Initiative - Sr. Project Manager

Position Summary

Initiative is different to other media agencies.

We are not trapped by a legacy structure primarily centered on paid advertising.

Instead, we are liberated by a new world structure designed to deliver highly differentiated and highly effective communications strategies for our clients.

That’s why we’ve built the strongest strategic capability of any agency in the market. Core to this strategic capability is an obsession with culture and how brands can pivot from brand advertising (which is forgettable) to cultural branding (which is memorable).

The role of the project management team at Initiative is to leverage processes and systems to ensure our teams bring this core strategic capability to life through how we execute against client and agency objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop project plans & timelines, garnering buy-in from all stakeholders, ensuring all deliverables adhere to our agency processes and philosophies.
• Spearhead difficult conversations with teams and clients to find mutually beneficial ways forward and turn objections into understanding.
• Influence project delivering based on a strong understanding of clients’ business objectives & KPIs.
• Keep the teams on-task, and excited about project progress, and actively provide feedback to project contributors throughout the campaign lifecycle.
• Work with the media planning and finance teams to support the end-to-end financial management of an account.
• Define, track, and drive success related to project goals, requirements, budgets, plans, and schedules from project initiation to completion.
• Ensure quality execution and delivery of plans, products, and projects that meet client objectives.
• Develop and provide ongoing status updates to the client and inform internal senior leadership team regularly.
• Develop and implement processes that help teams solve problems and make decisions that are mutually beneficial to the client and the agency.
• Understand and manage the expectations of both internal and external stakeholders at both the project and account level. Communicate any potential variances in expectations to the senior leadership team in a timely fashion.
• Proactively identify and mitigate scope/hope creep with the team and communicate this to both internal and external stakeholders.
• Facilitate good meetings and working sessions that align the team and uncover ways forward.
• Build positive internal and external relationships and partnerships.
• Liase and foster knowledge sharing of the PM discipline within other disciplines and teams internally.
• Manage and lead a team of project managers by effectively communicating agency goals, managing workloads, providing ongoing performance feedback, and supporting professional development.
• Participate in agency-level process and project management improvement.

Desired Skills & Experience

• Post-secondary education graduate
• 5+ years work experience, preferably in agency PM roles in media or marketing
• Client or customer service experience
• People management experience
• Results-oriented mindset and persistence in driving quality outputs from project teams
• A solution-minded approach dedicated to meeting client goals and improving business processes
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work collaboratively as well as independently, adapting communication skills to meet the needs of a teammate or stakeholder
• Highly-developed organizational skills with strong attention to detail and accuracy
• Excellent ability to manage and prioritize time effectively
• Ability to work well under pressure and multi-task in a fast-paced environment
• A proactive approach to problem-solving and assisting the team
• Curiosity and passion for continuous development
• Ability to apply different PM frameworks to projects based on the business goals and the needs of the team (e.g. agile vs waterfall vs agi-fall)
• Proficient in one or more project management tools, like Smartsheet or Asana
• Proficient with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint)

Initiative unlocks business growth for the world’s most ambitious brands. We believe in the power of media to reshape our industry and orchestrate a brand’s entire consumer experience, by balancing both what unites people and what makes them different. When brands unite people in culture, they build Fame, and when brands connect individuals to their unique journeys, they build customer Flow. Initiative builds Fame and Flow for brands like Amazon, RBC, LEGO, Nintendo and Canada Goose. Media responsibility is at the forefront of everything we do, whether it’s creating media plans that reflect the diversity of our communities, promote brand safety, and foster sustainability. Our agency celebrates diversity in an inclusive environment where all of our 9,000+ strong talent across 90+ markets feel seen, heard, and valued. Our vision is to create not only a better media company, but also a better media industry, and maybe even a better world. Initiative Canada has received many of the industry’s most coveted awards, including two gold Strategy Media Agency of the Year awards, eight Cannes Lions, and a position on WARC's Top 50 Most Effective Media Agencies in the World. In 2023 Initiative was named the North American Network of the Year by the Festival of Media, and Global Network of the Year by both Ad Age and Ad Week. To learn more, visit initiative.com.

What's in it for you?
• Generous paid time off with a minimum of 37 paid days off including vacation and monthly wellness days. We also have four-day long weekends, half-day summer Fridays, and meeting-free Friday afternoons year-round.
• A flexible hybrid work model that works for you.
• A focus on personal development with formal training opportunities, including mental health training and inclusion education for everyone.
• A chance to be part of and grow within a global network of agencies.
• The opportunity to contribute to our company culture by joining one of our many community-based employee groups, such as Black Employee Network, Girls on Fire, Hispanic or Latinx Alliance, Neuro Network, Pan-Asian Network, and Rainbow Lounge.

Initiative is an equal opportunity employer, committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, colour, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, creed, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, citizenship, genetic information, disability, or any other basis prohibited by applicable federal, provincial, or municipal law. If you require an accommodation in any aspect of the selection process, please reach out to [email protected]