Lead Product Manager - Contract

WundermanthompsonLondonfull-time
AI Summary: Lead Product Manager at a creative agency overseeing product strategy, roadmap, and cross-functional delivery for clients in the marketing/commerce space. Involves stakeholder management, product vision setting, and driving delivery rather than hands-on coding.
Career-change fit:8/10
Product Management
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Originally posted onarbeitnow on 8/21/2026
Full Description
<div class="content-intro"><h3><strong>Who We Are</strong></h3> <p>VML is a leading creative company that combines brand experience, customer experience, and commerce, creating connected brands&nbsp;to drive growth. VML is celebrated for its innovative and award-winning human-first work for clients including AstraZeneca, Colgate-Palmolive, Dell, Ford, Microsoft, Nestlé, The Coca-Cola Company, and Wendy's. In 2026, VML was named<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><em>Campaign’s</em> Global Network of the Year and ranked #2 Creative Network of the Year at Cannes Lions. VML’s global network spans 55+ markets with principal offices in Buenos Aires, Kansas City, London, New York, São Paulo, Shanghai and Singapore.&nbsp;</p> <p>VML is part of <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__http:/wpp.com/__;!!IfJP2Nwhk5Z0yJ43lA!L_cfT4E3gsmmDY1lVQTB6ihlfPeBl9X4sMM2KI6iWZYexC2nCeZ9oxgP9qvgbrqxIBpx82rGb_mWqh5F0zKxq5_dP7Y$">WPP</a>, the trusted growth partner for the world's leading brands. Powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform WPP Open, WPP unites cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, creativity, production, enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel.&nbsp;</p> <p>For more information, please visit<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><a class="ms-outlook-linkify" href="http://www.vml.com/" data-outlook-id="fbec6e7f-765e-41de-af7b-a3ef743f9886"><u>www.vml.com</u></a><u>&nbsp;</u>and follow along on  <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__urldefense.com_v3_-5F-5Fhttps-3A_www.linkedin.com_company_vml_-5F-5F-3B-21-21JboVxjCXSME-21OhlpCfbkl1UcWPwns1-2DGtvHOzFh0QwHV49fsPgGw-2DVCCU1bCg8aQFI9vN-2Dy-2DVwaQcITH2j2XKzGKBIFRLYf2AUWVYY1dFGK6-24&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&amp;r=zouFnm4jZMgDFaYF1uVcRY3rbgHWPca_luUrBUkT6Yc&amp;m=QzcCgXCAOjzj5hiU48_CKOdHRSJ4_YpuqfviT9yjlzH5VrkzySTZ-WaQXlYAnj4W&amp;s=jJ7q5V70u9oUx7ONPm5jC3IK8y6vxDilX6BGTlqlWlA&amp;e=" data-outlook-id="b89e4621-22a7-4a88-a5da-c6ecc3a722be"><u>LinkedIn</u></a>&nbsp;#WeAreVML.</p></div><p></p> <h3>Lead Product Manager needed to own the product strategy, discovery, delivery and adoption of on of our key clients digital transformations.</h3> <h3>The opportunity</h3> <p>We are seeking an experienced and commercially minded&nbsp;<strong>Lead Product Manager</strong>&nbsp;to drive product strategy, discovery, design, delivery and adoption for&nbsp;one of our key retail clients’ Ecommerce transformation programmes.</p> <p>As Lead Product Manager, you will be working within the client’s Product team with accountability for translating business and customer needs into a clear product strategy and measurable outcomes. You will lead cross-functional teams through discovery, design, development, launch and continuous improvement, while building alignment across senior stakeholders, programme and delivery teams.</p> <p>This is a strategic leadership role, not solely a backlog-management position. You will be embedded within the client’s Product team, alongside agency colleagues and client staff. We are looking for someone who can operate confidently from product vision and commercial strategy through to detailed execution.</p> <h3>&nbsp;</h3> <h3>What you’ll be doing:</h3> <ul> <li>Own the product Vision:&nbsp;Define, communicate, and drive the product strategy and roadmap for your product scope, ensuring alignment with programme direction and wider business objectives</li> <li>Lead Cross-Functional Delivery:&nbsp;Lead multidisciplinary squads across Product, UX/UI, Delivery and Optimisation, making pragmatic trade-offs to balance rapid delivery with long-term objectives</li> <li>Drive Customer-Centric Discovery:&nbsp;Champion user research, journey mapping, and problem validation, ensuring that every platform feature solves genuine customer problems and enhances the digital shopping experience.</li> <li>Stakeholder Alignment &amp; Strategy:&nbsp;Act as a strategic product voice for senior executives and business leaders, translating complex technical and commercial trade-offs into clear, actionable roadmaps.</li> <li>Champion Modern Product Practices:&nbsp;Embed Agile, Lean, and continuous discovery methodologies into the team’s DNA, fostering a culture of high performance, accountability, and customer empathy.</li> <li>Deliver Measurable Commercial Value: Focus relentlessly on strategic outcomes, connecting product decisions directly to revenue growth, operational efficiency, and customer satisfaction.</li> </ul> <h3>What we want from you</h3> <ul> <li>E-commerce &amp; Digital Transformation Expertise:&nbsp;Extensive experience as a Lead/Senior Product Manager within Retail e-commerce, with a proven track record of driving large-scale digital transformation projects.</li> <li>Platform migration:&nbsp;Demonstrable experience in managing the complex transition from legacy systems to modern architectures.</li> <li>Cross-Functional Leadership:&nbsp;A deep understanding of how to seamlessly integrate Engineering and UX/UI disciplines, motivating teams without necessarily having direct line-management authority.