VP, Business Operations/Project Manager

Golin is currently seeking a VP, Business Operations/Project Manager for a large Consumer client in our Chicago office.

Golin has been on a winning streak of recognition: PRWeek’s Best Place to Work, Provoke Media’s Global Agency of the Year, PRWeek’s Large Agency of the year and winning two Grand Prix at Cannes.  

Riding the wave of recognition and award-winning work, the VP, Business Operations/Project Manager has an incredible opportunity to work closely with team members in account, creative, and strategy, as well as report to an SVP or EVP, across the account and helps promote and protect the brand in Chicago and keep Golin on top.  

It’s an exciting time for the agency to continue to deliver impactful earned work that builds brands and reputations, and we know other brands can benefit from the award-winning work we create. 

Key Responsibilities:  

• Manage project deliverables across multiple medium-large scale campaigns and help organize various functions including creative, strategy, insights, earned & paid media and analytics to deliver industry leading results 

• Expertly manage engagements with account team focusing on balancing quality, cost and schedule, while surpassing client expectations 

• Establish expectations at the beginning of a project: as any issues arise, find solutions without compromising quality, team morale, or budget 

• Be a key operational business partner for a project/team and a proactive, solution-oriented and strategic advisor 

• Collaborate on account budgets, scopes and time while providing frequent updates to key stakeholders 

• Liaison with account leadership and finance to ensure accurate and realistic forecasts; actively manage any forecast modifications as needed in a timely manner 

• Partner with account leadership to manage team on-boarding processes, including but not limited to educating team members on roles and responsibilities, templates and processes, and finance-related expectations while driving stability in operations 

• Experience with various types of projects and deliverables, including strategic presentations, creative concepting and development, video, digital, and event-based programs and vendor integrations 

• Serve as contact for client finance relative to financial management of the account 

• Guide the account management team on out-of-pocket purchasing processes 

• Learn client internal structure and funding sources to ensure proper internal project setup and reporting 

• Demonstrate strong, professional work ethic and financial acumen 

Qualifications:   

• 10+ years of Project Management or operations experience, preferably in an agency setting, media relations communications, or consulting agency 

• Strong financial management skills, including scoping, pricing, resource allocation across project tasks. Prior experience managing multi-million-dollar budgets and scopes. 

• SME with different types of programs and deliverables, such as strategic planning, creative ideation, video, social and editorial content, digital and partner management while building timeline development for complex and agile programs 

• Ability to effectively communicate with internal team members across multiple disciplines and levels, instilling confidence and trust in your abilities with a strong EQ 

• Be comfortable digging into account finances: developing staffing models with a strong understanding of resource management, writing SOWs, tracking burn rates, etc 

• Experience working closely with the implementation of an integrated media mix of paid, owned and earned programs 

• Have excellent written and verbal communication skills with the skill to successfully communicate with team members across various levels, building trust in your abilities to get the job done effectively 

• Have excellent organization and time management skills 

About Us: 

Golin is a global public relations agency that helps companies create change that matters. Together, we discover powerful human truths that bind us, create with bravery and collaborate inclusively and obsessively. Golin’s 1700+ global employees operate across 50+ offices worldwide, allowing us to provide our clients with comprehensive solutions for multi-market, regional and global communications programs. 

Golin is a progressive public relations agency designed to reach a profoundly diverse market. Inclusion is a core value for Golin, and we are focused on establishing a culture that is intentionally inclusive, potently diverse, and uncompromisingly equitable.   

Our expertise ranges from brand-building and cutting-edge digital content to corporate reputation, healthcare advocacy and measurement. Golin aligns earned-first, data-driven creative with the customer journey through our collaborative integrated team model.  

We tend to Go All In, in everything we do. We’re especially committed to going all in for our people, with a comprehensive benefits and time off program. Our culture is built around happy people who are the best at what we do!  

Salary Range: $120,000 – $219,000 

Golin has included the base salary range or hourly rate for this role. Actual compensation offered within the range will depend upon, among other factors: a candidate’s skills, qualifications, and experience; actual ranges for current or former employees in the role; and market considerations. 

Any request to schedule an interview and any legitimate offer of employment will only come from an authorized representative of Golin. We will never require an applicant to provide sensitive personally identifiable information in order to conduct an interview. 

Golin is an Equal Opportunity Employer – M/F/Veteran/Disability/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. 

#LI-DNI