Global Hub Operations Director

A Hybrid working model

What does a Global Hub Operations Director do at WPP Production?

Lead the operational performance and development of Studio A’s global production hub network. The role sets a consistent operating standard across locations, turns demand into credible capacity plans, and ensures hubs can deliver secure, high quality work at the service levels and economics agreed with the client. It connects Hub Operations Leads, delivery and capability leaders, Geo teams, Commercial, Talent, HR, Finance, Technology and Facilities so that decisions on capacity, location, cost and risk are made with one view of the facts.

The Director leads through the Hub Operations Leads and the global operating cadence. They own the hub operating model and its execution, while partnering with the relevant functional and commercial owners on decisions outside hub operations.

Reporting lines and key stakeholders:

• Reports to the Global Operations Director. Manages and develops the Hub Operations Leads across the global network, with clear local accountabilities and escalation routes.
• Covers centralised production hubs and the resources, infrastructure, controls and services required to support Worldwide and Geo demand, including permanent and flexible capacity.
• Works in a matrix with Heads of Delivery, capability SMEs, Geo and client operations, Commercial, Talent, HR, Finance, Security, Technology and Facilities. Local employment, technical craft and client commercial approval remain with their designated owners.

Key Responsibilities:

Global hub strategy and governance

• Set the hub operating model, decision rights and governance for shared capacity, including how Worldwide and Geo demand is prioritised, allocated and escalated when requirements conflict.
• Maintain a practical Hub Playbook covering planning, onboarding, access and security, local compliance, service management, financial controls, business continuity and location specific requirements. Audit adoption and close gaps.
• Assess the hub footprint against demand, capability, resilience, cost, security and talent availability. Develop business cases and transition plans for expansion, consolidation or changes in the mix of work across locations.
• Run a regular hub leadership cadence, with consistent status reporting, decisions, actions and cross hub learning. Chair operational reviews and escalate material trade offs promptly.

Capacity, workforce and delivery

• Translate demand forecasts, Workshop peaks and capability plans into a rolling view of capacity by hub, skill, language, security classification and employment type. Test scenarios for changes in volume, complexity, timing and location.
• Work with Delivery, SMEs and Geo leaders to allocate shared resources, manage utilisation and productivity, protect service levels and balance work across hubs. Identify bottlenecks early and agree actions rather than relying on local workarounds.
• Set requirements for permanent and flexible staffing with Talent and HR; oversee readiness, onboarding, training and exit planning for large scale programmes and demand changes. Ensure employment classification and local legal or tax questions go to the accountable specialists.
• Lead operational readiness for Workshops and other surges, including space, technology, security, access, staffing, shifts, supplier support and contingency capacity.
• Own the operational response to a hub disruption. Keep tested continuity and recovery plans, including transfer options, cross training, access dependencies and client approvals where required.

Commercial performance and controls

• Provide the operational data and discipline needed to run the commercial model as agreed: retained capacity, complexity based deliverables and approved time and materials exceptions. Ensure work is coded and measured consistently so actual demand, effort and cost can be compared with the model.
• Partner with Commercial and Finance on forecast accuracy, capacity pool economics, the minimum spend commitment, margin, scope changes, rush requests and Workshop demand. Identify the operational causes of variance and propose corrective actions; do not change prices or commitments without the agreed approval route.
• Supply a reliable monthly operational pack covering volumes and complexity, capacity and utilisation, forecast accuracy, service levels, quality, revisions and exceptions. Support quarterly commercial reviews of spend, margin, demand, savings and capacity risks, and the annual review of unit prices, cost adjustment, efficiency commitment and baseline capacity.
• Drive measurable productivity and the contracted efficiency commitment through improved planning, workflow, automation and location mix while protecting quality, security and sustainable capacity. Validate savings with Finance and avoid double counting.
• Ensure hub financial procedures, hiring controls, approved rates, procurement and contractor processes are followed. Surface non compliant practices and remediate them with the accountable teams.

Systems, data and improvement

• Define the operational requirements and adoption plan for the resource management platform, including estimates, staffing plans, scenario planning, schedules, timesheets, PTO and overtime, capacity reporting and relevant integrations.
• Set data definitions, ownership and quality controls across hubs so leadership can trust capacity, productivity, delivery and cost reporting. Use the data to diagnose recurring constraints and measure whether interventions work.
• Partner with Technology and process owners on rollout of production tools, language capacity planning, freelancer management and workflow improvements. Ensure local teams are trained and changes are embedded.

People, partnerships and risk

• Lead, coach and assess Hub Operations Leads. Build an integrated leadership team with clear expectations, succession cover and consistent management standards across locations.
• Build trusted relationships with senior Delivery, Geo, capability and client operations stakeholders. Make trade offs visible, resolve competing priorities and communicate decisions with clarity.
• Oversee hub risks relating to security, confidentiality, health and safety, infrastructure, service continuity and local compliance. Maintain a visible risk and action log, with owners and deadlines, and escalate issues that need executive decisions.

Measures of success

• Reliable delivery against agreed service levels, quality and security requirements across the hub network.
• Capacity and forecast accuracy by pool, with healthy utilisation, controlled overtime and a clear response to peaks and gaps.
• Commercial performance supported by trusted operational data, early variance management and validated efficiency gains.
• Consistent controls and operating standards, evidenced through reviews, audit actions and business continuity readiness.
• Effective Hub Operations Leads, clear stakeholder confidence and decisions made at the right level.

Requirements

• Senior operations leadership in a complex, multi location production, agency, shared services or comparable environment, including management through local leaders and matrix teams.
• Strong command of capacity planning, workforce mix, service performance, financial controls and commercially consequential operational decisions.
• Ability to turn incomplete demand and cost data into practical scenarios, recommendations and executive decisions. Confident with metrics and able to challenge assumptions.
• Experience of scaling or reshaping hub operations, leading change in systems and processes, and managing security and continuity requirements.
• Direct, collaborative leadership; sound judgement under pressure; strong stakeholder management across cultures and functions; concise written and verbal communication.