Head of Learner Lifecycle Transformation

SONICOM; Greater London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working policy

43 days annual leave

Generous pension schemes

Job summary

Imperial College London’s Lifelong Learning department seeks a Head of Learner Lifecycle Transformation to drive transformational change across systems, people, and policy. You will lead strategy across three domains—design leadership, data and systems, and stakeholder collaboration—ensuring scalable, learner-centered services within a major research university.

The role is full-time, fixed-term for 1 year, with scope for extension as the roadmap and models develop.

Qualifications

• Significant experience working in a cross-functional role within an academic service or with data, systems and processes in a higher education institution.
• Experience of leading complex, cross-institutional projects from inception through to delivery and transition to business-as-usual.
• Experience working across organisational boundaries to achieve outcomes without direct line management authority— you will be a skilled influencer and consensus-builder.
• Experience working with colleagues to ensure institutional compliance with national and international regulatory requirements, including those set by the Office for Students or equivalent bodies.
• Experience of leading data, systems and process development projects, including requirements gathering, options appraisal, and implementation.
• Strong knowledge of the student and learner lifecycle, including admissions, enrolment, student record, assessment, progression, award, and learner support processes.
• Excellent project management, influencing, and communication skills, with the ability to present complex information clearly and persuasively to a range of senior audiences.
• Ability to operate effectively in conditions of ambiguity and uncertainty, setting direction and making progress where established frameworks or precedents do not yet exist.
• Degree-level education or equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead identification and scoping of operational, regulatory, data, systems and service challenges and design new service models, governance approaches, and operating frameworks.
• Oversee data architecture mapping, data governance, and automation of processes to support scalable, learner-centred services.
• Coordinate cross-institutional collaboration, maintain relationships across ICT, Academic Services, faculties, and departments, and represent Lifelong Learning in cross-institutional forums.

Skills

Cross-functional leadership

Influencing

Programme management

Stakeholder engagement

Regulatory awareness

Data governance

Communications

Ambiguity tolerance

Education

Degree-level education or equivalent experience

Job description

Head of Learner Lifecycle Transformation

Can you drive transformational change across a complex institution, bringing together systems, people and policy to build something that has never existed before?

This is a rare and exciting opportunity to shape the future of lifelong learning at one of the world's top universities. Imperial College London's Lifelong Learning department is a new and ambitious initiative at the heart of the institution's Science for Humanity strategy — creating and delivering non-degree education including short courses, summer experiences, MOOCs, customised client work, and microcredentials. As Head of Learner Lifecycle Transformation, you will lead work to develop the systems, processes, regulations, and operating models that will embed Lifelong Learning firmly within Imperial's institutional infrastructure and enable it to scale sustainably.

This is a full-time, fixed-term post for one year in the first instance, with scope for extension as the role defines the roadmap and future models for this area.

What you would be doing

This is a cross-institutional leadership role that requires you to operate throughmatrix leadership and influence rather than direct line management. You will be responsible for coordinating delivery, establishing recommendations, and securing agreement from relevant institutional owners across Registry, ICT, Academic Services, and Lifelong Learning. Formal ownership of systems, academic regulations, and operational services will remain with the appropriate institutional teams — your role is to be the connective force that makes joined-up, scalable change happen.

You will work across three core areas:

• Strategic and Service Design Leadership— You will lead the identification and scoping of emerging operational, regulatory, data, systems and service challenges associated with Lifelong Learning, establishing clear problem statements and delivering roadmaps where institutional precedent does not yet exist. You will work closely with colleagues to design new service models, governance approaches, and operating frameworks, leading structured business analysis, options appraisal, and service design phases to translate outputs into implementable delivery plans. You will represent Lifelong Learning on relevant institutional project groups, ensuring the activity is represented in systems, processes, and capability.
• Data, Systems and Process— You will lead cross-functional project work to ensure that student record, assessment, progression, and award systems are developed to accommodate Lifelong Learning learners and modes of study. Working closely with Registry, ICT colleagues and project teams, you will scope, roadmap, implement, test and launch system enhancements and integrations — and where no existing infrastructure can support, you will coordinate the procurement and development of new solutions. You will manage collaborative data architecture mapping across learner and student systems, oversee data governance, and champion simplification, standardisation, and automation of processes to support scalable, learner-centred services.
• Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration— You will act as the principal point of coordination and momentum within Lifelong Learning for Registry and Academic Services-related activity, ensuring clarity of roles, responsibilities, and accountability across all relevant teams. You will build and maintain effective working relationships across ICT, Academic Services, faculties, and departments, represent Lifelong Learning in cross-institutional forums, and monitor emerging national and international policy developments to proactively shape Imperial's response.

What we are looking for

• Significant experience working in a cross-functional role within an academic service or with data, systems and processes in a higher education institution
• Demonstrable experience of leading complex, cross-institutional projects from inception through to delivery and transition to business-as-usual
• Experience of working across organisational boundaries to achieve outcomeswithout direct line management authority— you will be a skilled influencer and consensus-builder
• Experience working with colleagues to ensure institutional compliance with national and international regulatory requirements, including those set by the Office for Students or equivalent bodies
• Experience of leading data, systems and process development projects, including requirements gathering, options appraisal, and implementation
• Strong knowledge of the student and learner lifecycle, including admissions, enrolment, student record, assessment, progression, award, and learner support processes
• Excellent project management, influencing, and communication skills, with the ability to present complex information clearly and persuasively to a range of senior audiences
• Ability to operate effectively in conditions of ambiguity and uncertainty, setting direction and making progress where established frameworks or precedents do not yet exist
• Degree-level education or equivalent experience

What we can offer you

• The opportunity to lead transformational work at a global top ten university, at a pivotal moment in the development of lifelong learning at Imperial
• The opportunity to continue your career at a world-leading institution and be part of our mission to use science for humanity.
• Benefit from a sector-leading salary and remuneration package (including 43 days’ annual leave and generous pension schemes).
• Access to a range of workplace benefits including a flexible working policy from day one, generous family leave packages, on-site leisure facilities and cycle-to-work scheme.
• Interest-free season ticket loan schemes for travel.
• Be part of a diverse, inclusive and collaborative work culture with various staff networks and resources to support your personal and professional wellbeing .

Further information

This is a full-time post (35 hours per week) and is fixed term for 1 year in the first instance.

Attached documents are available under links. Clicking a document link will initialize its download.

Please note that job descriptions are not exhaustive, and you may be asked to take on additional duties that align with the key responsibilities mentioned above.

We reserve the right to close the advert before the stated closing date, should we receive a high volume of applications. It is therefore advisable that you submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

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About Imperial

Welcome to Imperial, a global top-ten university where scientific imagination leads to world-changing impact.

Join us and be part of something bigger. From global health to climate change, AI to business leadership, here at Imperial we navigate some of the world’s toughest challenges. Whatever your role, your contribution will have a lasting impact.

As a member of our vibrant community of 22,000 students and 8,000 staff, you’ll collaborate with passionate minds across nine London campuses and a global network.

This is your chance to help shape the future. We hope you’ll join us at Imperial College London.

Our Culture

We work towards equality of opportunity, to eliminating discrimination, and to creating an inclusive working environment for all. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries, and are committed to employing a team that has diverse skills, experiences and abilities. You can read more about our commitment on our web pages .

Proud signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant. We welcome applications from the Armed Forces community.

Our values are at the root of everything we do, and everyone in our community is expected to demonstrate respect, collaboration, excellence, integrity, and innovation.