Job Title: Solution Lead

Salary: £68,600 - £91,700

Location: Cambridge, UK – Hybrid (40–60% on-site)

Contract: Permanent

Hours: Full time (35 hours per week)

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

Join us as a Solution Lead and play a pivotal role in shaping the technology solutions that underpin our global assessment services. This is an opportunity to influence large‑scale digital transformation, guide talented technical teams, and contribute to our mission of pursuing potential for learners worldwide.

About the role  

As a Solution Lead, you will be responsible for the design, development and implementation of end‑to‑end technology solutions that directly support our business strategy. You will blend deep technical expertise with strong leadership, ensuring that our solutions are scalable, secure, cost‑effective and aligned with organisational standards.

You will spend at least 50% of your time on hands‑on solution design, with the remainder dedicated to people leadership, technology stewardship and continuous improvement. Working closely with Solution and Enterprise Architects, as well as senior stakeholders, you will guide initiatives from conception to delivery, ensuring high‑quality outcomes across our Exam Technology portfolio.

Additional responsibilities and accountabilities include: 

• Leading solution design and architecture in partnership with Solution Architects.
• Translating business requirements into clear, actionable technical specifications.
• Supporting development teams throughout implementation and delivery.
• Embedding best practices, innovation and continuous improvement across teams.
• Managing and developing a multi‑disciplinary group of technical leads (Development, QA, DevOps, SRE).
• Overseeing recruitment, performance management and talent development.
• Ensuring governance, compliance and alignment with organisational policies.
• Managing direct costs of £3m+ and influencing wider technology investment decisions.
• Acting as an active member of the ETO English Exams Solutions Leadership Team.

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 bring significant experience in designing and delivering complex technology solutions, ideally within large or highly regulated organisations. You combine strategic thinking with hands‑on technical capability and have a proven track record of leading high‑performing technical teams.

Essential requirements include:

• Strong background in solution design, architecture and cloud‑based technologies.
• Experience translating business needs into scalable, secure and maintainable solutions.
• Proven ability to stay current with industry trends and integrate modern technologies.
• Excellent relationship‑building and communication skills across technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Demonstrated leadership experience, including recruitment, development planning and performance management.
• Experience managing third‑party providers, tools and platforms.
• Knowledge of Security Industry Standards (e.g. Cyber Essential +, Secure By Design, Zero Trust, ISO 27001)
• Exposure to emerging trends for AI agentic tooling (e.g. Claude)
• Evidence of higher education in a relevant IT field or equivalent professional experience.
• Resilience, strategic thinking and the ability to influence at all levels.

Your application will be even stronger if you can also demonstrate:

• Experience leading technology transformation in complex environments.
• Expertise in Agile methodologies and modern engineering practices.
• A track record of embedding innovation and automation into delivery processes.
• Experience managing large teams (direct and indirect) across multiple disciplines.
• Strong problem‑solving skills with the ability to anticipate and mitigate risks.

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  
• Group personal pension scheme 
• Life assurance up to 4 x annual salary  
• Green travel schemes

Ready to pursue your potential? Apply now. 

We aim to support candidates by making our interview process clear and transparent. The closing date for all applications will be 10^th August 2026. We will review applications on an ongoing basis, and shortlisted candidates can expect interviews to take place from the week commencing 24^th August 2026.

If you are shortlisted and progressed through the stages, you can expect:

• First stage interview: in-person at our offices in Cambridge.
• Final stage interview: in-person at our offices in Cambridge.

If you require any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process due to a disability or a long-term health condition, there will be an opportunity for you to inform us via the online application form. We will do our best to accommodate your needs. 

Please note that successful applicants will be subject to satisfactory background checks including DBS due to working in a regulated industry.

We are committed to an equitable recruitment process. As such, applications must be submitted via our official online application procedure. Please refrain from sending your CV directly to our recruiters. If you experience technical difficulties or require additional support with submitting your online application, contact the Recruiter. 

Why join us

Joining us is your opportunity to pursue potential. You will belong to a collaborative team that is exploring new and better ways to serve students, teachers and researchers across the globe – for the benefit of individuals, society and the world. Sharing our mission will inspire your own growth, development and progress, in an environment which embraces difference, change and aspiration.

Cambridge University Press & Assessment is committed to being a place where anyone can enjoy a successful career, where it is safe to speak up, and where we learn continuously to improve together. We welcome applications from all candidates, regardless of demographic characteristics (age, disability, educational attainment, ethnicity, gender, marital status, neurodiversity, religion, sex, gender identity and sexual identity), cultural, or social class/background.

We believe better outcomes come through diversity of thought, background and approach. We welcome applications from people from all backgrounds and communities, actively seeking to employ people from a wide range of different communities.

Pursuing Your Potential 

At Cambridge University Press & Assessment, we are dedicated to fostering an environment where your career aspirations are not only recognised but actively supported. Whether you are looking for new responsibilities within your current team, interested in a promotion or secondment, or exploring a different career path, we offer various resources to support your professional development. Our Online Learning Platform, leadership development pathways, and mentorship schemes are readily available to all employees, ensuring you have the tools to reach your fullest potential.

If you are ready to take the next step in your Cambridge journey, we welcome your application. Together, we continue to shape a culture where everyone feels empowered to succeed and motivated to make a difference— for ourselves, for each other, and for learners worldwide.