Operations Director

Company Description

Since 1926, at Publicis Groupe, we have evolved to become the largest and most valuable communications group in the world, where creativity and transformation are not only celebrated but also enhanced daily. Today, we are more than just a company; we are a connected platform operating under the philosophy of #ThePowerOfOne, combining efficiency and innovation in a model that seeks to provide our clients with borderless access to the best of every service. In an era of convergence and empowerment, we are excited to attract passionate individuals to guide our clients in their transformation, helping them reinvent and thrive amidst digital disruption.

Overview

At Publicis Production, based in Bogotá, Colombia, we are looking for an Operations Director with 10+ years of experience leading operations, delivery organizations, business operations, or transformation initiatives within production, creative services, marketing operations, shared services, or global delivery environments. The mission of this role is to define, scale, and continuously optimize Publicis Production’s operational model, ensuring efficient execution, sustainable growth, operational excellence, and alignment with business objectives through strategic leadership, workforce planning, governance, and continuous improvement initiatives.

 

 

Responsibilities

Operational Strategy & Governance

• Define, implement, and continuously evolve the organization's operational model, ensuring alignment with business objectives, growth plans, and delivery needs.
• Establish governance frameworks, operating standards, and best practices that drive consistency across teams, accounts, and disciplines.
• Lead organizational readiness initiatives for new capabilities, services, and business models.
• Act as the primary operational advisor to senior leadership, providing visibility into performance, risks, and improvement opportunities.

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, coach, and develop Operations Leads, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and operational excellence.
• Establish performance expectations, success metrics, and succession plans that support long-term organizational growth.
• Strengthen operational capabilities across the organization through leadership, mentorship, and talent development initiatives.

Capacity Planning & Workforce Strategy

• Own the organization's capacity planning strategy, ensuring workforce capabilities are aligned with current and future business demand.
• Partner with Talent Acquisition and Human Resources to support hiring plans, workforce optimization, and scalability initiatives.
• Monitor utilization, workforce efficiency, and forecasting accuracy to proactively identify risks and resourcing challenges.

Delivery Performance

• Oversee operational performance across delivery teams, ensuring compliance with SLAs, service levels, quality standards, and productivity targets.
• Lead the management of operational risks and escalations, implementing corrective actions when performance standards are at risk.
• Establish operational frameworks that improve predictability, execution quality, and delivery efficiency.

Business Performance & Financial Management

• Partner closely with Finance to optimize operational structures, productivity, and profitability.
• Monitor financial performance indicators related to operations, including resource utilization, productivity, revenue per FTE, operational costs, and margin improvement initiatives.
• Support forecasting, budgeting, and business planning processes through data-driven operational insights.

Operational Excellence & Innovation

• Identify and drive opportunities for process optimization, simplification, and operational maturity across the organization.
• Lead transformation initiatives that improve scalability, efficiency, and long-term operational effectiveness.
• Champion the adoption of tools, platforms, automation, and best practices that enhance visibility, control, and productivity.
• Leverage data, analytics, artificial intelligence, and automation to improve decision-making and operational performance.

Executive Stakeholder Management

• Lead operational planning and governance forums with senior stakeholders across the business.
• Influence strategic decisions through operational insights, business intelligence, and performance analysis.
• Ensure strong alignment between operational priorities and the organization's strategic direction.

 

 

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience leading operations, business operations, delivery organizations, or operational transformation initiatives.
• Proven experience leading multidisciplinary operational teams and leadership structures.
• Strong expertise in capacity planning, workforce management, operational governance, and delivery management.
• Experience managing large-scale operational environments and complex organizational structures.
• Strong financial and business acumen, with the ability to balance operational performance and profitability.
• Demonstrated experience driving organizational transformation and change management initiatives.
• Advanced English proficiency (C1).

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience within creative production, marketing operations, shared services, or global delivery environments.
• Knowledge of workflow management, project management, capacity planning, or resource management platforms.
• Experience implementing automation initiatives and AI-enabled operational solutions.
• Experience leading regional or multi-country operations.

Soft Skills

• Strategic leadership and executive presence.
• Strong analytical and data-driven decision-making capabilities.
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Effective communication across all organizational levels.
• Business acumen and results-oriented mindset.
• Change leadership and adaptability.
• Talent development and high-performing team leadership.

 

Additional Information

• We have an AI-based interaction and connection platform called Marcel, which includes e-learning tools such as Udemy and LinkedIn Learning, offering more than 30,000 courses on various topics where you can train according to your interests. Additionally, it connects you with more than 100,000 creative minds within Publicis Groupe.
• We offer benefits such as hybrid work, employee funds, life insurance, a day off on your birthday, and the opportunity to apply for various global vacancies within the company. There is also the possibility to work up to 6 weeks per year from another country where Publicis Groupe has a presence under the global initiative Work Your World.
• We promote a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace where every person is valued for their talent and potential, in a respectful environment free from discrimination. All of our job opportunities are open to people with disabilities. #VivaLaDifference.

Publicis Groupe #ThePowerOfOne connects creativity and technology, celebrating #VivaLaDifference. We recognize and value individual differences as strengths that enrich our teams and community. Diversity and inclusion are key to our success!