{"id":2652260,"url":"https://alion.io/job/omnicomgroup-group-director-client-operations","title":"Group Director, Client Operations","company":{"id":1775914,"name":"IPG Mediabrands","domain":"ipgmediabrands.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/ipgmediabrands-com","size_band":"1001-5000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Greenhouse","truth_index":{"grade":"D","score":45,"open_postings":123,"ghost_share":0.911,"stale_share":0,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":null,"computed_at":"2026-11-02T06:13:15Z"}},"role":"Operations","role_family":"Operations","seniority":"head","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["New York, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":{"min_usd":124000,"max_usd":235000,"period":"year","method":"role_seniority_country_remote_cell","sample_n":1623},"experience_years_min":null,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":true,"technologies":[{"name":"Asana","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-03-31T13:45:08Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-04-24","last_verified_at":"2026-11-02T18:53:31Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":216,"trust":{"level":"ghost","repost_count":0,"flags":["stale","company_stale"],"days_open":215},"description":"POSITION SUMMARY:\nWe are seeking a strategic and proactive Group Director, Client Operations for the prestigious Merck account. This pivotal role leads day-to-day operations and drives operational excellence across this critical pharmaceutical business. As a key business partner to the account lead, you will take initiative to ensure robust infrastructure across End-to-End Budget Operations, Process Harmonization, and Business Operations. Your leadership will guarantee unparalleled efficiency, effectiveness, and excellence in operational deliverables, directly contributing to Merck's strategic growth.\nKEY LEADERSHIP REQUIREMENTS\nVisionary & Proactive Leader: A seasoned leader who takes initiative, simplifies complexity, and drives best-in-class delivery across diverse teams and with clients.\nStrategic Business Partner: Proven ability to advise business leads, translating operational insights into strategies that optimize efficiency and contribute to Merck's objectives.\nHealthcare Industry Acumen (Highly Preferred): Significant experience navigating the unique operational, regulatory, and compliance demands of the healthcare/pharmaceutical sector.\nOperational Innovator: Expertise in designing, implementing, and optimizing media infrastructure, including Budget & Financial Operations, Data Management, and End-to-End Media Process & Workflow.\nTeam & Talent Builder: Skilled in assembling, managing, and activating high-performing, cross-craft Agency Operations teams.\nTechnology & Automation Driver: Track record of leveraging operational tools (e.g., MediaTools, Asana) and automation to enhance efficiency and accuracy.\nKEY RESPONSIBILITIES\nEnd-to-End Budget Operations\nBuild and optimize workflows for accurate planning & investment data for Merck, ensuring compliance.\nOversee the full budget lifecycle (management, QA, invoicing, reporting), ensuring financial stewardship.\nManage Merck client-facing planning processes (e.g., MediaTools, Mediaocean).\nChampion automation to enhance accuracy and reduce manual effort.\nLead creation of non-campaign Merck client reports (flowcharts, forecasts, budget summaries, LDA).\nEvaluate, implement, and customize operational tools (Mediatools, Mediaocean/Prisma, Asana, Taxonomy) for Merck, driving efficiency and data hygiene.\nDevelop strong relationships with key Merck stakeholders (Finance, Procurement, Media, Digital Marketing).\nProcess Harmonization\nStrategic Process Design & Optimization: Lead the strategic design, implementation, and continuous optimization of highly effective, scalable cross-functional processes, including bespoke Merck-specific Media Planning Playbooks and tool-supported workflows.\nE2E Process Governance & Rollout: Drive the establishment and rollout of new end-to-end processes, providing high-level stewardship for seamless implementation, robust governance, and widespread adoption across all stakeholders.\nOperational Orchestration & Cross-Functional Alignment: Oversee strategic coordination of daily process operations, ensuring consistent workflow adherence and timely execution. Orchestrate clear communication and seamless collaboration across media, creative, account, and Merck client stakeholders.\nPerformance Optimization & Continuous Improvement: Strategically manage and optimize campaign and operational workflows (calendars, timelines). Direct training strategies, oversee adoption, and establish frameworks for tracking effectiveness, gathering feedback, and driving data-informed improvements.\nLeadership & Best Practice Advocacy: Provide senior leadership and mentorship, proactively removing systemic roadblocks, fostering a culture of excellence, and championing best practices and knowledge sharing within the Merck account.\nStrategic Project Management: Provide senior oversight and direction for ad hoc project execution, ensuring strategic alignment and efficient delivery.\nGeneral Business Operations\nLead execution of best practices and operational deliverables for the Merck account.\nServe as the primary day-to-day operational contact for Merck clients (procurement, finance, tools).\nLead centralized account governance, developing Merck-specific playbooks, calendars, and compliance training, adhering to healthcare standards.