Senior Consultant (Commerce)

Who We Are

VML is a global creative company that combines brand experience, customer experience, and commerce to create connected brands that drive growth. Guided by a Human First philosophy, VML is known for its innovative work for brands and consistently ranks among the world’s leading creative companies, including the WARC Creative 100. VML’s global network spans 55+ markets with principal offices in Buenos Aires, Kansas City, London, New York, São Paulo, Shanghai and Singapore.

VML is part of WPP, 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.

For more information, please visit www.vml.com and follow along on LinkedIn #WeAreVML.

Senior Consultant with experience in Commerce ecosystems and technologies wanted to join our Business Services team

The opportunity:

How consumers discover, evaluate and buy products is changing faster than most organisations can respond. AI-powered search, agentic commerce, generative product discovery and the collapse of the traditional funnel are reshaping commercial models across every sector. Most enterprise clients know something has shifted, few have a clear plan for what to do about it.

WPP Enterprise Solutions is building a commerce consulting practice to help clients navigate these shifts. We work with some of the world's most recognised brands, translating complex commercial challenges into actionable strategies, transformation roadmaps and delivery programmes. What makes this role different from a boutique or a SaaS provider is what sits around you: your consulting recommendations connect directly to creative, content, CX and commerce execution teams who bring them to life. Strategy doesn't end at a slide deck here.

We're looking for a Senior Consultant who can own projects and client relationships. Someone who takes an ambiguous brief, structures it independently, drives the strategic direction and ensures the quality of everything the team delivers. You'll lead client conversations, design and facilitate workshops, and be the person mid-to-senior client stakeholders trust to connect diagnostic findings to commercial action. You'll also play a key role in growing the practice, spotting extension opportunities within accounts, contributing to pitches and coaching more junior members of the team.

Perm

London/Hybrid

Travel to client site where required

What you’ll be doing:

Project Leadership & Delivery

Own medium-scale projects end-to-end: scope, quality, delivery timeline, and client relationship. Accountable for the strategic direction and the standard of output.

Lead the development of strategic recommendations across commerce transformation, AI discoverability (GEO/AEO), agentic commerce readiness, content strategy and channel optimisation - shaping the narrative, not just building the analysis.

Take ambiguous or loosely defined briefs and structure them into clear project plans with defined deliverables, milestones and resource requirements.

Build and codify delivery methodologies into repeatable, scalable frameworks the wider team can execute against.

Client Leadership:

Design and lead workshops, stakeholder interviews and co-creation sessions. You will be comfortable going off-script when the conversation requires it and steering senior client stakeholders toward actionable outcomes.

• •Serve as a trusted advisor to mid-to-senior client contacts. You are the person they call when they need the thinking sharpened or the direction challenged.
• Anticipate and respond to client questions in a compelling and informed way. Own the client relationship day-to-day, identifying when senior escalation or support is needed.

Business Development:

Identify growth opportunities within existing accounts - spot the extension, the adjacent brief, the unasked question and work with senior leadership to convert them.

Contribute meaningfully to proposals and pitch responses: shaping the strategic approach, writing key sections, and presenting to prospective clients where appropriate.

Build client relationships that generate repeat work - not just deliver well, but leave clients wanting more.

Team & Practice Building:

Coach and develop Consultants on the team: Setting the quality bar on projects, giving direct feedback, and creating opportunities for junior team members to stretch.

This role may line-manage 1–2 team members, depending on team structure.

Drive practice IP development: reusable frameworks, case studies, proposition collateral and points of view that strengthen our market position and make selling easier.

Work across WPP's integrated network: connecting upstream consulting recommendations to downstream execution in content, CX and commerce.

What we want from you:

Extensive professional experience, with a strong track record in consulting, strategy or senior commercial/digital roles (ideally blending both)

Deep understanding of how commerce ecosystems work: You've either run a commerce operation (brand-side) or advised on one (agency/consulting-side). You understand how trading, content, category management, channel strategy and technology intersect in practice.

Working knowledge of AI discoverability: GEO, AEO, LLM-influenced discovery, AI assistants and conversational commerce. You can advise a Head of Digital or VP of eCommerce on what this shift means for their business and back it up with a credible action plan.

Proven ability to lead projects independently - you've managed scope, quality and client expectations without someone looking over your shoulder.

Strong strategic and analytical thinking: you can take a diagnostic output or a data-heavy assessment and turn it into a clear, commercially prioritised set of recommendations with a compelling narrative.

Excellent communication and executive presence - you're comfortable leading a room, running a workshop, and navigating a difficult client conversation with credibility.

Experience building methodology or practice IP: You've created frameworks, playbooks or delivery approaches that others have adopted and scaled.

Ideally you will have:

Brand-side experience in eCommerce, digital marketing or commercial leadership - you've lived the reality of managing a P&L, running a digital operation, or leading a commerce team. This perspective is what separates a genuine consultant from a presenter of slides.

Experience in at least two of: CPG/FMCG, Consumer health, Automotive, Retail, Telecom.

Change management or enablement experience: you've helped organisations adopt new operating models, not just designed them.

Line management or mentoring experience.

If you know some of this, even better:

Hands-on curiosity with AI tools LLMs, agentic platforms, or similar.

Experience with commerce technology (Shopify, SFCC, Commercetools, PIM/DAM systems).

What we can offer you:

The chance to shape a growing consulting practice your work will define methodology and propositions, not just execute someone else's.

Direct access to iconic enterprise clients and the opportunity to contribute to both proposition development and project delivery.

An integrated agency network where your consulting work connects to creative, content, CX and commerce teams who make the recommendations real.

A team culture that values intellectual honesty, pace and ownership.

London-based with flexible hybrid working and occasional client travel.

Training, development, and a clear path to Senior Consultant and beyond.

• Permanent only
• We offer a great benefits package including a discretionary bonus scheme, training opportunities, competitive pension, medical insurance, life assurance, social events, opportunities to buy and sell holidays, family friendly po