Deputy Director (Development & Transformation) – Full Time – Chelmsford

Job Title: Deputy Director (Development & Transformation)
Location: Cambridge/Chelmsford
Salary: Competitive
Job type: Full Time, Permanent
Closing Date: 07/09/2026

About ARU:

ARU is a global university transforming lives through innovative, inclusive and entrepreneurial education and research. ARU holds a Gold award for the quality of its education, awarded through the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF). ARU's research institutes and four faculties bridge scientific, technical and creative fields. We deliver impactful research which tackles pressing issues and makes a real difference to our communities. Our academic excellence has been recognised by the UK's Higher Education funding bodies, with 16 of our research areas assessed as world leading. We are the largest provider of Nursing, Midwifery, Health and Social Care students in the East of England, and we are also among the UK's leading universities for degree apprenticeship provision, working with hundreds of employers across the UK.

About the Role:

As Deputy Director - Development & Transformation, you will play a pivotal leadership role in delivering ARU's digital vision and supporting the ambitions of our new University Strategy. Leading teams across product management, solution development, project delivery, digital skills and business engagement, you will drive digitally enabled change that improves services, strengthens user experience and delivers measurable value for students, staff and partners. Working closely with senior leaders across ARU, you will shape priorities, oversee delivery of major digital initiatives, manage key supplier relationships and ensure innovation, quality and customer focus are embedded across our digital transformation agenda.

We're looking for an experienced digital leader with strong strategic, technical and operational skills, able to turn ARU's digital vision into successful delivery. You will bring excellent stakeholder engagement, communication and influencing skills, with the ability to lead diverse teams, manage complex portfolios, and deliver high-quality digital products and services. You'll combine sound judgement, commercial awareness and customer focus with a strong understanding of emerging technologies, data governance and change delivery, inspiring others to achieve lasting improvement for ARU's students and staff.

Interviews scheduled for Wednesday, 23rd September 2026 at Chelmsford Campus.

Extra Information:

We have an agile working culture and offer an extensive range of benefits including generous holiday entitlement, occupational pension schemes, training and development opportunities, travel to work scheme and a competitive relocation package.

• generous holiday entitlement
• occupational pension schemes
• training and development opportunities
• travel to work scheme
• competitive relocation package

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting welfare of our staff and students and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Applicants should be aware that ARU will carry out online searches as part of the due diligence on short listed candidates.

We value diversity at ARU and welcome applications from all sections of the community.

We have a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK and will conduct Right to Work checks in line with UKVI's Right to Work policy and our own institutional policy. Furthermore, we must note:

• * Applicants applying from outside the UK: At this time, ARU is unable to sponsor applicants applying from overseas for a Worker Route visa.
• * Applicants already in the UK: ARU is unable to offer Worker Route visa sponsorship to applicants whose salary does not meet our minimum sponsorship threshold, which aligns with roles at Grade 6 and above.

Committed to being inclusive and open to discuss flexible working.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy once we have received sufficient applications.

Candidates with experience in roles such as Deputy Director of Digital Transformation, Deputy Director of Development and Transformation, Director of Digital Transformation, Digital Transformation Director, Director of Digital Services, Director of Technology, Director of IT, Director of Digital and Technology, Head of Digital Transformation, Head of Digital Services, Head of Digital Development, Head of Technology Transformation, Head of Digital Delivery, Digital Transformation Lead, Digital Strategy Director, Digital Programme Director, will also be considered for this role.

#J-18808-Ljbffr