\nPartner with Client Business Leads (CAM) and Finance on scope, staffing, and strategic resource management.\nLead monthly labor tracking and burn reporting.\nSupport audit readiness and accountability, ensuring transparency and adherence to industry standards and Merck policies.\nPartner with CAM to drive strategic resource deployment across deliverables.\nSteward best practices, playbooks, and toolkits adapted to the pharmaceutical industry.\nREQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS\nBachelor’s degree with 15 years of progressive media experience in operations; planning or buying experience a plus.\nProven experience managing large, complex client accounts, with a strong preference for healthcare/pharmaceutical industry experience.\nExceptional leadership, initiative, and strategic partnership skills.\nDemonstrated ability to define roles, lead high-performing cross-functional Agency Operations teams.\nProven success leveraging tools and automation for operational deliverables.\nIn-depth understanding of media workflows, including the full media dollar lifecycle and campaign planning processes.\nExperience customizing and optimizing tools for media planning/investment data (e.g., Taxonomy, Mediatools/Lumina, Mediaocean/Prisma).\nStrong attention to detail, organizational skills, and a highly structured analytical mindset.\nComfortable managing multiple complex projects in a fast-paced environment.\nStrong written and verbal communication skills, articulating challenges and solutions to all levels and clients.\nAbility to simplify complex issues, determine effective paths forward, and champion chang\nWage and Benefits\nWe offer a Total Rewards package that includes medical and dental coverage, 401(k) plans, flex spending, life insurance, disability, employee discount program, employee stock purchase program and paid family benefits to support you and your family. \nThe salary range for this position is posted below. Where an employee or prospective employee is paid within this range will depend on, among other factors, actual ranges for current/former employees in the subject position, market considerations, budgetary considerations, tenure and standing with the Company (applicable to current employees), as well as the employee’s/applicant’s skill set, level of experience, and qualifications. \nEmployment Transparency\nIt is our policy to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, creed, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, citizenship, genetic information, veteran status, disability, or any other basis prohibited by applicable federal, state, or local law. \nPlease note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice. \nThe employer will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the American with Disabilities Act of 1990. The job description will be reviewed periodically as duties and responsibilities change with business necessity. Essential and other job functions are subject to modification. Reasonable accommodations may be provided to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. \nFor applicants to jobs in the United States: In compliance with the current Americans with Disabilities Act and state and local laws, if you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation to apply for a position with Mediabrands, please email .\nSalary Range\n$180,000—$200,000 USD","description_format":"text","description_chars":7958,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":null,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Life insurance"],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Advertising","Social Media Marketing","Digital Marketing"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-15T22:06:04Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":6,"band":"cold","label":"Long shot","p_open":1,"p_active":0.219,"p_room":0.28,"age_days":215,"expected_fill_days":29,"reasons":["conf:0","stale_co","ghost","win:tail","crowd:brand"],"computed_at":"2026-11-02T06:13:15Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/omnicomgroup-group-director-client-operations","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/omnicomgroup-group-director-client-operations.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-11-02T22:59:38Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":32242,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-11-03T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":1775914},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=1775914"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fomnicomgroup-group-director-client-operations"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fomnicomgroup-group-director-client-operations"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fomnicomgroup-group-director-client-operations"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/omnicomgroup-group-director-client-operations\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fomnicomgroup-group-director-client-operations"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":2652260}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"ipgmediabrands.com","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":2652260},"note":"people open to offers who fit this vacancy"}],"note":"The same data through MCP tools: https://alion.io/mcp/open needs no sign-in (compact searches, postings, people); https://alion.io/mcp with an Alion account has everything. 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