Project Manager

At AKQA (part of WPP), we believe in the imaginative application of art and science to create ideas, products, and services that shape culture and drive meaningful outcomes. With an entrepreneurial and collaborative spirit, we design adaptive experiences that combine creativity, technology, and craft.

The Delivery Department is at the epicenter of all projects, ensuring that high-quality deliverables are completed on time and that clients receive maximum value from their investments. Our focus on operational excellence is essential for realizing the agency's strategic vision.

As a Project Manager, you are responsible for the full lifecycle of medium-sized creative and technical projects from inception to delivery (typically up to €350k). Supported by a Programme Director or Client Partner, you will translate briefs into detailed scopes, plan and budget accurately, and effectively coordinate cross-functional teams.

This role focuses on building excellence in day-to-day delivery.  With a focus on managing the end-to-end delivery of digital solutions, you will also drive the surrounding ecosystem, including brand initiatives and integrated digital marketing campaigns. By mastering hybrid workflows (Agile and Waterfall), managing dependencies, and establishing strong client relationships, you will foster the independence and problem-solving skills needed to confidently manage any project within our Amsterdam studio.

Based in central Amsterdam, you will collaborate across AKQA’s European studios in a culture built on ownership, curiosity, and craft, working alongside specialists who push the boundaries of creative technology, strategy, brand design, and production.

ROLE & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Set up, structure, and deliver mid-sized projects (up to €350k) focused on digital products, alongside supporting branding initiatives and digital marketing campaigns. Ensure delivery is within the agreed scope, time, and budget.


• Collaborate with Creative, Design, Strategy, UX/UI, and Tech leads to estimate effort and resource needs using the most appropriate delivery model (e.g., fixed-price, retainer, sprint-based, or capped T&M).


• Propose, define, and document project structures and delivery frameworks (hybrid methodologies combining Waterfall for campaign/brand launches and Agile/Scrum for digital product and web development) tailored to the specific project lifecycle.


• Actively monitor and report on financial status using AKQA systems. Track budgets, burn rates, forecasts, invoicing, and third-party vendor costs (such as production partners, asset creation, or software licenses) to proactively mitigate overruns.


• Forecast resource requirements across multidisciplinary teams (creatives, designers, copywriters, developers, and QA), collaborating closely with Resource Management to plan team allocation proactively.


• Maintain proactive, transparent communication with clients and partners, managing expectations, facilitating meetings, and aligning on project success criteria from creative concepts to technical deployment.


• Anticipate, assess, and mitigate risks (such as scope creep, compressed campaign timelines, technical debt, or resource constraints) while balancing client requests with project realities.


• Keep project documentation highly organized and compliant with internal delivery standards, including project schedules, status updates, Jira/Trello boards, and meeting notes.

QUALITIES & CHARACTERISTICS

• +4 years of experience managing multi-disciplinary projects within a creative agency, digital agency, or fast-paced brand/product studio.


• Proven track record delivering digital-first solutions (such as responsive websites, e-commerce, mobile apps, or software launches) paired with experience rolling out digital marketing campaigns and branding initiatives.


• Solid hands-on experience running projects using hybrid methodologies (including Waterfall for timeline-driven campaigns and Agile/Scrum/Kanban for technical web and software development).


• Strong working knowledge of project management and collaboration tools, such as Jira/Confluence (for technical tracking and ticket management) and Smartsheet/Asana/Trello (for campaign timelines and creative workflows).


• Comfortable tracking project budgets, analyzing burn rates, and managing resource plans across creative and technical talent.


• Solution-focused, energetic, and highly organized, acting as an enabler for creative and technical teams to deliver outstanding work.


• Reliable and organized, with the ability to manage your own timeline and help multidisciplinary team members stay on track with their deliverables.


• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to build trust with day-to-day client stakeholders.


• Meticulous eye for quality assurance, ensuring campaign assets, design deliverables, and code deployments meet both functional requirements and brand design standards before client delivery.

Explore our extensive range of benefits here

We believe great work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach including required in-office days. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

AKQA is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to particular characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.

About WPP

WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. We unite cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel in a single company – powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open, to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth. For more information, visit WPP.com.