish and maintain project and program communications. Oversee project estimations and staffing recommendations, while implementing new processes across large workstreams. Ensure calendars and deployment schedules are maintained for multiple operating units globally. Leverage AI where possible to optimize delivery and efficiency. Financials | Responsible for project profitability. Plan, track, and approve project expenses, billing, and invoices. Partner with the finance team to develop a consistent profitability and utilization view across all workstreams. Manage resource allocation on an ongoing, weekly basis, and monitor project burn rates, budgets, and reconciliations. Work | Drive projects forward from point A to point B, ensuring excellent and timely delivery. Provide purpose, direction, and motivation to the team. Youll be a champion for the work and internal project team by taking notes, following up, building timelines and plans, etc. Youll also build slides, create compelling stories, and manage comprehensive documentation. Who You Are: A builder | Process-oriented and an innovator with a strong point of view and distinct voice. You have experience standing up new commerce clients and establishing streamlined operations. Open and collaborative | Comfortable with ambiguity and a champion of team environments that encourage collaboration. You thrive in client-facing roles, with an innate ability to understand client problems and provide tailored solutions. Optimistic and resilient | You dig in and work around challenges, providing the balance and stamina needed to keep the team motivated and positive. Ego-less | Willing to wear multiple hats to contribute to the teams success, regardless of the task. What Youll Need: 10-12 years of experience in PMO leadership and delivery management, ideally within an agency setting. Shopper Marketing and Commerce experience is a must, with a background in CPG brands and omnichannel programs. Proven track record of standing up successful project management teams Experience working with integrated agency teams and external partner agencies. Familiarity with Smartsheet, Excel, Monday.com, Workday, and Jira. Experience with Workfront or Proof HQ is a plus. Interest in AI and how to leverage it as a delivery tool. Strong project management operations skillset, including effective meeting management and capturing actionable next steps. Ability to prioritize tasks, navigate challenges, and build operational rigor. The base salary range for this position at the time of this posting is indicated below. Individual compensation varies based on job-related factors, including location, business needs, level of responsibility, experience, and qualifications. We offer a competitive benefits package $75,000-$180,000 USD We believe the best work happens when were together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. Thats why weve 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.

Keywords: VML, Skokie , Senior Program Director, IT / Software / Systems , Schiller Park, Illinois