At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the development of innovative student services and enhance their university experience.
- Company: Join Imperial College London, a top global university with a vibrant community.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, 41 days annual leave, and flexible working options.
- Other info: Be part of a diverse and inclusive culture that values collaboration and creativity.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on thousands of students' lives through digital transformation.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in product leadership and digital innovation is essential.
Head of Product - Student Services (Maternity Cover)
Job number COO01414 Faculties Chief Operating Officer (COO) Team Departments Information & Communication Technologies Salary or Salary range £69,365- £79,257 per annum Location/campus White City Campus - Hybrid Contract type work pattern Full time - Fixed term Posting End Date 12 Aug 2026
This role is a maternity cover.
About the role
Imperial College London is seeking an exceptional Head of Product – Student Services to join us on a 13-month maternity cover contract, leading one of the University’s most strategically important digital product portfolios.
This role offers a unique opportunity to share the future of services that support students throughout their Imperial journey, from enrolment through to graduation and beyond. A part of Imperial’s Digital Products leadership team, you will be responsible for defining and delivering the vision, strategy and roadmap for products that enable student administration, support, wellbeing and engagement across our diverse student community.
Leading multidisciplinary teams, you will work in partnership with colleagues across Registry, Student Services, Faculties and ICT to drive service transformation, modernise technology platforms and deliver seamless, student-centred experiences.
This is an ideal opportunity for an experienced product leader looking to make a significant impact within a world-leading institution while contributing to a major programme of digital and service transformation.
What you would be doing
As Head of Product, you will:
- Define and deliver the strategic product vision and roadmap for Imperial’s Student Product line
- Lead the development and continuous improvement of products supporting student administration, wellbeing, support and engagement
- Build strong partnerships with stakeholders across Registry, Student Services, Education Officer, Faculties and Departments, and ICT to align product investment with institutional priorities
- Lead multidisciplinary teams of Product Managers, Engineers and Data Specialists to deliver impactful outcomes for students.
- Simplify and modernise the technology landscape, reducing complexity and retiring legacy platforms, where appropriate.
- Champion user-centred product delivery, ensuring student needs remain at the heart of decision making.
- Use data, research and insight to measure product performance, identify opportunities and drive continuous improvement.
- Establish robust governance and operational practices that support reliability, compliance, security and service excellence.
- Oversee produce portfolio budgets and ensure resources are aligned to strategic priorities.
- Develop productive relationships with external suppliers and sector partners to maximise value and innovation.
- Foster a culture of collaboration, experimentation, accountability and continuous learning across product teams.
What we are looking for
We are looking for someone who:
- Has substantial experience in a senior product leadership role within complex organisations.
- Has a proven track record of delivering large-scale digital transformation and product innovation.
- Demonstrates strong strategic thinking and the ability to translate organisational goals into compelling product visions and roadmaps.
- Is highly skilled in Agile product delivery methodologies and modern product management practices.
- Demonstrates exceptional stakeholder management and influencing skills, including working with senior leaders and diverse business communities.
- Has experience managing budgets in the £1m to £5m range, and balancing investment decisions against strategic outcomes.
- Brings strong commercial and supplier management experience within multi-vendor environments.
- Is passionate about improving customer experience through technology and service design.
- Understands the opportunities and challenges associated with delivering excellent student administration, support and wellbeing services in a large and diverse organisation.
- Champions inclusive design and is committed to improving access, equity and outcomes through digital innovation.
Experience within Higher Education is welcome but not essential. We are interested in hearing from talented product leaders from a range of sectors who are passionate about creating exceptional user experiences to scale.
What we can offer you
- The opportunity to shape products and services that directly affect the experience of thousands of students.
- A key leadership position within one of the world’s leading universities.
- A collaborative and supportive environment where innovation is encouraged and celebrated.
- The opportunity to continue your career at a world-leading institution and be part of our mission to use science for humanity.
- Benefit from a sector-leading salary and remuneration package (including 41 days’ annual leave and generous pension schemes).
- Access to a range of workplace benefits including a flexible working policy from day one, generous family leave packages, on-site leisure facilities and cycle-to-work scheme.
- Interest-free season ticket loan schemes for travel.
- Be part of a diverse, inclusive and collaborative work culture with various staff networks and resources to support your personal and professional wellbeing .
Further information
This is a full-time post (35 hours per week). This role is for a fixed‑term contract for 13 months (September 2026 to end October 2027).
If you require any further details about the role, please contact: Kavita Kapoor, Director of Digital Products (k.kapoor@imperial.ac.uk ).
Available documents
Attached documents are available under links. Clicking a document link will initialize its download.
- download: Employee Benefits Booklet - V.2026.pdf
- download: Job Description Head of Product - Student Services.pdf
Please note that job descriptions are not exhaustive, and you may be asked to take on additional duties that align with the key responsibilities mentioned above.
We reserve the right to close the advert prior to the closing date stated, should we receive a high volume of applications. It is therefore advisable that you submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
If you encounter any technical issues while applying online, please don't hesitate to email us at support.jobs@imperial.ac.uk . We're here to help.
About Imperial
Welcome to Imperial, a global top-ten university where scientific imagination leads to world-changing impact.
Join us and be part of something bigger. From global health to climate change, AI to business leadership, here at Imperial we navigate some of the world’s toughest challenges. Whatever your role, your contribution will have a lasting impact.
As a member of our vibrant community of 22,000 students and 8,000 staff, you’ll collaborate with passionate minds across nine London campuses and a global network.
This is your chance to help shape the future. We hope you’ll join us at Imperial College London.
Our Culture
We work towards equality of opportunity, to eliminating discrimination, and to creating an inclusive working environment for all. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries, and are committed to employing a team that has diverse skills, experiences and abilities. You can read more about our commitment on our web pages .
Proud signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant. We welcome applications from the Armed Forces community.
Our values are at the root of everything we do, and everyone in our community is expected to demonstrate respect, collaboration, excellence, integrity, and innovation.
Head of Product - Student Services (Maternity Cover) in Gloucester employer: SONICOM
At SONICOM, we pride ourselves on being an excellent employer by fostering a diverse and inclusive research environment that encourages collaboration and innovation. Our commitment to employee growth is reflected in our sector-leading salary and opportunities for professional development, making this an ideal place for passionate individuals to thrive in the field of mitochondrial medicine.
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