Associate Director, Operations (Digital PM/RM Hybrid)

Associate Director, Operations (Digital PM/RM Hybrid)

Location: UK or Ireland - Hybrid or Remote

OVERVIEW AND EXPECTATIONS

Our people are at the core of our business. We aim to provide every employee with a clear professional development path at Inizio Evoke Comms so they can succeed in each role and grow into increasing levels of responsibility. Operating across our Digital and Insights & Analytics team, the AD, Operations is expected to demonstrate operational rigor, financial acumen, cross-functional leadership, and a solutions-oriented mindset. This role blends operational excellence, project management, resource management and team enablement.

JOB SUMMARY

The AD, Operations has a particular focus on digital work intake, scoping support, capacity and resource planning, financial tracking, workflow management and continuous operational improvement. They provide the infrastructure, processes and visibility that enable digital strategy, program, and specialist teams to deliver high-quality work efficiently and commercially. As part of the role's responsibilities, the AD, Operations will also provide hands-on project management for defined client projects or workstreams, working under the overall leadership of the relevant Program or Client Lead. This role reports into the EVP, Global Operations.

Typically, the AD, Operations:

• Coordinates intake and operational planning for Digital and I&A work
• Supports scoping, budgeting, timelines and resource planning
• Partners with Resource Management to forecast capacity and optimise utilisation
• Provides visibility of operational and financial performance
• Identifies delivery, resource and commercial risks early
• Improves workflows, processes and tools to increase efficiency and scalability
• Provides hands-on project management support where required

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

CLIENT PARTNERSHIP & PROJECT DELIVERY

• Translate client requirements into clear scopes, deliverables, timelines, budgets and resource plans.
• Manage assigned client projects and workstreams, coordinating cross-functional teams, actions and dependencies.
• Monitor delivery, scope and budgets, proactively identifying and escalating risks.
• Ensure effective hand-offs between Communications, Digital, I&A and specialist teams, maintaining high standards of delivery.

LEADERSHIP & TEAMWORK

• Act as an operational bridge across Digital, I&A, Communications, Resource Management and Finance.
• Partner with teams to forecast capacity, balance workloads and address resource gaps or competing priorities.
• Develop and improve workflows, processes and templates to increase consistency, efficiency and scalability.
• Support repeatable Digital and I&A offerings and identify opportunities to use AI and automation to streamline delivery.

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

• Communicate scope, timelines, budgets, resources, risks and dependencies clearly to stakeholders.
• Translate complex requirements into actionable plans, with clear documentation and proactive follow-up.
• Build strong cross-functional relationships through collaborative, solutions-focused communication and timely escalation.

COMMERCIAL & FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

• Support the development of scopes, budgets, resource plans and forecasts with Client/Program Leads, Finance and Resource Management.
• Monitor project hours, financial performance and utilisation, highlighting risks to budget, scope or profitability.
• Support accurate financial administration, including vendor costs and POs, while identifying opportunities to improve cost effectiveness.

BUSINESS SUPPORT & PERSONAL GROWTH

• Contribute to continuous improvement, operational efficiency and scalable ways of working across Digital and I&A.
• Champion AI-enabled and data-driven workflows and apply project learnings to improve future delivery.
• Build strong collaborative relationships and contribute to an inclusive team culture.
• Take ownership of professional development, actively seeking feedback and learning opportunities.

QUALIFICATIONS

Desired Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in communications, business, marketing, project management or a related field, or equivalent experience
• 6+ years' experience in digital project management, operations, resource management or a related delivery-focused role within an agency essential
• Experience within healthcare, pharmaceutical communications agency environments preferred
• Experience managing scopes, budgets, timelines, resources and cross-functional project teams
• Strong financial acumen, including budget tracking, forecasting and utilisation
• Strong organisational and problem-solving skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities
• Good working understanding of insights & analytics
• Strong working knowledge of digital and omnichannel delivery
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Operationally focused, proactive and solution-oriented mindset

Benefits

• Dynamic Working
• Personal Development fund
• Generous holiday allowance
• Cycle to work scheme
• Pension contribution
• Various health and wellbeing benefits available
• Online training platform/programs
• Discretionary bonus scheme
• Community action focussed programs

We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, colour, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender, gender identity or expression, or veteran status. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.

Don't meet every job requirement? That's okay! Our company is dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace. If you're excited about this role, but your experience doesn't perfectly fit every qualification, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right person for this role or others.