Project Manager

Publicis Groupe · Johannesburg

Company description

Publicis Groupe Africa is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits any forms of Discrimination or Harassment. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all our employees in line with our Employment Equity Plan.

All appointments will be based on qualifications, experience and best fit but preference will be given to candidates from designated groups. Interested candidates must please submit a concise CV including a link to your portfolio if necessary. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Should you not hear from us within 2 weeks after submitting your application, please consider your application as unsuccessful.

Overview

MID TO SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER

Integrated Delivery | Planning | Budget Control | Stakeholder Coordination

THE OPPORTUNITY

Telecommunications is one of the most dynamic categories in the market, sitting at the intersection of technology, culture, connectivity, customer experience and everyday life. This role offers the opportunity to work with a leading telecommunications client and help shape the next generation of its agency partnership.

We are building a connected, future-fit model that brings together creativity, intelligence, data, technology, AI and world-class execution around the customer. It is an opportunity to influence the work and the capabilities we build, creating a partnership designed for today’s challenges and what comes next.

ROLE PURPOSE

The Mid to Senior Project Manager owns the day-to-day delivery of assigned integrated campaigns and projects, from briefing and scoping through production, approval, release and close-out. The role turns requirements into workable plans and keeps teams, clients and suppliers aligned on scope, responsibilities, costs and deadlines.

The role requires independent ownership of medium-to-complex projects and several concurrent workstreams, with escalation of material commercial, resource or delivery decisions to the relevant delivery lead. Work may span digital, content, retail, production and, where included in scope, events and activations.

Responsibilities

PROJECT SCOPING AND PLANNING

Interrogate briefs with Client Leadership and specialist teams to confirm objectives, deliverables, acceptance criteria, dependencies and approvals.
Build detailed schedules, milestones and resource plans; agree estimates and delivery assumptions before work begins.
Coordinate work across Strategy, Creative, UX, Technology, Media and Production, adapting the delivery approach to the project.

EXECUTION AND STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT

Run kick-offs, status meetings and reviews; maintain clear actions, owners and deadlines and follow through without requiring repeated supervision.
Monitor progress and quality gates, anticipate bottlenecks and negotiate practical recovery options with the responsible teams.
Keep clients and internal stakeholders informed of delivery status, decisions and risks, working within agreed communication and approval responsibilities.

BUDGET AND SUPPLIER CONTROL

Maintain project estimates, purchase orders, commitments and actual costs; flag variances and scope changes before additional spend or work is committed.
Coordinate supplier quotes, procurement and invoice reconciliation with Finance, following approval policies and agreed turnaround times.
For scoped events or activations, coordinate venues, travel, suppliers, run sheets and on-site teams with appropriate production and health-and-safety support.

RISK MANAGEMENT AND PROJECT CLOSE OUT

Maintain risks, issues, dependencies and change records; escalate material concerns with clear options and their timing, cost or quality implications.
Ensure documented approvals, quality checks, final asset handovers and organised project records are complete before closure.
Lead project reviews, close financial administration and translate lessons into better plans; support less experienced coordinators where required.

FUTURE-FIT OPERATING MODEL & TRANSFORMATION

Support the Executive Operations Lead to implement, manage and lead adoption of the future-fit operating model across assigned projects and workstreams, translating the agreed direction into practical delivery plans.
Lead the day-to-day rollout of agreed workflows, platforms, governance and AI-enabled processes; clarify responsibilities, manage dependencies and coordinate teams through implementation.
Drive behavioural change through briefings, training support and coaching; monitor adoption, resolve delivery barriers and escalate structural issues or decisions to the Executive Operations Lead.
Track implementation milestones, adoption and operational benefits; report progress and risks, recommend improvements and maintain client service and business continuity throughout the transition.

AI CAPABILITY AND FUTURE WAYS OF WORKING

Use approved AI tools to support project planning, status reporting, risk identification and workflow automation; validate schedules, dependencies, estimates and recommendations before acting on them.
Demonstrate effective prompting, iteration and critical evaluation. Use only approved tools and data; protect client information and intellectual property, check rights and provenance where relevant, and retain human accountability for final work.
Identify appropriate AI use cases, share practical learning and measure improvements in quality, speed or effectiveness. Recognise tool limitations and escalate uncertain, inaccurate or inappropriate outputs.

MEASURES OF SUCCESS

Projects delivered to agreed scope, schedule, budget and acceptance criteria.
Accurate status and cost reporting, with early visibility of risks and decisions.
Controlled scope changes, complete approvals and dependable supplier coordination.
Confident stakeholders, effective project close-out and fewer recurring delivery issues.
Practical AI adoption that reduces administration or improves project visibility without weakening delivery control.
Successful implementation and sustained adoption of agreed operating-model changes, with clear reporting to the Executive Operations Lead.

CRITICAL CAPABILITIES

Independent project ownership, prioritisation and structured problem solving.
Integrated campaign and production planning, including digital dependencies.
Budget tracking, procurement discipline and change control.
Clear communication, stakeholder negotiation and calm judgement under pressure.
AI-assisted project management, workflow automation and critical evaluation of outputs.

Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

At least five years of relevant project-management experience in marketing, advertising, production, events or sponsorship, with evidence of integrated delivery.
Relevant diploma, industry qualification or higher qualification; formal project-management training is advantageous.
Experience using project, financial and workflow systems such as Chase, or comparable platforms, with strong spreadsheet and reporting skills.
Experience managing suppliers, budgets and multiple workstreams; practical event and health-and-safety knowledge where on-site delivery is required.
Hands-on experience using AI in project delivery or operations, with examples of improved planning, reporting or coordination and the checks used to ensure accuracy.
Experience supporting operating-model or workflow change, coordinating implementation and helping teams adopt new platforms and processes.

Additional information

Publicis Groupe Africa is a leading marketing, communications, and business transformation network operating across 36 African countries, combining creativity, technology, and local insight to deliver integrated client solutions.

Publicis Groupe Africa is part of Publicis Groupe, the second-largest communications group globally, founded in 1926. The African network operates as a partnership of 44 communications agencies with offices spanning 36 countries, including South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, Morocco, and many others.

Its headquarters are in Johannesburg and Cape Town, providing a central hub for continental operations.

PUBLICIS VALUES

Trust through respect, transparency and accountability. Talent through collaboration, development and high standards. Transformation through curiosity, continuous learning and improvements that create value for clients.