Head of Digital Product

Reports to: Product Strategy Director

Line manages: Digital Content Lead

Location: Currently operating hybrid working in our West London Office

Contract: Permanent

Pattern: Full Time (standard hours 9am – 5.30pm)

Interviews: Interviews will be arranged as suitable candidates are identified, so early application is strongly advised

About the role:

We are excited to advertise this role in a newly formed Product Strategy Team. The Head of Digital Product is accountable for the digital product strategy and all aspects of the digital user experience of AC+ programmes. They will work as a tight-knit team with the Product Strategy Director and other Heads of Product to ensure this coheres to create a compelling offer that brings AC+ strategy to life and meets school and MAT needs in a commercially sustainable way. They will own, develop and deliver a digital roadmap to drive increased impact and financial returns.

The digital roadmap is informed by closely working with customers unpicking their needs and usage and other relevant data. They also work closely with the Education Director and relevant Heads of Subject to understand educational priorities across all components of our subject excellence programmes. They have a deep understanding of the competitive landscape, the potential market for new developments, and needs within Ark Schools, other current users and non-users. They lead a small internal digital content team and manage our external platform supplier(s) and digital partners to implement agreed developments, ensuring strong project and product management processes are in place and followed. They work closely with the Partnerships and Fundraising teams, as appropriate, to ensure the benefits of the programmes and new developments are well understood and communicated and sales and renewal targets are met.

Key Responsibilities: 

• Contribute to and implement the organisation’s strategy and mission
• Lead the organisation’s vision digital experiences, communicating and implementing this vision to support the overall mission, strategy, and sustainability
• Build a clear and coherent understanding of all educational markets and user needs
• Develop a roadmap for digital developments, setting up for success based on insights and educational priorities
• Define, propose, and deliver digital products and manage technical implementations with internal resources and external suppliers
• Manage digital platform supplier(s) and digital partnerships to ensure an optimal user experience for teachers and leaders
• Lead cross-functional projects to align departments and subject teams towards a cohesive digital user experience
• Establish relationships within the wider educational and digital communities to enhance impact and best practices
• Challenge and monitor project plans, ensuring releases are on time, within scope, budget, and high quality
• Oversee and manage the digital budget, ensuring costs align with the plan and cash flow
• Work with the Partnerships team to communicate the digital benefits, meeting sales and renewal targets
• Recruit, manage, and mentor staff, ensuring strong onboarding and continuous learning for team members

Key Requirements:

• Educated to degree level
• Shows a significant commitment to ongoing professional development and specialist qualifications
• Right to work in the UK
• Understanding of the digital and AI landscape
• Experience managing external suppliers/partnerships through change to deliver a roadmap of product developments
• Digital Product experience – being able to translate user needs into successful digital products
• Creative thinking and customer empathy: the ability to articulate new propositions based on customer needs
• Demonstrates interest in education developments and best practice in teaching
• Ability to multi-task and re-prioritise workload quickly
• Experience of leading, coaching and managing teams to deliver a consistently high performance to meet defined goals and objectives
• Strong negotiation skills and experience of working with external partners
• An experienced and confident leader with a proven ability to lead and implement change effectively and sustainably
• Ability to probe, challenge and question appropriately and strive for continual improvement

Benefits

• Our hybrid working model aims to offer the best of both worlds, striking the right balance between in-person collaboration and remote working. You will work a minimum of two days per week in our state-of-the-art office in West London allowing you to connect with colleagues, with the flexibility to work remotely, or in the office over the remaining days
• In addition to our current hybrid working arrangements, employees can request to work fully remotely for up to 10 working days a year, whether this be in the UK or abroad
• Our flexitime policy allows you to work your hours around our core hours of 10.00 - 16.00, helping you prioritise your work-life balance and personal commitments
• 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays, rising with each year of service up to 30 days after 3-years’ service. This entitlement is pro rata for part time employees. This entitlement excludes bank holidays
• Full office closure between Christmas and New Year
• Regular social events, monthly free breakfast, and daily fruit
• As an Ark employee, you will have the opportunity to be part of the TPT (The Pension Trust) scheme, our workplace pension scheme where we make an 11% contribution; you are not required to contribute towards this scheme unless you choose to
• Access to high-quality professional learning throughout your career, offering both face-to-face sessions and a bespoke online learning platform
• Access to Ark Rewards scheme offering savings from over 3,000 major retailers, interest-free loans available for season tickets or a bike, gym discounts offering up to 40% off your local gym and free eye tests

About Us

Ark Curriculum Plus is a not-for-profit education venture set up by the Ark Multi Academy Trust to improve subject outcomes, initially in the Ark network. We’ve now been going for over ten years, using what we learn in Ark to support over 1,000 schools nationally. Our mission is to empower teachers to give every young person, regardless of their background, the subject knowledge and skills that will allow them to succeed.

We now have subject excellence programmes in English, Maths, Science and Geography, at primary and secondary. A team of subject experts work with partner schools to empower teachers to achieve subject excellence using an ambitious curriculum combined with CPD, teaching and assessment resources.

Our programmes, including Mathematics Mastery and English Mastery, have been shown to have measurable impact in evaluations by the EEF, FFT and The Brilliant Club. The DfE is currently providing up to 80% subsidy to eligible schools to promote take-up of our Mathematics Mastery programme at primary.

Diversity and inclusion:

We aim to build a diverse and inclusive organisation where everyone – staff and students – can do their best work and achieve their full potential. We want to reflect and represent diverse perspectives across our organisation because we know that doing so will make us stronger and more effective. To know more about Ark’s diversity and inclusion commitments, please click on this link.

Safeguarding statement:

Ark is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people in its academies. In order to meet this responsibility, its academies follow a rigorous selection process to discourage and screen out unsuitable applicants.

Ark requires all employees to undertake an enhanced DBS check. You are required, before appointment, to disclose any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975. Non-disclosure may lead to termination of employment. However, disclosure of a criminal background will not necessarily debar you from employment - this will depend upon the nature of the offence(s) and when they occurred. To read more about Ark’s safer recruitment process, please click this link.

Please note we will be reviewing applications on an on-going basis and this role may close earlier than advertised depending on the level of response. We strongly encourage to submit your application at your earliest convenience.