Strategic Lead, Publishing & Partnerships 

Salary:  £45,100 - £60,400

Location: Cambridge / Coventry – Hybrid (40–60% on site) 

Contract: Permanent 

Hours:Full time, 35?hours per week 

Educational publishing is changing. This is an exciting opportunity to lead how OCR responds to shifting landscapes and needs —building partnerships and publishing strategies that successfully support teachers and learners across the UK. 

We are Cambridge University Press & Assessment, a world-leading academic publisher and assessment organisation and a proud part of the University of Cambridge.? 

We're recruiting a Strategic Lead, Publishing & Partnerships to develop and deliver a UK Education publishing strategy for OCR qualifications. You'll create a clear roadmap for securing market-leading support—through in-house publishing, established publisher partners and new digital providers—ensuring our qualifications are backed by high-quality resources that meet evolving customer needs. 

About the role? 

In this role, you will lead the strategy for publisher support for OCR qualifications, ensuring timely, high-quality, market-leading resources are in place to support new and redeveloped qualifications. You will own the publishing roadmap across the portfolio, combining customer and competitor insight with strategic research to identify the most effective publishing models and partners, including innovative digital resource providers. 

Additional?responsibilities and accountabilities include:? 

• Lead the end-to-end strategy to secure high-quality Teaching & Learning support for OCR qualifications, balancing timelines, market size, changing customer needs and financial viability.  Own and deliver a publishing roadmap for new and redeveloped qualifications, coordinating requirements across internal teams and external publishers.  Partner closely with Qualifications Product Management and wider stakeholders to ensure portfolio planning reflects publishing needs and critical timeframes.  Define and deliver strategic research on publishing themes, customer needs, industry trends, business models and emerging product types.  Test, scope and validate innovative and alternative publishing models, building internal buy-in and embedding new approaches with external partners.  Manage budgets for in-house and external publishing projects, actively monitoring costs and ensuring publishing income and expenditure is incorporated into project planning.  Manage and deepen relationships with established third-party publishers, influencing senior stakeholders (Director / Publisher level) to secure appropriate support for OCR products.  Develop new relationships with digital teaching and learning resource publishers, building a broader ecosystem of support for OCR qualifications.  Maintain ongoing customer and competitor insight to ensure strategies remain aligned to the UK education market and future needs.  Own endorsement strategies, relationships and contracts, working closely with the Product Support Coordinator.  Oversee the endorsement process for UK-focused Cambridge publishing, ensuring a timely and high-quality experience for third-party publishers. 

This position has been classified as a hybrid role, requiring the selected candidate to typically spend 40-60% of their time collaborating and connecting face-to-face at their dedicated location. Aside from our hybrid principles, other flexible working requests will be considered from the first day of employment, including other work arrangements should you?require?adjustments due to a disability or long-term health condition.? 

About You?? 

You will: 

• Have extensive experience in publishing, with strong knowledge of UK education system and educational publishing landscape  Be confident using market insight and research to shape commercially viable propositions that deliver high customer value.  Demonstrate proven ability to develop and deliver successful strategies and roadmaps in complex environments.  Be experienced in influencing and assuring senior stakeholders and building effective partnerships. 

If you meet the?above?minimum?requirements, we encourage you to apply. Your application will be even stronger if you can also?demonstrate?the?following?desirable?criteria:? 

• Knowledge of the UK regulatory environment for education and qualifications.  Experience working within an awarding organisation or education-related setting.  Experience engaging digital teaching and learning resource publishers or developing digital publishing models.  Experience designing or operating endorsement or external partnership frameworks. 

For a detailed job description, please refer to the link at the bottom of the advert on our careers site.  

We are a Disability Confident (DC) employer that is committed to equality and inclusion ensuring our recruitment process is accessible to all. The DC scheme's Offer of an Interview commitment applies to applicants who opt in, and?disclose?a disability or a long-term health condition, and who best meet the?minimum?criteria for the role. In instances where interviewing all qualifying candidates is not?practicable and/or appropriate, we prioritise those who best meet the?minimum?criteria, as we would for applicants who do not have a disability or long-term health condition.??

Cambridge University Press & Assessment is an approved UK employer for the sponsorship of eligible roles and applicants under the Skilled Worker visa route. Please refer to the?gov.uk?website for guidance to understand your own eligibility based on the role you are applying for. 

Rewards and benefits?? 

We will support you to be at your best in work and to live well outside of it. In addition to competitive salaries, we offer a world-class, flexible?rewards package, featuring family-friendly and planet-friendly benefits including:? 

28 days annual leave plus bank holidays?  Private medical and Permanent Health Insurance??  Discretionary annual bonus??