Director of Programmes and Change

• Salary: £85,400 - £106,700 per annum
• Location: Cambridge, UK/Hybrid – at least two days per week working in the Cambridge office
• Contract: 1-year Fixed Term Contract

Are you a visionary leader with a passion for delivering complex change? Do you thrive in high-impact roles where your decisions shape the future of education globally? Join us at Cambridge University Press & Assessment as our Director of Programmes and Change, where you will lead a multi-million-pound portfolio of strategic programmes that drive innovation, efficiency, and excellence across International Education.

We are Cambridge University Press & Assessment, a world-leading academic publisher and assessment organisation and a proud part of the University of Cambridge.

About the role 

This is a rare opportunity to operate at the heart of a globally respected organisation, influencing major transformation initiatives and working with senior stakeholders across Cambridge University Press & Assessment. You will be instrumental in delivering new products, services, and systems that enhance outcomes for learners and educators worldwide.

As Director of Programmes and Change, you will:

• Provide strategic direction for the Programme and Change team
• Refine, implement and drive strong governance and assurance for complex, high-value initiatives
• Lead the strategic planning and delivery of a multi-million-pound programme portfolio
• Collaborate across Cambridge University Press and Assessment as well as across International Education to align change with strategic priorities
• Represent International Education on companywide governance forums

You will be responsible for ensuring that change is well-managed, benefits are realised, and delivery is achieved to time, cost, and quality standards.

This role is pivotal to the success of our transformation agenda and will require strong leadership, stakeholder engagement, and governance expertise.

About you

You will be an experienced strategic leader with a proven track record in delivering large-scale programmes and change initiatives. You will bring deep expertise in programme governance, stakeholder management, and benefits realisation, ideally within a complex commercial or educational environment.

You will be confident navigating ambiguity, influencing at senior levels, and driving delivery across diverse teams. Your leadership style will be inclusive, inspiring, and focused on outcomes. You will also be comfortable working with technology and finance colleagues to ensure robust planning and execution.

You will have:

• Extensive experience in programme and change management at a strategic level
• Strong governance expertise across multi-million-pound portfolios
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills
• Proven ability to lead and develop high-performing teams
• Commercial awareness and budget management experience
• A track record of embedding change in complex operational environments
• Knowledge and experience in the education sector (desirable) 

If you would like to know more about this opportunity and what will make you successful, please see the full job description attached to the bottom of this vacancy on our careers site.

Rewards and benefits 

We will support you to be at your best in work and to live well outside of it. In addition to competitive salaries, we offer a world-class, flexible rewards package, featuring family-friendly and planet-friendly benefits including:

• 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Private medical and Permanent Health Insurance
• Discretionary annual bonus
• Group personal pension scheme
• Life assurance up to 4 x annual salary
• Green travel schemes

We are a hybrid working organisation, and we offer a range of flexible working options from day one. We expect most hybrid-working colleagues to spend 40-60% of their time at their dedicated office or location. We will also consider other work arrangements if you wish to work more flexibly or require adjustments due to a disability.

Ready to pursue your potential? Apply now. 

We review applications on an ongoing basis, with a closing date for all applications being 24 September 2025. Interviews are scheduled to take place in person at our Cambridge office week commencing 6 October 2025.

Please note that successful applicants will be subject to satisfactory background checks including DBS due to working in a regulated industry.

Cambridge University Press & Assessment will not ordinarily be able to provide sponsorship for vacancies of 12-months or less in duration. Applicants must therefore have an existing right to work in the UK to be eligible for this position.

Why join us

Joining us is your opportunity to pursue potential. You'll belong to a collaborative team that's exploring new and better ways to serve students, teachers and researchers across the globe – for the benefit of individuals, society and the world. Sharing our mission will inspire your own growth, development and progress, in an environment which embraces difference, change and aspiration. 

Cambridge University Press & Assessment is committed to being a place where anyone can enjoy a successful career, where it's safe to speak up, and where we learn continuously to improve together. We welcome applications from all candidates, regardless of demographic characteristics (age, disability, educational attainment, ethnicity, gender, marital status, neurodiversity, religion, sex, gender identity and sexual identity), cultural, or social class/background.

We believe better outcomes come through diversity of thought, background and approach. We welcome applications from people from all backgrounds and communities, actively seeking to employ people from a wide range of different communities.

Director of Programmes and Change