At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and manage exciting live events, ensuring they exceed client expectations.
- Company: Join Metro Production Group, a dynamic agency within the WPP network.
- Benefits: Enjoy 25 days annual leave, enhanced parental leave, and international travel opportunities.
- Other info: Hybrid working model in a vibrant London office with excellent career growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a creative environment that values excellence and teamwork.
- Qualifications: 8+ years in event delivery with strong financial acumen and leadership skills.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 € per year.
Metro Production Group (MPG) is a leading event production agency, specialising in high quality, customised events across diverse sectors. As a proud part of WPP plc, the world's largest communication services provider, and operating within the WPP Production network, we are a dynamic and innovative Creative Events & Production Agency dedicated to bringing exceptional ideas to life. At MPG, we thrive on designing, building, and delivering cutting-edge live, hybrid, and experiential projects for our high-profile clients, ensuring every event leaves a lasting impact. Our passion lies in balancing creative ambition with operational reality, consistently delivering excellence that exceeds expectations.
The Role:
We are seeking a Head of Projects to join our creative events agency reporting directly to the Executive Leadership Team. This pivotal and strategic role will be responsible for orchestrating cross-functional collaboration, partnering with departmental heads to assemble and empower optimal project teams for both new business proposals and seamless client project delivery. The role will serve as a critical bridge between strategic direction and on-the-ground delivery.
The Head of Projects will strategically oversee our entire project pipeline, ensuring profitable, on-brief, on-time, and on-budget delivery. This senior role mandates critically assessing methodologies, driving initiatives to enhance cost efficiency, mitigate risks, and maximise margin growth.
Key Responsibilities
- Project Delivery & Pipeline Management: Oversee key projects: Ensure successful delivery within scope, timeline, and budget, consistently exceeding client expectations. Provide real-time project pipeline visibility: Enable proactive resource planning and informed strategic decision-making. Proactively identify, assess, and mitigate project risks: Escalate critical concerns to the Executive Leadership Team or relevant stakeholders. Collaborate on new business proposals: Provide strategic budgetary expertise to ensure competitive, profitable pricing and timely capture of new opportunities.
- Team Leadership & Line Management: Line management responsibility. Allocate resources across the team based on project demands and individual capacity.
- Client Relationship Management: Serve as the primary project liaison for production, creative, and business development teams. Proactively manage project expectations, ensuring clarity on deliverables and timelines.
- Budget & Financial Oversight: Monitor real-time project costs, flagging variances and implementing mitigations. Critically review and challenge budgets/resourcing pre-approval to maximise ROI. Proactively implement strategies to minimise margin leakage.
- Quality & Standards: Uphold and champion MPG's creative production and delivery standards across all projects. Implement consistent project management processes across the delivery team. Conduct post-event reviews to capture learnings and drive continuous improvement.
Who You Are:
- 8+ years' extensive experience in event or experiential delivery, ideally across diverse live event agency settings.
- Exceptional commercial and financial acumen, with a deep understanding of project profitability, managing complex budgets (£1M+), and maximising commercial return.
- Proven experience improving processes, enhancing delivery standards, and driving operational excellence across multiple projects.
- Calm, solutions-focused, and confident navigating high-pressure situations, challenges, and dynamic client needs.
- Outstanding communication skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate effectively with stakeholders, clients, and teams at all levels.
- Innately balances ambitious creative vision with operational reality, consistently protecting both quality and margin.
- Strong understanding of logistics, technical production, 3D builds, fabrication, and critical safety/compliance protocols.
- Experience across both B2B and B2C projects is highly valued.
