Purpose of the Role
This is the central orchestration role within TDDA. You will own the entire delivery engine — demand intake, portfolio governance, programme execution, PMO discipline, partner ecosystem management, and benefits realisation — across every tower of the function.
Job Description
ISP Head of Delivery & Portfolio
Role Profile
Purpose of the role
This is the central orchestration role within TDDA. You will own the entire delivery engine — demand intake, portfolio governance, programme execution, PMO discipline, partner ecosystem management, and benefits realisation — across every tower of the function.
Your job is to make sure strategic intent becomes executed, embedded outcomes. You will integrate the work of internal teams, managed service partners, specialist consultancies, platform vendors, and regional technology leaders into a single governed portfolio that the business and ExCo can rely on.
The scope is genuinely enterprise-wide: data, cyber, platforms, digital products, martech, customer experience, integrations, EdTech, service operations, school onboarding, and M&A technology integration — across every region ISP operates in.
Reports to: Group TDDA Director
Scope and Complexity
* 23+ jurisdictions, 115+ schools, multiple central functions and a diverse vendor ecosystem
* Multi-platform landscape: ERP, HRIS, SIS, CRM, EdTech, identity, integration, cyber, data, web, martech
* Regional delivery demand from North America, Latin America, Europe (incl. Iberia), Asia & Middle East, India, Malaysia, and Southeast Asia
* Multi-partner delivery model spanning managed services, specialist consultancies, platform vendors, and regional providers
* Compliance-heavy environment: GDPR, country-specific data residency, DPIA, audit controls, IPO-readiness
Key Responsibilities
Demand Management & Planning
Operate the single front door for all TDDA demand. Shape, validate, challenge and consolidate requests from central functions, digital and martech teams, data, cyber, enterprise platforms, service operations, and every region. Maintain a unified demand backlog with clear visibility of scope, business value, cost, capacity load, and dependencies.
For digital, martech and customer experience workstreams, coordinate demand and sequencing with the Head of Digital Products & Experience, marketing technology leads, and CX owners — ensuring these initiatives follow enterprise governance, meet gating requirements, and are prioritised alongside the broader portfolio.
Portfolio Governance
* Own the enterprise portfolio governance framework: weekly delivery cadence, monthly steering, quarterly outcomes review
* Prioritise and sequence all change across towers and regions based on business value, capacity, and cross-platform dependencies
* Run critical-path management across interconnected workstreams (data → integration → platforms → cyber → regions)
* Provide complete cost, risk, status, dependency, and benefits transparency to the Group TDDA Director and ExCo
Programme & Project Delivery
Lead Delivery Across The Full Breadth Of TDDA
* Enterprise data: data spine, master data management, common data model, KPI certification, business dashboards
* Enterprise platforms: ERP (NetSuite), HRIS (Workday), SIS (iSAMS), CRM (HubSpot), procurement (ScanMarket), EdTech
* Digital products, web services, martech, and customer experience
* Cyber security, identity & access management, MFA, SecOps, and compliance
* Integration and architecture patterns (Boomi, API-first)
* Service operations, joiners/movers/leavers, SLM, IDAM
* School onboarding and M&A technology integration
* Regional and country-specific technology programmes
Partner & Vendor Ecosystem
This role is the single point of governance across ISP’s entire TDDA partner ecosystem. You will orchestrate, performance-manage, and hold accountable every external partner involved in delivery.
* Managed services & delivery: Wipro (delivery pods across PM, BA, integration, data, engineering; managed services for HR, finance, procurement platforms; Wipro Studios covering cloud, digital, cyber defence, and innovation)
* Data & architecture: Baringa Partners (data strategy, architecture, MDM, KPI frameworks), Aimpoint (Databricks engineering and data platform build), EdEquity (school data models, enrolment data)
* Cyber & compliance: Acora (cyber strategy, assessment, SecOps), plus external legal counsel for contracts, security schedules, and compliance
* Digital, martech & CX: HubSpot (CRM, pipeline), Adverity (marketing analytics), Version1 (learning and competency systems)
* MIS & education systems: IRIS/iSAMS (school MIS, onboarding), Blackbaud (SLM, CRM)
* ERP, HRIS & finance: Workday (HR/payroll), NetSuite (finance), ScanMarket (procurement)
* Regional providers: country-specific vendors supporting onboarding, infrastructure, compliance, and SIS/ERP localisation
Across all partners, you own SOW governance, commercial performance, quality assurance, deliverable acceptance, dependency planning, licence and access controls, and adherence to architecture, cyber, data, and privacy standards.
Regional Delivery Management
Collect, harmonise and prioritise delivery demand from every region. Ensure alignment with global architecture, data, cyber, and platform standards while managing local regulatory requirements (GDPR, country data residency, regional privacy rules). Coordinate rollout dependencies, readiness, and escalations across regional operating calendars.
