Associate Director of Digital Product Strategy
De Montfort University
Salary - Up to £88,345pa + market supplement
Location - Leicester - 2 - 3 days on site
Associate Director of Digital Product Strategy
Across higher education, digital transformation is no longer a peripheral technology agenda; it is central to how universities deliver outstanding student experiences, build institutional resilience, support new models of learning and create the skills base the UK economy urgently needs. De Montfort University is responding to that challenge with real ambition, and we are offering you the opportunity to join that ambitious journey.
We have a Digital Transformation Strategy that sets a clear vision for data, technology and digital that is fit for a leading, innovative and empowering university. We will expand our use of digital as an accelerator for more inclusive, personalised and connected experiences across our physical campuses, in both the UK and internationally, combining virtual and social worlds of learning for an optimised experience.
Our successes are already visible in practice; whether it’s our Digital Champions programme, the £6.5m Digital Technology Learning Hub, our cyber and AI capability, or our modern digital support services and a strengthened approach to portfolio and change management. This is an opportunity to join a digital and technology function with genuine momentum, strong institutional sponsorship and a team that is already helping DMU move beyond technology implementation into meaningful, people-centred transformation. As Associate Director of Digital Product Strategy, you will play a pivotal role in shaping how that ambition becomes tangible: building products, services and experiences that make a measurable difference for students, staff, partners and the wider communities DMU serves.
We are looking for a resilient, credible and delivery-focused Associate Director of Digital Product Strategy to turn significant digital ambition into a clear, prioritised and achievable programme of work. Working with capable Heads of Product and User Research, and senior stakeholders across the university, you will bring structure to competing demand, build confidence in Digital and Technology, and help DMU move towards a more mature product-led model that improves services for students, staff and the wider university.
You will be responsible for:
- Creating a clear delivery roadmap, prioritising products, services and improvements, sequencing activity realistically, and ensuring the team delivers what it promises.
- Leading and shaping the team by providing resilient senior leadership, clarifying roles and ways of working, and supporting the transition towards a stronger product-led operating model.
- Managing senior stakeholders and expectations by translating complex digital and technical issues into plain English and building trust through clear communication and realistic commitments.
- Bringing delivery discipline across mixed methods by working pragmatically across agile, waterfall and hybrid approaches, with the flexibility to support DMU’s current maturity whilst improving how digital delivery happens.
- Supporting major platforms, suppliers and transformation programmes, including work linked to our SAP S/4HANA Cloud transformation and wider business systems, whilst ensuring products and services align to university priorities.
- Driving innovation, AI and continuous improvement by helping DMU translate AI, automation and emerging technology into practical, ethical and high-impact products and services.
This incredible opportunity would suit someone from a digital delivery, release management, service delivery, programme delivery or product leadership background. Higher education experience is not essential; what matters most is seniority, judgement, communication, adaptability and the ability to lead people through change.
For further information or to apply please contact Lauren O’Brien on 020 8253 1806 or DMU-product@global-resourcing.com or to arrange an informal conversation.