Senior Project Manager - Automotive & Production

Job Title: Senior Project Manager - Automotive & Production

Location: London and Brackley (plus travel as required)

We are Strata!

Imagine being part of a fast and exciting brand experience agency whose clients include specialists in new technology, creators of some of the most stunning electric vehicles on the planet, financial institutions, and global leaders in pharmaceutical solutions. As an agency, we elevate these brands and make them heard through immersive and memorable virtual and face 2 face experiences.

As a people-first business, we encourage ambition, support and reward. We’re always listening and open to your ideas, just as we do with our clients.

Our name? It’s Strata, an agency on a mission to be the very best. This means we always want to hear from the very best creative and intelligent souls who genuinely believe that every moment matters.

Job Overview

The Senior Project Manager – Automotive & Production is a senior operational leader responsible for directing complex automotive events, programmes and experiences from strategic planning and concept development through to live delivery, reconciliation and continuous improvement.

The role combines programme-level project leadership, senior client consultancy and commercial accountability with responsibility for integrating creative and production workstreams. This includes senior oversight of graphics, branding, printed and digital assets, and the coordination of specialist production partners.

The successful candidate will lead teams, strengthen client relationships, protect profitability and drive consistent standards across delivery, while working with appointed technical specialists where projects require specialist production design or show delivery.

Previous senior-level experience within an events agency and significant automotive event experience are essential.

Key Responsibilities

Project Leadership & Delivery

• Lead the strategic planning and end-to-end delivery of complex automotive events, programmes and experiences.

• Act as the senior operational lead and first point of escalation for delivery decisions, supporting automotive leadership and client account leads.

• Define delivery strategies, governance structures, Statements of Work, resource requirements, critical paths and escalation routes.

• Direct cross-functional project teams, freelance crew and operational stakeholders, creating clear ownership and accountability.

• Maintain oversight across multiple projects and programmes, proactively managing risks, dependencies, changes and competing priorities.

• Lead onsite delivery of major programmes and act as senior decision-maker for operational issues.

Strategic Client Management

• Build senior-level client relationships and act as a trusted operational and production advisor.

• Lead discovery sessions, strategic planning workshops, operational reviews and senior project updates.

• Challenge client thinking constructively and recommend solutions that improve the audience experience, delivery approach and commercial outcome.

• Develop a deep understanding of client business, brand and programme objectives.

• Partner with Account Managers and Account Directors to align delivery with wider account strategy.

• Anticipate client needs, identify organic growth opportunities and promote wider Strata capabilities.

Creative & Production Development

• Lead the integration of creative and production workstreams from initial brief and pitch through to delivery.

• Partner with Creative to shape feasible event concepts, audience experiences, content approaches and production roadmaps.

• Translate client objectives and brand requirements into clear creative, artwork and production briefs.

• Oversee the development and production of graphics, signage, print, branded environments and associated digital assets.

• Establish robust briefing, review, version-control and approval processes across clients, Creative, Production and suppliers.

• Provide senior oversight of specifications, materials, proofs, prototypes, manufacturing, delivery and installation.

• Protect creative integrity and brand standards while balancing feasibility, budget, timeline, sustainability and venue constraints.

• Identify opportunities for innovation and enhanced engagement across automotive events and experiences.

Commercial & Financial Leadership

• Hold overall responsibility for programme budgets, profitability, cashflow and commercial performance.

• Prepare and oversee detailed budgets, forecasts and financial reporting in Procim.

• Manage scope change, budget variations, outstanding purchase orders and invoices through clear commercial controls.

• Lead supplier negotiations, purchasing strategies and value engineering to maximise quality and margin.

• Ensure projects achieve agreed turnover and gross-margin targets.

• Provide commercial guidance and support to Project Managers developing their financial-management capability.

Supplier, Venue & Automotive Operations

• Lead the sourcing, selection, briefing and strategic management of venues, suppliers, production partners and contractors.

• Negotiate contracts, rates and deliverables and hold suppliers accountable for service, quality, budget and schedule.

• Provide senior guidance on venue suitability, operational feasibility and production requirements.

• Demonstrate advanced knowledge of automotive events, including outdoor activity, exhibitions, vehicle logistics, test-drive programmes and EV charging infrastructure.

• Oversee logistics strategies covering delegates, accommodation, travel, transport, catering, vehicles, venues and onsite operations.

• Build strategic supplier relationships that support innovation, value and long-term delivery excellence.

Operational Excellence, Risk & Compliance

• Provide senior operational oversight, quality control and governance across multiple workstreams.

• Lead health and safety, risk, contingency and crisis-management planning.

• Ensure compliance with client standards, legal requirements, insurance, company policies and ISO9001 processes.

• Act as the operational gatekeeper, maintaining exceptional delivery, presentation and duty-of-care standards.

• Ensure specialist technical production is designed, reviewed and delivered by appropriately competent technical leads.

New Business, Innovation & Growth

• Lead the operational and production contribution to pitches, proposals and new business opportunities.

• Write and review operational sections of proposals, budgets, presentations and recommendations.

• Participate confidently in client pitch presentations and senior stakeholder meetings.

• Contribute strategic thinking, automotive expertise and innovative, commercially viable event solutions.

• Remain informed of industry trends, technologies, venues and production innovations and share insight across the agency.

Leadership & People Development

• Line manage, coach and develop Project Managers, Junior Project Managers and Project Coordinators where required.

• Act as a senior mentor, role model and escalation point for project and production teams.

• Support resource planning, utilisation and staffing decisions across automotive projects.

• Drive consistency in project-management standards, documentation, governance and ways of working.

• Foster a collaborative, accountable and solutions-focused culture.

• Support succession planning, capability development and knowledge sharing across operational, creative and production disciplines.

Post-Event Performance & Continuous Improvement

• Lead programme reconciliation and review financial, operational, client and audience performance against agreed objectives.

• Lead internal and client debriefs and identify future efficiencies, innovations and growth opportunities.

• Analyse KPIs, attendee feedback and ROI measures where applicable.

• Ensure accurate project archiving and timely completion of billing and reporting information.

• Support case studies, success stories and award submissions.

• Share lessons learned and best practice across the agency to improve future delivery.

What Success Looks Like

Within your first 12 months you will:

• Be recognised as a dependable senior operational leader who can independently direct complex automotive programmes.

• Build trusted senior client relationships and provide credible strategic and production guidance.

• Deliver profitable projects and programmes with strong scope, margin and cashflow control.

• Lead the effective integration of creative, graphics, production, logistics and operational workstreams.

• Develop high-performing project teams and raise delivery standards across the department.

• Strengthen automotive capability, supplier partnerships and account growth.

• Turn project performance, data and feedback into measurable continuous improvement.