Director of Digital in Plymouth

Your new company is a large, well-established and ambitious multi-academy trust in the South West, bringing together a diverse family of primary and secondary schools (31, supporting over 14,500 pupils) united by a clear commitment to improving outcomes and opportunities for young people. The organisation places collaboration at the heart of its approach, encouraging schools and central teams to share expertise, develop best practice and benefit from the strength of working collectively, resulting in excellence and high achievement across all schools.

The Trust has a strong culture built around collaboration, aspiration, integrity, compassion and respect, with a clear focus on supporting both its pupils and its people. It is committed to continuous improvement and professional development, while retaining the individual identity of the schools within its wider family. This is an exciting environment in which to take on a newly created senior leadership position and play a key role in shaping how digital, technology and data can support the Trust's continued development and future ambitions.

Your new role is a newly created, trust-wide leadership role, offering the opportunity to define and deliver a modern digital strategy across a complex, multi-site education environment. Reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer, you will lead the organisation's digital function and shape its future operating model, organisational design, skills and capabilities. As Director of Digital, you will also work closely with the Executive Leadership Team, senior leaders and schools to ensure technology supports the Trust's wider strategic ambitions.

As the Trust's senior digital leader, you will take ownership of its digital strategy, technology roadmap, architecture and technical standards. You will oversee major transformation programmes across areas including Microsoft 365, cloud technology, cyber security, data and responsible AI adoption, ensuring investment delivers measurable improvements for schools, staff and pupils. Working closely with the fractional CTO, you will also lead the development of secure, resilient and consistent digital services across the organisation.

You will provide strategic leadership to digital colleagues based centrally and within schools, creating a collaborative, service-led culture with clear standards and opportunities for professional development. Working closely with headteachers and Trust leaders, you will ensure that schools are involved in decisions and receive responsive, high-quality digital support that enables teaching, learning and effective school operations.

This is a highly influential role combining strategic leadership, transformation and commercial responsibility where you will oversee digital budgets, procurement, supplier relationships, information security and digital risk, while providing clear advice and assurance to executive leaders and governance committees. Ultimately, you will ensure that technology gives staff more time to focus on young people and provides every school with a safe, secure and forward-looking digital environment.

Please note the trust is able to offer hybrid working, however you will need to be based at the trust head office, or in trust schools 3 days a week, therefore you must be able to commute regularly to the South West.

What you'll need to succeed:

• To succeed in this role, you will be an experienced and credible digital or technology leader with a strong track record of leading teams and delivering transformation across a complex, multi-site organisation.
• You will bring exceptional leadership capabilities, with the ability to inspire, develop and bring people with you, creating a high-performing, collaborative and service-focused culture.
• Alongside strong strategic and technical understanding, you'll be an excellent communicator and relationship builder, comfortable operating at executive level, influencing senior stakeholders and translating digital strategy into meaningful organisational change.
• Experience within education or the public sector would be advantageous, but most importantly, you will be a forward-thinking, people-focused leader with the vision and drive to take an established team forward and shape the Trust's digital future.

What you'll get in return:

• This is an incredibly exciting newly created role offering you the opportunity to shape and evolve the Digital team at the trust and in return, you'll receive a competitive salary of between £87,000 and £98,756 dependent on experience, as well as an excellent public-sector benefits package.
• 31 days' annual leave, three additional Christmas closure days and bank holidays.
• Membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Employee Assistance Programme.
• Occupational Health support.
• Cycle to Work and Tech Schemes.
• Staff discounts, eye care and flu vouchers.
• Discounted EV charging where available.
• Personal budget for CPD, conferences and professional networks.
• Support towards full or chartered membership of a relevant professional body such as BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT.
• Support for senior leadership development and active participation in sector networks.
• Flexible and compressed working arrangements with a minimum of three days per week based at the Trust's HQ or across its schools.

What you need to do now:

Please note this role will close at 9am on Friday 4th December, and you must be available for an on-site interview on Wednesday 16th December in Plymouth.