Find a job 
Featured Companies 
Featured Universities 
For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the ELT portfolio, ensuring strategic digital products are delivered on time and within budget.
- Company: Join a forward-thinking organisation that values innovation and collaboration.
- Benefits: Enjoy 25 days holiday, flexible working, private medical insurance, and a generous pension contribution.
- Other info: Hybrid working policy with opportunities for professional development and career growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by shaping and delivering high-level projects in a dynamic environment.
- Qualifications: Strong background in portfolio management and project delivery with excellent stakeholder skills.
The predicted salary is between 70000 - 90000 £ per year.
As our new Head of Portfolio, you will operate across the ELT portfolio within Global Technology to ensure consistent planning and drive of delivery for strategic digital products and their enabling ecommerce and marketing priorities with Enterprise Technology Portfolio Delivery. You will be responsible for Level 1 Portfolio Governance framework to provide holistic view of new business demand shaping, working closely with Front Office, Product and Back Office technology services teams to ensure strategic initiatives and benefits are delivered to quality, cost, and time.
The Head of Portfolio for ELT will also be accountable for providing advanced level planning input to complex assignments and projects through strong leadership to Project Managers and Business Analysts across Global Technology. The role requires a deep level of expertise in building and maintaining strong positive stakeholder relationships and portfolio planning and budgeting. Collaborate and support proactive early prioritising, scoping, and shaping of deliverables from broad high-level concepts and problem statements.
You will have line management responsibilities for a team of business analysts and project managers, ensuring highly skilled individuals are developed and the portfolio pipeline is appropriately resourced to meet business demand in line to portfolio budget. This role will collaborate with PMO and other SMEs across Technology and Publishing teams to ensure there is alignment and clarity of approach for all new demand and an ability to drive resolution to complex ambiguous initiatives while working collaboratively with other delivery teams is essential.
We operate a hybrid working policy that requires a minimum of 2 days per week in the Oxford office.
About You
- Strong background and understanding of portfolio management and end to end delivery models for change initiatives.
- Strong Project Management background including operating in a multi-disciplinary environment.
- Extensive knowledge of shaping and defining Portfolio Governance structures at L1/Executive Level.
- Ability to identify, track and concisely define internal and external dependencies across portfolios and projects.
- Accountable for divisional outcomes and work through ambiguity and define portfolio work packages to deliver to quality, cost, and time.
- Strong stakeholder management skills, able to build collaborative relationships whilst holding to account and having challenging conversations.
- Strong coaching and mentoring skills, track record of developing and mentoring individuals.
- Ability to lead through uncertainty, helping business stakeholders shape demand, assess options and risks to achieve optimum outcomes.
We care about work/life balance here at OUP. With this in mind we offer 25 days’ holiday that rises with service, plus bank holidays and Christmas closure (3-days) and a 35-hour working week. We are open to discussing flexibility in respect to working patterns, dependent on role. We also have a great variety of active employee networks and societies.
We help make your money go further by contributing to your pension up to 12%, offering loans and savings schemes through our partnership with Salary Finance, in addition to travel to work schemes and access to a wide range of local discounts. This role comes with the added benefit of private medical insurance and a management bonus.
Head of ELT Portfolio employer: Oxford University Press
Contact Detail:
Oxford University Press Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of ELT Portfolio
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in your industry, especially those who work at companies you're interested in. A friendly chat can open doors and give you insider info that could help you stand out.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its culture. Understand their products and services, and think about how your skills can contribute to their goals. This shows you're genuinely interested and ready to hit the ground running.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! Be ready to explain your experience and how it aligns with the role of Head of ELT Portfolio. Keep it concise but impactful, highlighting your leadership and stakeholder management skills.
✨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, we love seeing candidates who are proactive about their job search.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of ELT Portfolio
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV speaks directly to the Head of Portfolio role. Highlight your experience in portfolio management and project delivery, and don’t forget to mention any relevant governance structures you've worked with. We want to see how your skills align with our needs!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to tell us why you’re the perfect fit for this role. Share specific examples of how you've built strong stakeholder relationships and led teams through complex projects. Keep it engaging and personal!
Showcase Your Leadership Skills: Since this role involves managing a team, make sure to highlight your coaching and mentoring experiences. We love seeing how you've developed others and fostered collaboration in your previous roles. Let us know how you lead through uncertainty!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets into the right hands. Plus, you’ll find all the details about the role and our company culture there. Don’t miss out!
How to prepare for a job interview at Oxford University Press
✨Know Your Portfolio Inside Out
Before the interview, make sure you thoroughly understand the ELT portfolio and its strategic digital products. Familiarise yourself with the key stakeholders and how they interact within the portfolio. This will help you demonstrate your expertise and show that you're ready to hit the ground running.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
As a Head of Portfolio, strong leadership is crucial. Prepare examples of how you've successfully led teams through complex projects or initiatives. Highlight your coaching and mentoring experiences, as well as how you've developed individuals in previous roles.
✨Prepare for Stakeholder Management Scenarios
Expect questions about stakeholder management and how you've navigated challenging conversations. Think of specific instances where you've built collaborative relationships or resolved conflicts. This will showcase your ability to manage diverse perspectives and drive results.
✨Demonstrate Your Strategic Thinking
Be ready to discuss how you approach portfolio governance and planning. Prepare to talk about how you've shaped demand and defined work packages in previous roles. This will illustrate your capability to think strategically and deliver quality outcomes on time and within budget.