</li> <li>Strategic &amp; Commercial Acumen:&nbsp;The ability to pivot effortlessly between high-level commercial strategy and detailed technical execution, making confident decisions in complex, ambiguous enterprise environments.</li> <li>Agile Mastery:&nbsp;Strong practical knowledge of modern product management frameworks (Scrum, Kanban, outcome-based planning) and proficiency with tools like Jira and Confluence.</li> <li>Omnichannel Retail Insight:&nbsp;A strong grasp of the modern retail ecosystem, understanding how a cutting-edge online customer experience integrates with wider physical and digital touchpoints.</li> <li>You: Self-starter, decisive, able to deal with ambiguity and to influence wider stakeholders within a large programme of work.</li> </ul> <p><strong>If you have some of this, even better</strong></p> <ul> <li>A recognised Product Management or Agile Product Owner certification is desirable.</li> </ul> <h3>&nbsp;</h3> <h3>What we can offer you</h3> <p>Alongside the opportunity to work with some of the most exciting brands around the world, we’ll also prioritise your career development and help you grow your skills. We’ll empower you to make a difference, allow you to be yourself, and respect who you are.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Our culture thrives on our core values, designed for impact-driven individuals: Heart, Brains and Courage.</p> <p>We lead with&nbsp;<strong>Heart</strong>, fostering empathy and trust where genuine connections and human-centric work flourish.<br>We empower your&nbsp;<strong>Brains&nbsp;</strong>for innovation, valuing relentless curiosity and collaborative intelligence to solve complex challenges.<br>And we champion&nbsp;<strong>Courage</strong>, inspiring you to speak up, embrace experimentation, and advocate for bold solutions that push our thinking to be better than yesterday.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><em><strong><span class="TextRun SCXW109799401 BCX0" lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW109799401 BCX0">How we use AI in the recruitment process:</span></span></strong><span class="LineBreakBlob BlobObject DragDrop SCXW109799401 BCX0"><strong><span class="SCXW109799401 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></strong><br class="SCXW109799401 BCX0"></span><span class="LineBreakBlob BlobObject DragDrop SCXW109799401 BCX0"><span class="SCXW109799401 BCX0">&nbsp;</span><br class="SCXW109799401 BCX0"></span><span class="TextRun SCXW109799401 BCX0" lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW109799401 BCX0">To ensure more focused and engaging conversations, we&nbsp;</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW109799401 BCX0">leverage</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW109799401 BCX0">&nbsp;AI in our recruitment process exclusively for secure, objective&nbsp;</span><span class="NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed SCXW109799401 BCX0">note-taking</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW109799401 BCX0">, never for evaluative judgments. This allows our team to be fully present with you. You are always welcome to request a transcript of these notes or opt out of this feature at any time.</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW109799401 BCX0">&nbsp;Opting out will not&nbsp;</span><span class="NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed SCXW109799401 BCX0">impact&nbsp; the</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW109799401 BCX0">&nbsp;outcome of the interview process</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW109799401 BCX0">"</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW109799401 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>WPP Enterprise Solutions is part of&nbsp;<a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__http:/wpp.com/__;!!IfJP2Nwhk5Z0yJ43lA!L_cfT4E3gsmmDY1lVQTB6ihlfPeBl9X4sMM2KI6iWZYexC2nCeZ9oxgP9qvgbrqxIBpx82rGb_mWqh5F0zKxq5_dP7Y$" target="_blank">WPP</a>, the trusted growth partner for the world's leading brands. Powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform WPP Open, WPP unites cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, creativity, production, enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel.</p> <p></p><div class="content-conclusion"><p><span class="normaltextrun"><span lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB">We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office an average of four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.</span></span></span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun"><span lang="EN-GB">WPP (VML) is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to 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.</span></span><span class="scxw176048299"><span lang="EN-GB">&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p>When you click "Submit Application", this will send any information you add below to VML. Before you do this, we think it's a good idea to read through our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vml.com/recruitment-privacy-policy">Recruitment Privacy Policy</a>. California residents should read our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vml.com/california-recruitment-privacy-notice">California Recruitment Privacy Notice</a>. This explains what we do with your personal data when you apply for a role with us, and, how you can update the information you have provided us with or how to remove it.</p></div>

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