Program Manager – MUST HAVE Advertising & Digital Delivery (CONTRACT)

Program Manager – Advertising & Digital Delivery

Industry: Advertising, Digital Marketing & Creative Services

Location: Toronto, Ontario

Employment Type: Contract, 9 Months, renewable

Rate: Negotiable

About the Opportunity

Toronto Test Consultants (TTC) is recruiting an experienced Program Manager on behalf of a leading advertising and digital marketing organization based in Toronto.

Our client is seeking an accomplished, client-focused Program Manager to oversee complex digital and advertising initiatives, manage senior client relationships, and provide strategic leadership across multiple projects and delivery teams.

The ideal candidate combines strong program management expertise with exceptional executive presence, commercial awareness, and a proven track record of delivering successful initiatives within the advertising industry.

MUST HAVE: Prior professional experience within the advertising industry is mandatory for this position.

Key Responsibilities

Program Delivery & Leadership

• Provide strategic oversight and leadership across multiple concurrent advertising, digital, and technology-driven initiatives.
• Manage program scope, timelines, budgets, resources, risks, and overall delivery performance.
• Establish effective program governance, reporting structures, and delivery methodologies.
• Identify and proactively resolve delivery challenges, dependencies, and escalations.
• Ensure programs consistently meet client expectations, business objectives, and quality standards.

Executive Client & Stakeholder Management

• Serve as a senior point of contact for key client stakeholders, including Directors, VPs, and C-suite executives.
• Build and maintain trusted relationships with senior leaders across client organizations.
• Proactively manage client expectations regarding program deliverables, timelines, budgets, and strategic priorities.
• Lead executive-level presentations, steering committees, and program status discussions.
• Navigate challenging client situations with professionalism, diplomacy, and sound judgment.
• Anticipate client needs, identify potential concerns, and develop proactive solutions that strengthen client confidence and satisfaction.

People Leadership & Team Development

• Provide leadership, coaching, and oversight to Senior Project Managers and cross-functional delivery teams.
• Potentially manage 1–2 Senior Project Managers as direct reports.
• Establish clear performance expectations and accountability across delivery teams.
• Mentor project management professionals and promote continuous improvement in delivery practices.
• Foster collaboration across creative, strategy, technology, account management, and production teams.

Financial & Commercial Management

• Oversee program budgets, resource allocation, financial forecasting, and profitability.
• Monitor project financial performance, identify risks, and implement corrective measures.
• Support the development and management of Statements of Work (SOWs), project estimates, and change requests.
• Collaborate with account leadership to identify opportunities for client growth and additional engagements.
• Balance commercial objectives with delivery excellence and long-term client relationships.

Required Qualifications

• Demonstrated professional experience within the advertising industry, including advertising agencies, digital advertising agencies, or integrated marketing organizations. This is a mandatory, non-negotiable requirement.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in project management, program management, or digital delivery leadership.
• Proven experience overseeing complex, multi-workstream programs within advertising, digital marketing, or creative environments.
• Exceptional client-facing communication, presentation, and relationship management skills.
• Demonstrated success engaging with and managing expectations of senior client executives.
• Strong executive presence, interpersonal skills, and ability to navigate challenging stakeholder situations.
• Experience leading, mentoring, or directly managing Project Managers or Senior Project Managers.
• Strong financial acumen, including program budgeting, forecasting, resource planning, and profitability management.
• Experience collaborating with multidisciplinary teams across creative, digital, technology, and account management functions.
• Strong understanding of Agile and traditional project delivery methodologies.
• Excellent organizational, analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience delivering advertising or digital marketing initiatives for pharmaceutical or healthcare clients.
• Experience managing large, complex client accounts within an advertising agency environment.
• PMP, Scrum, Agile, or other relevant project management certifications.
• Experience contributing to business development, account expansion, or strategic client planning.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The successful candidate will be a confident, polished, and commercially minded leader who thrives in a fast-paced advertising environment.

Beyond managing programs, this individual must be exceptionally effective at building relationships, influencing senior stakeholders, managing challenging client expectations, and representing the organization with credibility and professionalism.

They will bring the strategic perspective of a Program Manager, the operational discipline of an experienced delivery leader, and the relationship management capabilities of a trusted senior client advisor.

Please note: Candidates without demonstrable professional experience in the advertising industry will not be considered.