WHAT WE OFFER
- 25 days annual leave + Volunteer Day
- Enhanced Parental leave
- A 1.5:1 matching pension structure
- Help@hand enhanced benefits app, TELUS tool, annual eye test and many more
- A company committed to investing in people with tailored training programmes and development budgets
- Enhanced and ongoing wellbeing & sustainability incentives and activities throughout the year
- International travel for work
- Season ticket loan, cycle to work scheme
- SS workplace nursery & electric vehicle car scheme
- Life Assurance & Group Income Protection scheme
- Volunteering/ CSR Community Day
OUR VALUES:
At MPG, our values aren’t just words on a wall — they shape how we work, how we treat each other, and the standard we hold ourselves to:
- CREATIVITY ignites us
- INTEGRITY defines us
- TEAMWORK empowers us
- EXCELLENCE drives us
- PASSION unites us
Why Join MPG?
This is an unmissable career opportunity to join a brilliant, integrated agency at a senior level. You'll have real influence, the chance to contribute to a business that deeply values creative, cultural, and operational excellence. We offer a hybrid working model, based in our vibrant London office within the WPP Campus.
If you're ready to make a significant impact and lead our project delivery to new heights, we want to hear from you.
Ready to make a difference? Apply Now!
Head of Projects - Live Events in London employer: Metro Production Group
Metro Production Group (MPG) is an exceptional employer that fosters a vibrant and innovative work culture, where creativity and operational excellence are at the forefront. With a commitment to employee growth through tailored training programmes and a supportive environment, MPG offers competitive benefits including enhanced parental leave, a generous pension scheme, and opportunities for international travel. Located in the dynamic WPP Campus in London, employees enjoy a hybrid working model that promotes work-life balance while being part of a collaborative team dedicated to delivering outstanding live events.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Projects - Live Events in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the events industry. Attend networking events, join relevant groups on social media, and don’t be shy to reach out to folks on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings!
✨Tip Number 2
Showcase your experience! When you get the chance to chat with potential employers, make sure to highlight your past successes in project management and event delivery. Use specific examples that demonstrate how you’ve exceeded client expectations and managed complex budgets.
✨Tip Number 3
Be proactive! If you see a role that excites you, don’t just wait for the application process to open. Reach out directly to the company through our website or social media channels. Express your interest and ask about upcoming opportunities – it shows initiative!
✨Tip Number 4
Prepare for interviews by researching the company’s recent projects and values. Be ready to discuss how your skills align with their mission of delivering excellence in live events. Tailor your responses to reflect their focus on creativity, teamwork, and operational efficiency.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Projects - Live Events in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV reflects the skills and experiences that align with the Head of Projects role. Highlight your event management experience, especially in delivering high-profile projects, and don’t forget to showcase your financial acumen!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to tell us why you’re passionate about live events and how your background makes you the perfect fit for MPG. Be sure to mention specific projects or achievements that demonstrate your capabilities.
Showcase Your Leadership Skills:As a Head of Projects, leadership is key. In your application, highlight instances where you've successfully led teams or managed complex projects. We want to see how you empower others and drive results!
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets into the right hands. Plus, it shows us you’re keen on joining our vibrant team at MPG!
How to prepare for a job interview at Metro Production Group
✨Know Your Projects Inside Out
Before the interview, dive deep into your past projects. Be ready to discuss specific challenges you faced, how you overcame them, and the impact of your decisions. This will showcase your extensive experience in event delivery and your ability to manage complex budgets.
✨Demonstrate Your Leadership Style
As a Head of Projects, you'll be leading teams and collaborating with various departments. Prepare examples that highlight your leadership style, how you empower your team, and how you handle high-pressure situations. This will help the interviewers see you as a strong fit for their dynamic environment.
✨Showcase Your Financial Acumen
Given the role's focus on budget management and profitability, be prepared to discuss your approach to financial oversight. Bring examples of how you've maximised ROI in previous roles and how you tackle budget variances. This will demonstrate your commercial understanding and strategic thinking.
✨Align with Their Values
Metro Production Group values creativity, integrity, teamwork, excellence, and passion. Think about how your personal values align with theirs and prepare to share stories that reflect these principles. This will help you connect with the interviewers on a deeper level and show that you're a cultural fit.
