The Open University is the leading university for flexible and effective distance learning, as well as innovative world-leading research, in the United Kingdom and in over 100 countries worldwide. Uniquely placed to understand the needs of part-time students who combine their learning while earning, our innovative, award-winning distance teaching credentials have seen over two million students receive an education otherwise denied to them at campus-based universities. We are proud to play a unique role in promoting educational opportunity and social justice by providing high-quality education to all who wish to realise their ambitions and fulfil their potential and we have led the learning revolution and pioneered innovative teaching methods that enable us to reach people and communities that other universities are not able to reach.
As we approach our 50th anniversary, we are challenging ourselves to be as daring as our founders in order to sustain our great mission and reach more students with life-changing learning. With so many of the assets needed: motivated students, committed staff, a spirit of innovation and complete dedication to our mission, we’re once again making a significant investment in digital, data and technology to ensure that we can deliver a world class learning and teaching experience whilst underpinning student success and strong business performance.
As the OU’s Chief Data Officer, you will be tasked with defining and delivering an enterprise wide data strategy and roadmap, establishing a central data function for the first time to ensure that we can harness and maximise the value of our data. To this end, you’ll work in partnership with a broad range of stakeholders and partners to deliver sector leading data products and services, helping us to maximise our investment in our new core platform. You’ll design and enable new ways of working, delivering on demand access and self-service capability to empower and equip our broad range of disparate users to achieve desired outcomes and the role will encompass data strategy, data governance, technical platform development, business process design and the iterative development of skills and a working culture that will enable and support.
Having performed a similar role in a large, distributed organisation, you will have established and led a large, progressive data function, developing innovative, future focused data science and analytics capability in support of business objectives. With exceptional leadership credentials and a sophisticated approach to stakeholder and supplier management, you will be a strategic and lateral thinker with experience of having contributed to data driven business transformation, establishing the discipline as a strategic corporate asset.
You will have been educated to degree level or possess an equivalent qualification in a relevant subject or have equivalent relevant data leadership experience.
This is a fantastic opportunity to join a world class institution in a pivotal and highly visible leadership role which will require high levels of personal energy and commitment.
To find out more about this exciting opportunity along with the summary of duties and person specification please visit here
For an informal and confidential discussion please contact Stephanie Wilson on 07880 382745 or Ella Milward Hamylton on 07538 979416.