Director of Digital, Data and Technology

Harris Federation, Croydon, CR0 2RD

13 days remaining to apply

• Start date details

  September

• Closing date

  22 June 2026 at 11:59pm

• Date listed

  9 June 2026

Job details

• Job role:
  • Administration, HR, data and finance
  • Other support roles
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Full time
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full-time equivalent salary: £120,000-£140,000
• Additional allowances:

  Bonus + Pension Scheme (LGPS) + Private Medical Insurance + Additional Harris Benefits

What skills and experience we're looking for

We are seeking a visionary Director of Digital, Data and Technology to shape the future of education at the Harris Federation.

Taking the lead on a bold, organisation-wide digital vision, you will drive transformation across more than 50 academies, using technology, data and AI to unlock better outcomes for thousands of young people.

This is a high-impact leadership role in which you will influence at the very top: advising senior leaders, delivering large-scale digital transformation, and building a modern, secure and data-driven organisation.

If you are a strategic, forward-thinking digital leader with a passion for innovation and making a real difference, this is your opportunity to create lasting impact at scale.

We would like to hear from you if you have:

• Degree or equivalent qualification in a relevant technical discipline
• Senior leadership experience as a CDIO, CIO, CTO or equivalent, leading large-scale digital, data and technology functions
• Proven success in delivering enterprise-wide digital transformation in a complex organisation
• Experience developing and executing digital, data and technology strategies
• Strong understanding of cloud technologies (Microsoft 365, Azure) and enterprise architecture
• Expertise in cyber security, risk management and information governance
• Strategic thinker with the ability to translate vision into delivery
• Strong leadership and people development capability
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder engagement skills
• High level of commercial awareness and financial management

For a full job specification, please download the Job Pack.

What the school offers its staff

The Harris Federation is a leading education charity with 55 Harris primary and secondary academies across London and Essex. The founder, Chairman and sponsor of the Harris Federation, Lord Harris of Peckham, opened our first school in 1990. We now educate some 38,000 young people and closing the gap between children from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers has always been a core mission.

The Harris Federation has a track record of accomplishment in achieving success through rapid school improvement and has built an unrivalled reputation for running outstanding academies in London.

Our people are at the heart of our success. We have developed a strong culture of collaboration and best practice, with professional development and career planning at its centre. We invest in our staff with support, coaching, mentoring, and a wide range of top-quality training programmes delivered at every level to senior leadership.We look for talented individuals who share our vision for creating exceptional places of learning, and are committed to ensuring that every child in London has access to the best possible education.In addition to the opportunities for career progression, training and development, we also offer a competitive rewards and benefits package which includes our Harris Allowance, a Performance and Loyalty Bonus, Pension Scheme, a Wellbeing Cash Plan and many other benefits.

Flexible working opportunities

Harris Federation is committed to fostering a positive and supportive working environment for our staff, recognising that achieving a balance between professional and personal responsibilities is essential. We understand that each individual’s circumstances are unique, which is why we offer flexible working options that can be adapted to meet the needs of both the academy and our employees.

Our approach to flexibility includes a range of solutions, from tailored working hours to part-time arrangements, where appropriate, ensuring that we maintain our high standards of education while supporting the wellbeing of our staff. Whether you are a classroom teacher, support staffor part of our senior leadership team, we work together to find solutions that align with both the operational needs of the academy and your professional development.

Harris Federation and our academies are dedicated to creating an inclusive and collaborative environment, where every member of staff can thrive and feel valued in their role.

Further information about the job

The candidate will be required to undergo a full enhanced DBS check and must be eligible to work in the UK.

Visas cannot be sponsored.

If you're interested in teaching or training to teach in England as an international citizen, we can help you understand your next steps.

The Director of Digital, Data and Technology will lead the strategic direction of digital, data and technology across the Federation, driving innovation, transformation and high-quality service delivery to support education and operational excellence.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Define and deliver the organisation-wide digital and data strategy
• Lead digital transformation to improve education and operations
• Oversee IT, cloud platforms, systems and cyber security
• Build and lead a high-performing technology team
• Enable data-driven decision making and analytics capability
• Enhance service delivery and user experience
• Lead major programmes, budgets and supplier partnerships

For a full list of responsibilities, please download the Job Pack.

Commitment to safeguarding

The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share in this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an Enhanced DBS check, references, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed for all applicants. Before applying, please review our Policy Statement on the Recruitment of Ex-Offenders.

Applying for the job

Apply for the job by following the link below.

CVs will not be accepted for this application.

Additional documents

If you need these documents in an accessible format, please contact the school.

NEW FORMAT Director of Digital, Data & Technology.pdf - 350 KB (opens in new tab)

About Harris Federation

• Type: Multi-academy trust
• Website: Harris Federation website
• Email address: careers@harrisfederation.org.uk
• Phone number: 0208 253 7777
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/harris-federation

Making an impact
Educating 1 in 41 young people in London, we have a track record of achieving success through rapid school improvement, and a reputation for running outstanding academies. Our focus is on the most challenging schools in London and turning them into places where every young person has access to a high-quality education.

Commitment to young people in London
Unlike other large multi-academy trusts, we are committed to transforming schools in London and the surrounding areas. This focus on localisation means we intimately know the communities we work in and have the expertise to help our young people from these backgrounds to succeed. It also allows us to build a much stronger whole Federation network, collaborating more closely to share best working practices across our academies.

Centralised support
To ensure our academies can deliver exceptional education to our young people, we provide them with a strong support provision. Our dedicated central team supports all 55 of our academies, acting as a central hub with expertise in Finance, HR, Compliance, Estates, Audit, Recruitment, and IT, and many more. This centralised structure takes away much of the educational administration from our academy colleagues, allowing them to focus on what they do best – developing bright futures for our young people.

Experts in education
We are focused solely on education and have a team of experienced senior leaders who drive our ambition to deliver outstanding learning opportunities to as many young people as possible. Our organisation is led by people who have extensive experience working in education and know exactly what it is like to be at the forefront of teaching.

Head office location

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