Strategic Change Lead - 6966

Job Title: Strategic Change Lead

Salary: £45,100 - £60,400 per annum

Location: Cambridge - Hybrid

Contract: Permanent

Hours: Full time, 35 hours per week

Are you an experienced change leader who can connect strategy, portfolio and people to deliver coordinated transformation?

We're seeking a Strategic Change Lead to support Academic transformation at Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Working with the Academic Transformation Management Office (TMO) and senior leaders, you will ensure change across Academic is aligned, prioritised and delivered effectively.

Academic publishing is evolving rapidly in response to market shifts, digital innovation and open research. From 2026 onwards, we will continue adapting our ways of working to meet changing customer needs, improve efficiency and focus on highest-value activity.

This is a strategic, portfolio-level role requiring sound judgement, influence and the ability to embed sustainable change capability in a complex environment.

About the role

You are an experienced change professional with a strong track record in delivering strategic and portfolio level transformation. You will lead change management helping leaders and teams navigate significant transformation driven by digital innovation, new technologies (including AI), evolving customer needs and new ways of working.

Your focus will be on:

• Creating a clear Academic-wide view of change, aligned to our enterprise portfolio
• Connecting individual initiatives to a compelling strategic change narrative
• Advising leaders on sponsorship, sequencing and capacity to absorb change
• Strengthening change management capability across Academic, not creating dependency
• Lead the Academic change management strategy, aligned to organisational priorities
• Work closely with the Academic TMO to shape demand, scope change activity and deploy the right level of support
• Lead the Academic Change Champion network
• Use data, dashboards and insight to inform decisions and improve visibility of change

This position has been classified as a hybrid role, requiring the selected candidate to typically spend 40-60% of their time collaborating and connecting face-to-face at their dedicated location. Aside from our hybrid principles, other flexible working requests will be considered from the first day of employment, including other work arrangements should you require adjustments due to a disability or long-term health condition.

About You

To be successful in this role, you will demonstrate the following essential criteria:

• Significant experience leading change management across large, complex programmes or portfolios
• Strong knowledge of change management frameworks and their practical application in organisational settings
• Experience operating at strategic and portfolio level, aligning multiple initiatives to organisational priorities
• Demonstrated ability to advise, influence and work effectively with senior leaders, including supporting change sponsorship
• Experience managing change in complex environments with competing priorities and constrained capacity
• Ability to translate strategy into clear plans, structured communications and actionable change activity
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build alignment across diverse perspectives
• Sound judgement and confidence operating in ambiguous or evolving environments

If you meet the above minimum requirements, we encourage you to apply. Your application will be even stronger if you can also demonstrate the following desirable criteria:

• Background in publishing, education, digital product or similarly transforming sectors
• Proven ability to embed change capability within teams and establish sustainable change networks (e.g. Change Champions)
• Strong capability in using data, dashboards and performance metrics to inform change planning and decision-making.
• Understands the drivers of change and applies behavioural science to influence adoption and sustain outcomes.

For a detailed job description, please refer to the link at the bottom of the advert on our careers site.

We are a Disability Confident (DC) employer that is committed to equality and inclusion ensuring our recruitment process is accessible to all. The DC scheme's Offer of an Interview commitment applies to applicants who opt in, and disclose a disability or a long-term health condition, and best meet the minimum criteria for the role. In instances where interviewing all qualifying candidates is not practicable, we prioritise those who best meet the minimum criteria, as we would for applicants who do not have a disability or long-term health condition.

Cambridge University Press & Assessment is an approved UK employer for the sponsorship of eligible roles and applicants under the Skilled Worker visa route. Please refer to the gov.uk website for guidance to understand your own eligibility based on the role you are applying for.

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 annual salary
• Green travel schemes

Interview Process and next steps

We aim to support candidates by making our interview process clear and transparent. The closing date for all applications will be Wednesday 18th March. We will review applications on an ongoing basis, and shortlisted candidates can expect interviews to take place during the week commencing 30 March 2026.

If you are shortlisted and progressed through the stages, you can expect:

• Interview: in person at our offices in Cambridge.

If you require any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process due to a disability or a long term health condition, there will be an opportunity for you to inform us via the online application form. We will do our best to accommodate your needs.

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

We are committed to an equitable recruitment process. As such, applications must be submitted via our official online application procedure. Please refrain from sending your CV directly to our recruiters. If you experience technical difficulties or require additional support with submitting your online application, contact the Recruiter.

Why join us

Joining us is your opportunity to pursue potential. You'll belong to a collaborative team that is 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.

Pursuing Your Potential

At Cambridge University Press & Assessment, we are dedicated to fostering an environment where your career aspirations are not only recognised but actively supported. Whether you are looking for new responsibilities within your current team, interested in a promotion or secondment, or exploring a different career path, we offer various resources to support your professional development. Our Online Learning Platform, leadership development pathways, and mentorship schemes are readily available to all employees, ensuring you have the tools to reach your fullest potential.

If you're ready to take the next step in your Cambridge journey, we welcome your application. Together, we continue to shape a culture where everyone feels empowered to succeed and motivated to make a difference-for ourselves, for each other, and for learners worldwide.

Ready to pursue your potential?

Apply now.