Transformation Programme Director

Elsevier; Oxford; Hybrid; GBP 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A global leader in information and analytics is seeking a Transformation Programme Director to drive significant transformation initiatives. The role involves leading a multi-phase programme to harmonise processes across business units, fostering alignment, and ensuring tangible business outcomes. Ideal candidates will have extensive experience in large-scale transformations, exceptional stakeholder management skills, and a strong strategic mindset. Join us and make a lasting impact within a dynamic team.

Benefits

Comprehensive Pension Plan

Home, office, or commuting allowance

Generous vacation entitlement

Flexible working hours

Employee Assistance Program (global)

Qualifications

• Proven leadership of large-scale Sales / Lead‑to‑Invoice transformation.
• Strong commercial acumen in vendor and budget management.
• Exceptional stakeholder management and influencing skills.

Responsibilities

• Direct the delivery of programme outcomes aligned with business objectives.
• Establish governance and decision rights across programmes.
• Communicate progress with transparency across all teams.

Skills

Leadership of large-scale Sales transformation

Commercial acumen

Stakeholder management

Strategic thinking

Value-centric delivery

Motivating diverse teams

Consultative approach

Matrix management

Job description

Transformation Programme Director

About the team

Our Programme Delivery Office brings together experts in Project, Change, Programme Management and Digital Transformation to deliver transformational initiatives across Elsevier’s analytical and digital ecosystem.

Our mission is to enable strategic execution that creates measurable value for our customers, our teams, and our business. We partner globally across business units to drive innovation, improve efficiency, and ensure the seamless delivery of business & technology transformation.

About the role

The Transformation Programme Director is a senior orchestrator who helps turn strategy into sustained business outcomes. Beyond delivering programmes, you will support shaping the target operating model, orchestrate change across process, data, technology and people, and help ensure value is realised and reported.

You will initially programme manage the Polaris Programme — a multi‑phase transformation designed to harmonise and optimise Elsevier’s Lead‑to‑Invoice processes and capabilities across all business units. You will manage the programme roadmap that blends best‑in‑class sales practices, process excellence, data foundations, and AI/automation to deliver a future‑ready, scalable revenue platform.

The role joins in the early stages of Phase 1 (Process Harmonisation), where we will establish a common blueprint, drive adoption and harmonise ways of working. Future phases will support business onboarding, adoption and realisation of the strategic benefits of the transformation.

Working with senior stakeholders, project managers and delivery teams, you will ensure clear governance, alignment, and delivery of outcomes that drive long‑term business value.

Key responsibilities

• Directing the delivery of programme outcomes aligned to strategic business objectives, with a focus on driving transformation and long‑term value.
• Establishing pragmatic governance, dependency management and decision rights across programmes and functions.
• Developing trusted relationships with senior stakeholders to enable decision‑making and ensure alignment across global teams.
• Communicating progress with transparency, from executive sponsors to front‑line teams; escalating early on structural risks.
• Safeguarding scope, schedule, budget and quality; running RAID, dependency and change control rigorously.
• Supporting and empowering project teams, holding them to outcome‑based milestones, stopping or steering activities that don’t add value.

Requirements

• Proven leadership of large‑scale Sales / Lead‑to‑Invoice / Salesforce transformation within a complex, global matrix organisation.
• Strong commercial acumen, with experience in vendor and budget management.
• Exceptional stakeholder management and influencing skills at the executive level.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to simplify complexity and bring clarity to multiple work streams.
• Track record of value‑centric delivery—OKRs, benefits realisation, and adoption metrics.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and motivate diverse teams, fostering engagement through a shared purpose and clear outcomes.
• Consultative and collaborative approach comfortable leading across business and technology.
• Experience matrix managing teams of varying sizes and capabilities, applying different motivational and development strategies as needed.

The Ideal Candidate

You are a confident and empathetic leader who thrives in complex environments. You bring structure where there is ambiguity, foster alignment across diverse stakeholders, and inspire teams to deliver transformational change. You combine strategic insight with execution discipline, ensuring programs deliver measurable outcomes that advance our business goals.

Why join us?

Join our team and contribute to a culture of innovation, collaboration, and excellence. If you are ready to advance your career and make a significant impact, we encourage you to apply.

Work in a way that works for you

We promote a healthy work/life balance across the organisation. We offer an appealing working prospect for our people. With numerous wellbeing initiatives, shared parental leave, study assistance and sabbaticals, we will help you meet your immediate responsibilities and your long‑term goals.

• Working flexible hours – flexing the times when you work in the day to help you fit everything in and work when you are the most productive.

Working for you

We know that your well‑being and happiness are key to a long and successful career. These are some of the benefits we are delighted to offer:

• Comprehensive Pension Plan
• Home, office, or commuting allowance.
• Generous vacation entitlement and option for sabbatical leave
• Maternity, Paternity, Adoption and Family Care leave
• Flexible working hours
• Personal Choice budget
• Internal communities and networks
• Various employee discounts
• Recruitment introduction reward
• Employee Assistance Program (global)

About the business

A global leader in information and analytics, we help researchers and healthcare professionals advance science and improve health outcomes for the benefit of society. Building on our publishing heritage, we combine quality information and vast data sets with analytics to support visionary science and research, health education, and interactive learning, as well as exceptional healthcare and clinical practice. At Elsevier, your work contributes to the world’s grand challenges and a more sustainable future. We harness innovative technologies to support science and healthcare to partner for a better world.

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Equal Opportunity

We are an equal‑opportunity employer: qualified applicants are considered for and treated during employment without regard to race, colour, creed, religion, sex, national origin, citizenship status, disability status, protected veteran status, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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