Financial & Commercial Governance
* Govern partner and programme spend across TDDA
* Track CAPEX/OPEX boundaries, cost-to-serve, and transformation savings
* Optimise vendor usage, licensing, and commercial terms
Delivery Governance & Controls
Enforce Mandatory Gating Across All TDDA Work
* Design Authority (architecture patterns and standards)
* Cyber, DPIA, and privacy‑by‑design gates
* Data Governance Council
* Change Advisory Board
* Service transition‑to‑run gates
Maintain full evidence trails for audit, risk, compliance, and IPO readiness.
Acquisition‑as‑a‑Service
Lead technology due diligence, integration, and onboarding for new school acquisitions. Deploy standardised playbooks covering identity, platforms, data synchronisation, devices, and service onboarding. Ensure new acquisitions integrate into the enterprise data model and business dashboard.
Business Dashboard
Partner with the data team to deliver dashboard releases, KPI packs, and semantic layers. Sequence dashboard delivery alongside functional and regional readiness. Ensure upstream data quality, certified KPI logic, and governance compliance.
Decision Rights
* Approve enterprise portfolio sequencing and prioritisation (subject to ExCo governance)
* Accept or reject deliverables from internal teams and all partners
* Stop, pause, or rescope programmes where foundations are at risk
* Approve PMO standards, gating criteria, and quality thresholds
* Control partner capacity allocation across delivery pods
* Approve regional prioritisation changes (with ExCo guidance)
Key Deliverables (First 6 Months)
* Enterprise‑wide delivery and portfolio master plan with dependencies, milestones, and capacity model
* Embedded governance cadence: weekly execution, monthly steering, quarterly outcomes
* Live quality‑gate framework across DA, cyber, DPIA, data governance, and CAB
* Partner performance framework and acceptance workflow (Wipro and all partners)
* Regional demand boards and governance rhythm
* Portfolio transparency dashboards for ExCo and Board (predictability, risk, value)
* Business dashboard wave 1–2 sequenced and in delivery
* M&A onboarding playbook tested in a live scenario
Success Measures
* Portfolio predictability: % milestones achieved on time, trend improvement quarter‑on‑quarter
* Governance compliance: % initiatives passing quality gates at first submission
* Partner performance: output quality, velocity, acceptance rate, rework reduction
* Value realisation: measurable manual effort reduction, KPI certification, time‑to‑insight improvement
* Financial discipline: budget adherence, cost‑to‑serve tracking, transformation savings
* Regional satisfaction: feedback from regional heads and functional stakeholders
* M&A onboarding speed and quality
* Business dashboard adoption and KPI certification
Experience
What We’re Looking For
* 12–18 years leading enterprise delivery, portfolio, or transformation functions in complex multi‑region organisations
* Proven track record orchestrating multi‑vendor delivery ecosystems at scale
* Strong governance, RAID, dependency management, and quality‑gate discipline
* Experience with enterprise platform landscapes: ERP, HRIS, SIS, CRM, identity, integration, data, and cyber
* Commercial and financial governance experience (CAPEX/OPEX, business cases, vendor optimisation)
* Comfortable operating in audit‑heavy, regulated, or IPO‑readiness environments
Skills & Competencies
* Delivery excellence and execution discipline
* Systems thinking: able to see cross‑platform dependencies and sequence accordingly
* Crisp, non‑technical communication at executive and board level
* Confident escalation and timely decision‑making
* Vendor and stakeholder management across diverse partner types
* Outcome‑first mindset with the rigour to back it up
Desirable
* Experience in education, multi‑site, or international operating environments
* Exposure to digital product, martech, or customer experience delivery
* Experience with managed services transitions or operating model transformation
ISP Principles
Begin with our children and students. Our children and students are at the heart of what we do. Simply, their success is our success. Wellbeing and safety are both essential for learners and learning. Therefore, we are consistent in identifying potential safeguarding and Health & Safety issues and acting and following up on all concerns appropriately.
Treat everyone with care and respect. We look after one another, embrace similarities and differences and promote the well‑being of self and others.
Operate effectively. We focus relentlessly on the things that are most important and will make the most difference. We apply school policies and procedures and embody the shared ideas of our community.
Are financially responsible. We make financial choices carefully based on the needs of the children, students and our schools.
Learn continuously. Getting better is what drives us. We positively engage with personal and professional development and school improvement.
ISP Commitment to Safeguarding Principles
ISP is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All post holders are subject to appropriate vetting procedures, including an online due diligence search, references and satisfactory Criminal Background Checks or equivalent covering the previous 10 years’ employment history.
ISP Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
ISP is committed to strengthening our inclusive culture by identifying, hiring, developing, and retaining high‑performing teammates regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender expression, age, disability status, neurodivergence, socio‑economic background or other demographic characteristics. Candidates who share our vision and principles and are interested in contributing to the success of ISP through this role are strongly encouraged to apply.
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