Senior Operations Manager

Publicis Groupe; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A major advertising agency is seeking a Senior Operations Manager on a 6-month fixed term contract. This role involves optimizing processes, project management, and supporting financial operations. Ideal for someone with strong marketing or operations experience, this position offers an opportunity to thrive in a fast-paced environment while ensuring quality client satisfaction.

Benefits

WORK YOUR WORLD opportunity

REFLECTION DAYS

HELP@HAND BENEFITS

FAMILY FRIENDLY POLICIES

FLEXIBLE WORKING

GREAT LOCAL DISCOUNTS

Qualifications

• Experience in marketing, advertising, or operations.
• Ability to manage financial operations effectively.
• Comfortable balancing multiple workstreams with accuracy and efficiency.

Responsibilities

• Optimize operational best practices alongside the Operations Lead.
• Lead project management and process improvements.
• Ensure quality assurance and client satisfaction.

Skills

Highly organized

Detail-oriented

Strong communicator

Creative problem solver

Critical thinker

Job description

Company description

Who We Are in the UK?

Spark Foundry, the Acceleration Agency.

We help brands to identify, learn and respond to opportunities faster than the competition.

Every client has an area of their business they need to accelerate, from short-term goals to long-term transformation.

We’ve proven our approach during the most difficult year on record. Now we’re using it to provide a launchpad for their future.

Come be an accelerator with us.

How we accelerate

• Planning: an approach that works in practice rather than theory, arming planners with the ability to create cutting edge campaigns
• Intelligence: a suite of tools that give definitive answers to big questions, and uncovers actionable insights about real people
• Trading: a model built on flexibility and trusted relationships, underpinned with bold guarantees
• Relationships: a culture of asking challenging questions to better understand the brief – we are not a ‘yes’ agency
• People: a strong history of recruiting talent from diverse backgrounds and accelerating their careers

Our Commitment

We are diverse though our experience, people and the clients we look after - and we celebrate that diversity. Our people hold us accountable to our beliefs and via regular surveys and our grass roots D&I team, The Collective, and internal next generation board, Firestarters, we hold regular events and work continually towards generating ideas, initiatives and educating our people to ensure we are a diverse and inclusive agency.

As part of our dedication to create an inclusive and diverse workforce, Spark Foundry is committed to equal access to opportunity for people without regard to race, age, sex, disability, neurodiversity, sexual orientation, gender identity or religion.

Overview

We’re looking for a Senior Operations Manager to join our team on a 6-month fixed term contract. In this role, you’ll partner closely with the Operations Lead to drive operational best practices, optimize processes, and ensure seamless delivery across the MarriottEMEAaccount. You’ll play a pivotal role in project management, financial operations,reporting, and compliance, while also supporting the roll-out of global initiatives and internal systems.

This is a fantastic opportunity for someone with strong marketing, advertising, or operations experience who thrives in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.

Responsibilities

• Macro Responsibilities

  • Collaborate with the Operations Lead to optimize operational best practices.
  • Lead on project management and process improvements.
  • Drive best practice sharing and operational efficiency across teams.
  • Ensure quality assurance and client satisfaction.
  • Manage reporting and compliance requirements.

• Day-to-Day Responsibilities

  • Support financial operations, including:
  • Oversight of reconciliation processes (guided by planning teams).
  • Managing PO creation for 3rd parties.
  • Preparing billing and budget documents.
  • Supporting internal finance training.
  • Assisting with internal and client queries on media billing and budgets.
  • Partnering with stakeholders to create finance-specific workflows.
  • Oversight of the monthly accruals process with internal and client teams.
  • Manage competitive data and assemble competitive reporting processes.
  • Ensure accuracy of data pulls from systems such as Guidelines and Maximiser.
  • Provide administrative support, training, and troubleshooting for agency systems.
  • Collaborate on global M1M (Marketing in Motion) requests and rollouts.

Qualifications

• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and skilled at time management.
• Comfortable balancing multiple workstreams with accuracy and efficiency.
• A strong communicator – clear, concise, and professional.
• A creative problem solver who thrives in a team but can also work independently.
• Critical thinker who can anticipate challenges and find proactive solutions.

Additional information

Sparkhas fantastic benefits on offer to all of our employees. In addition to the classics, Pension, Life Assurance, Private Medical and IncomeProtectionPlanswe also offer;

• WORK YOUR WORLD opportunity to work anywhere in the world, where there is a Publicis office, for up to 6 weeks a year.
• REFLECTION DAYS- Two additional days of paid leave to step away from your usual day-to-day work and create time to focus on your well-being and self-care.
• HELP@HAND BENEFITS24/7 helpline to support you on a personal and professional level.Access to remote GPs, mental health support and CBT.Wellbeing content and lifestyle coaching.
• FAMILY FRIENDLY POLICIESWe provide 26 weeks of full pay for the following family milestones: Maternity. Adoption, Surrogacy and Shared Parental Leave.
• FLEXIBLE WORKING, BANK HOLIDAY SWAP & BIRTHDAY DAY OFF You are entitled to an additional day off for your birthday, from your first day of employment.
• GREAT LOCAL DISCOUNTSThis includes membership discounts with Soho Friends, local restaurants and retailers in Westfield White City and Television Centre.

Full details of ourbenefits will be shared when you join us!

Publicis Groupe operates a hybrid working pattern with full time employees being office-based three days during the working week.

We are supportive of all candidates and are committed to providing a fair assessment process. If you have any circumstances (such as neurodiversity, physical or mental impairments or a medical condition) that may affect your assessment, please inform your Talent Acquisition Partner. We will discuss possible adjustments to ensure fairness. Rest assured, disclosing this information will not impact your treatment in our process.

Please make sure you check out the Publicis Career Page which showcases our Inclusive Benefits and our EAG’s (Employee Action Groups).