Head of Digital Transformation

Regent College London; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A prestigious educational institution in Greater London is seeking a Head of Digital Transformation to lead the digital strategy and oversee the delivery of transformative initiatives. The ideal candidate will manage cross-functional teams and implement improvements across digital platforms. Responsibilities include stakeholder management, compliance oversight, and the development of measurable outcomes. This role requires a confident leader with experience in the higher education sector and a strong background in technology.

Qualifications

• Experience leading mixed teams across product, delivery, engineering, and data.
• People leadership, coaching, and performance management.
• Comfortable working with technology and coordinating with technical teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead the college digital transformation agenda and deliver measurable improvements.
• Collaborate with in-house developers and vendors to deliver features and improvements.
• Ensure compliance with sector regulations.

Skills

Leadership of digital transformation in education or complex service environment

Delivery of multi-system change with tracked benefits and outcomes

Effective stakeholder management

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills

Clear decision making and concise communication

Education

Educated to degree level or equivalent experience

Job description

Job title

Head of Digital Transformation

School/Function

Technology

Location

Hybrid

Reporting

Responsible to: Chief Technology Officer
Responsible for: Digital Transformation Team

Overall purpose

Lead the college digital transformation agenda and deliver measurable improvements to student and staff experience. Own the roadmap and delivery across student records, teaching and learning platforms, identity and access, integrations, and data. Ensure reliability, security, and compliance for live services. Partner with Registry, Academics, and Operations to deliver outcomes aligned to strategy and budget.

The purpose of the role is to lead the organisation wide digital transformation at Regent College London. You will set the strategy and direct delivery across core digital platforms, SIS, VLE, CRM, timetabling, identity, integrations, and data. You will work at the intersection of Technology, Registry, Academics, and Operations to ensure systems integrate cleanly and support teaching, student support, and administrative operations.

The primary focus is to deliver outcomes for Business as Usual and change. You will run portfolio governance and prioritisation. You will partner with Registry on operations and statutory returns, including HESA Data Futures. You will improve staff and student journeys, strengthen data quality, and raise reporting standards.

You will collaborate with in house developers and vendors to deliver features and platform improvements. You will modernise integrations and APIs. You will manage releases and change control to protect live services. You will enforce standards for security, accessibility, and data management.

The role does not require a developer, it requires a leader who is highly confident with technology and product delivery. You will build capability across product, service design, engineering, and data. You will drive adoption through training and clear communication. Your work will produce measurable gains in reliability, user experience, compliance, and efficiency. Familiarity with UK HE systems, for example UNIT e or SITS, is an advantage.

Specific duties and responsibilities

• Progress and deliver the technology strategy and three year roadmap with clear KPIs and benefits cases.
• Own portfolio planning, prioritisation, and governance. Run a transparent intake and triage process.
• Lead discovery and service design for student and staff journeys. Remove waste and handoffs.
• Own core platforms, student records systems, VLE, CRM, identity, timetabling, and data services across their life cycle.
• Chair the Technical Design authority. Approve standards for integration, security, data, accessibility, and procurement.
• Build a high performing team. Set objectives, coach, and develop capability across product, delivery, and CRM engineering.
• Establish reliable release management and change control for live services.
• Ensure compliance with sector regulations. Oversee data quality and reporting for obligations such as HESA Data Futures and GDPR.
• Define operating level agreements with Registry, Academics finance and commercial team. Clarify ownership across content, delivery, and technology.
• Own vendor management and contracts. Negotiate value, service levels, and exit plans.
• Partner with Finance on budgeting and benefits tracking. Report progress and risks to the executive.
• Sponsor the data and analytics roadmap. Improve self service reporting and decision support.
• Drive adoption through training, communications, and targeted change management.
• Lead incident and problem reviews for major issues. Ensure prevention actions are completed.
• Champion accessibility and inclusion in all digital services.

Additional duties

• Act as deputy for the CTO when required.
• Work closely with Head of IT operations for join projects and day to day escalations.
• Represent the college with vendors and partners.
• Scan sector trends and assess value opportunities for students and staff.
• Contribute to wider operational improvement initiatives.

Person Specification

Experience & Personal Qualities

Essential:

• Leadership of digital transformation in education or a complex service environment.
• Delivery of multi system change with tracked benefits and outcomes.
• Experience leading mixed teams across product, delivery, engineering, and data.
• Effective stakeholder management with Academics, Registry, Finance and Operations.
• Clear decision making, concise communication, and ownership under pressure.
• People leadership, coaching, and performance management.

Desirable:

• Experience with SIS modernisation and HESA Data Futures returns.
• Standing up product management and service design practices.
• Delivery of legacy modernisation and large scale integrations.
• Experience delivering analytics and data governance improvements.
• Previous experience in a similar role within a higher education institution.

Technical knowledge & skills

Essential:

• Proficiency with student information systems in the UK Higher Education sector.
• Comfortable working with technology and coordinating with technical teams.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.
• Understanding of data management principles and practices.

Desirable:

• Experience with SIS modernisation and HESA Data Futures returns.
• Standing up product management and service design practices.
• Delivery of legacy modernisation and large scale integrations.
• Experience delivering analytics and data governance improvements.

Education & professional qualifications

Essential:

• Educated to degree level or equivalent experience.

Desirable:

• Relevant professional certifications in areas of service delivery, change management, project management.

Compliance Statement

Successful applicants will be required to complete pre‑employment checks, including a criminal records check, two references, ID and Right to Work verification, and education confirmation. We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity and inclusion; selection for employment is based solely on an individual’s skills, qualifications, and experience relevant to the role.