Head of Product

Head of Product, Student Services

📍 London — Hybrid 2 days a week

📄 Fixed-Term Contract to October 2027 | Inside IR35

We're recruiting a Head of Product, Student Services on behalf of a leading higher education institution's ICT function. This is a senior leadership role covering a maternity leave, responsible for the strategic direction of a portfolio of digital products supporting students, staff and the wider institution.

About the role

As Head of Product, you'll define and deliver the product vision and strategy for a portfolio of digital services, leading a cross-functional team of product managers and engineers. You'll own the evolution of the organisation's product operating model and ensure digital services are high-quality, accessible and continuously improved through user feedback and data.

Key responsibilities

• Establish and communicate a clear vision and roadmap for the product portfolio, aligned to institutional strategy
• Lead the evolution of the Product Operating Model, governance, standards, lifecycle management and value measurement
• Oversee the full product lifecycle from discovery to delivery and continuous improvement
• Drive outcome-based roadmaps, prioritising based on user needs, organisational impact and data
• Champion service quality and simplification of the technology estate
• Build strong relationships across students, academics, professional services and external partners
• Lead supplier management, including contract performance and value realisation
• Lead, coach and develop multi-disciplinary teams
• Manage budgets and resources against strategic priorities
• Identify and manage risk, ensuring appropriate governance

What we're looking for

• Proven experience leading product at portfolio scale, not just a single product
• People management experience leading product managers and engineers
• Experience operating in large, complex, matrixed organisations
• Strong stakeholder management skills across technical and non-technical audiences
• Background in higher education, public sector or charity is advantageous but not essential

The details

💰 Salary: £70,000–£82,000

📄 Contract: Fixed-term, to end of October 2027, Inside IR35 (managerial responsibilities)

🏙️ Location: London — Hybrid 2 days

📅 Start date: Ideally before late September, with some flexibility for the right candidate

🗓️ Interviews: Week commencing 31 August

Interested, or know someone who'd be a great fit? Get in touch to find out more or send your CV direct to lauren@pulsegroupsolutions.com