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- Tasks: Lead a global team in transforming academic publishing through innovative operations and collaboration.
- Company: Join Cambridge University Press & Assessment, a prestigious part of the University of Cambridge.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, 28 days leave, private medical insurance, and a flexible rewards package.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in academic publishing while driving efficiencies and embracing digital transformation.
- Qualifications: Experience in leading content operations and managing supplier relationships in publishing.
- Other info: Be part of a diverse team committed to continuous improvement and professional growth.
The predicted salary is between 75000 - 105000 £ per year.
Salary: £85,700 - £117,800
Location: Cambridge, hybrid
Contract: Fixed term contract, 18 months
Hours: 35 hours, full time
Are you an operational leader, who defends quality and author experience while driving efficiencies? 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:
Academic publishing is undergoing a period of significant change. Evolving customer needs, digital transformation and the rise of AI is reshaping how we and our authors and communities work and want to read our content. We need to deliver our core publishing to meet our key BAU targets while supporting new approaches and product development. As an operations team, we need to support the new while finding efficiencies, standardisation and improvements to our current ways of working.
This role supports a global team, with the majority of colleagues in the UK but also in the US and India, and involves extensive collaboration with other colleagues internally as well as external suppliers. These suppliers are treated as partners in our pre-press work and we are developing and streamlining our ways of working with their new technologies. Internally this cover role will work closely with the Head of Supply Chain Operations, Academic, to ensure team cohesion across the end-to-end publishing lifecycle, including onward digital and physical distribution. Building relationships with our editorial teams is also vital in enabling us to protect Cambridge standards as we deliver efficiency projects. Strong stakeholder engagement, empathy and diplomacy are needed to manage expectations and significant change programmes.
About You:
- Have experience of leading a large team or department in a publishing operations setting, ideally content operations. Experience of leading teams in Academic publishing organisations is desirable.
- Be a positive and decisive person, who is motivated by working on multiple priorities and inspiring others. You will be able to judge when to be hands on and delve into details and actions yourself but also when to step back and take a broader view.
- Thrive working with multiple teams, offering excellent communication lines and clear and honest direction to maximise performance and improvements.
- Have significant experience in supplier management, working collaboratively with them to drive continuous improvement and maintain service levels.
- Be an experienced line manager, developing and coaching colleagues to pursue their potential. You will be able to empathise with your team when difficulties arise, connecting them back to our responsibilities and purpose.
- Have a proven track record delivering efficiencies to ways of working with demonstrable cost or time saving benefits.
- Use data to inform decisions, manage the team to deliver against Key Performance Indicators and decide our strategic priorities.
- Have experience working in content publishing and understand the complexity of the Academic publishing landscape.
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:
- Your experience in supplier management would ideally be in a pre-press/production publishing environment.
- Experience working with content accessibility and digital-first content approaches.
- Evidence that you are up to date on the latest industry news on Open Research.
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 government.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 x annual salary
- Green travel schemes
Ready to pursue your potential? Apply now.
We aim to support candidates by making our interview process clear and transparent. The closing date for all applications will be 24 March 2026 11.59pm BST. We will review applications on an ongoing basis, and shortlisted candidates can expect interviews to take place from week commencing 30 March 2026.
If you are shortlisted and progressed through the stages, you can expect:
- First stage virtual interview via MS Teams.
- Final stage interview: in-person at our offices in Cambridge. You will be provided with a brief to complete a role related task which will need to be returned by email in advance of your interview.
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 will 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 is 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.
Content Operations Director in Cambridge employer: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS & ASSESMENT
Contact Detail:
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS & ASSESMENT Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Content Operations Director in Cambridge
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the academic publishing world and let them know you're on the hunt for a Content Operations Director role. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for those interviews! Research Cambridge University Press & Assessment thoroughly, understand their mission, and be ready to discuss how your experience aligns with their goals. Show them you’re not just another candidate, but someone who truly gets what they’re about.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! You’ll want to clearly articulate your leadership style and how you’ve driven efficiencies in past roles. Make it engaging and relatable – think of it as telling a story that highlights your journey in content operations.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining our team and contributing to the exciting changes in academic publishing.
We think you need these skills to ace Content Operations Director in Cambridge
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Content Operations Director role. Highlight your experience in academic publishing and operational leadership, showing us how you can drive efficiencies while maintaining quality.
Showcase Your Team Leadership Skills: We want to see your experience in leading large teams. Share examples of how you've inspired others and managed multiple priorities, as this is key for the role. Don't forget to mention any coaching or development you've provided to your team!
Demonstrate Supplier Management Experience: Since supplier management is crucial for this position, give us the lowdown on your past experiences working with suppliers. Tell us how you've collaborated with them to improve service levels and drive continuous improvement.
Apply Through Our Website: Remember, the best way to apply is through our official website. This ensures your application gets to the right place and helps us keep track of everything. Plus, it’s super easy to do!
How to prepare for a job interview at CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS & ASSESMENT
✨Know Your Stuff
Before the interview, dive deep into Cambridge University Press & Assessment's mission and recent projects. Familiarise yourself with their approach to academic publishing, especially in relation to digital transformation and AI. This will help you demonstrate your understanding of the industry and how you can contribute.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Be ready to discuss your experience in leading teams, particularly in content operations. Prepare specific examples of how you've inspired others, managed multiple priorities, and delivered efficiencies. Highlight your ability to balance hands-on involvement with strategic oversight.
✨Engage with Stakeholders
Since this role involves extensive collaboration, think about how you've successfully engaged with various stakeholders in the past. Be prepared to share stories that showcase your empathy, diplomacy, and ability to manage expectations during significant changes.
✨Data-Driven Decision Making
As the role requires using data to inform decisions, come equipped with examples of how you've used data to drive improvements in previous roles. Discuss any Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) you've managed and how they influenced your team's performance and strategic priorities.