Chief Digital & Information Officer

Dixon Walter; Leicester; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Leicester invites applications for the role of Chief Digital and Information Officer to lead the transformation of its digital landscape and drive business value through AI-enabled strategies.

You will consolidate a new services portfolio, join the Executive Team, oversee a c£40 million budget and around 400 staff, and ensure digital excellence across education, research and citizen engagement.

Qualifications

• Substantial leadership experience of digital services in large organisations.
• Transformational leadership delivering organisation-wide impact and a digital-first mindset.
• Outstanding communication and engagement skills with strategic influence.
• Ability to balance strategic and operational imperatives while driving governance.

Responsibilities

• Lead the transformation of the University's digital services to deliver business value.
• Oversee an approx. 400 staff and a c£40 million budget, ensuring performance and accountability.
• Develop and implement governance, architecture, and delivery roadmaps for AI-enabled infrastructure.
• Align digital strategy with education, research and public engagement objectives.

Skills

Digital leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Strategic planning

Governance

Communication

Tools

Cloud platforms

Cyber security

Job description

As the University’s Chief Digital and Information Officer you will lead the transformation of the University’s digital landscape driving business value and technological excellence, delivering our ambitions as a sector-leading AI enabled university. You will bring together a new portfolio of services, establishing the role in the University’s leadership and management structure as an associate member of the Executive Team, with responsibility for a c£40 million budget and 400 staff. Your dynamic leadership will ensure that digital is at the forefront of the University’s education, research and citizen strategies ensuring operational excellence across all the University’s activities. The University continues to invest in its technological infrastructure, and you will be accountable for successfully delivery of a significant investment programme to ensure AI enablement, fit for purpose and future proofed systems, digital first thinking and a strategic cyber risk posture.

The University of Leicester is renowned for its world-changing research and high-quality, inspirational teaching, and proud to have been awarded a Gold rating in the 2023 Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), reflecting our outstanding student experience and outcomes. Our commitment to excellence has also been recognised through recent accolades, including being named the Daily Mail University of the Year 2025 and shortlisted for the Times Higher Education University of the Year in 2024.

About you

To apply you will have substantial leadership experience of digital services gained in similarly large and complex organisations and with responsibility for developing high performing multi-disciplinary teams of professional staff. Critically, you will have experience as a transformational leader, able to deliver with organisation wide impact, embedding a digital first mindset, whilst balancing both strategic and operational imperatives in the role. You will have outstanding communication and engagement skills, with the ability to be a collegiate influencer at a strategic level. You will be able to combine innovative thinking with on the ground technical requirements, governance, and service efficiency. Higher education experience is not essential, but you will also need to demonstrate awareness of the issues facing the sector and able to demonstrate commitment to the University’s mission, vision and values to ensure an inclusive workplace and student experience.

• a letter of application setting out your interest in the role and details of how you match the person specification (no more than 2 pages)
• details of three referees and notice period (referees will not be contacted without your permission)
• a completed Personal Details Form (available above)