Location: Remote with ability to travel occasionally to Saratoga Springs, NY and Cedar Knolls, NJ.
Reset your expectations of a health and wellness agency. Independent by design and built on a foundation of empathy, Fingerpaint celebrates what you bring as both a professional and an individual. With talent across the United States and Europe launching more than 200 brands, we are committed to creating and executing meaningful experiences. In 2021, Fingerpaint was named Ad Age’s Best Places to Work and was awarded Agency of the Year by Med Ad News. Here, creativity happens naturally—we attract top talent and give them a space to grow and collaborate.
The Role
The Operations team enables Fingerpaint to deliver best-in-class, award-winning work for our clients. The Senior Vice President, Operations is the operational architect and strategic partner for a specific, high-value Portfolio of Business.
Moving beyond day-to-day project oversight, the SVP is an executive leader responsible for defining the operational roadmap that supports the portfolio's long-term growth. You will champion the intersection of people, process, and technology to create an environment where creative and strategic work thrives unencumbered. You will be accountable for the financial health and operational integrity of a substantial line of business (approx. $35mm+). You will serve as the right-hand operational partner to the Portfolio Managing Director and a mentor to Project Management leaders within your group.
Responsibilities
Portfolio Leadership & Strategy
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Strategic Partnership: Serve as the primary operational partner to the Portfolio Managing Director/Lead. Align operational strategies with the portfolio’s specific business goals and client growth targets.
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Leading Leaders: Provide mentorship, coaching, and strategic direction to Directors and Associate Directors of Project Management within the portfolio. Foster a culture of accountability and empathy.
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Change Management: Act as the primary change agent for the portfolio. Identify structural inefficiencies and lead transformation initiatives that improve agility and scalability specifically for your assigned accounts.
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Integrated Delivery: Partner with Client Service, Strategy, and Creative leads within the portfolio to break down silos and drive integrated delivery models tailored to client needs.
Operational Architecture & Excellence
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Ecosystem Optimization: Adapt and refine the agency’s delivery methodologies (Agile, Waterfall, Hybrid) to suit the specific regulatory and speed-to-market needs of the portfolio's clients.
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Resource Strategy: Oversee macro-resource management for the portfolio. Analyze utilization trends to predict hiring needs, manage freelance dependency, and optimize talent allocation across the specific book of business.
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Process Governance: Establish and enforce governance standards for compliance, quality assurance, and risk management across all portfolio engagements.
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Client Operations: Serve as the senior operational point of contact for enterprise-level clients, partnering with Client Service lead to ensure client satisfaction with delivery.
Financial Stewardship & Commercial Acumen
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Forecasting & Planning: Lead the monthly revenue forecast process for the portfolio. Provide accurate revenue recognition forecasts and capacity planning scenarios to executive leadership.
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Commercial Strategy: Review and approve high-stakes scope of work (SOW) structures and pricing strategies for the portfolio’s new business wins and renewals. Ensure compensation models align with value delivered.
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Growth Enablement: Support organic growth by identifying operational opportunities to expand services within existing client relationships.
Requirements
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Experience: 15+ years of professional experience in operations or program management, with at least 3-5 years in a senior leadership role (VP level or higher) within a healthcare/pharmaceutical advertising, marketing, or digital agency.
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Functional Leadership: Extensive experience directly managing, mentoring, and scaling a team of Project Managers, including oversight of Project Directors and Senior PMs.
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Scale: Proven track record of managing operations for a substantial portfolio or business unit (e.g., $35M+ in revenue) and overseeing large, cross-functional teams.
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Strategic Financials: Mastery of agency financial models, pricing strategies, and capacity planning at a portfolio level. Specific experience with both Time & Materials and Fixed Fee pricing models.
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Data Analysis: Extensive experience with Microsoft Excel, including complex formulas, pivot tables, and modeling to interpret data and drive decision-making.
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Methodologies: Deep expertise in various project management methodologies (Agile, Scrum, Waterfall) and the ability to apply them flexibly in a creative environment.
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Tech Stack: Experience using, implementing, or optimizing operational software (e.g., Workamajig, Ziflow, Jira, etc) to drive portfolio efficiency.
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Soft Skills: Exceptional emotional intelligence, executive presence, and the ability to influence C-level stakeholders and navigate complex organizational dynamics.
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Education: Bachelor’s degree required; MBA or relevant certification (PMP, Six Sigma Black Belt, Scrum Master) is a plus.
Competencies for Success
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Visionary Thinking: Ability to see around corners and prepare the portfolio for future operational challenges.
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Decisiveness: Ability to make difficult decisions based on data and strategic alignment.
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Talent Developer: A passion for growing the next generation of operational leaders.
