Strategic Lead, Publishing & Partnerships

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., 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.

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.
  
  We aim to support candidates by making our interview process clear and transparent. The closing date for all applications will be Thursday 21st May, 2026. We will review applications on an ongoing basis, and shortlisted candidates can expect interviews to take place on Wednesday 27th May, 2026.
If you are shortlisted and progressed through the stages, you can expect: NOTE: Briefly outline each interview stage; this includes screening calls; specifying if the interview will be virtual via MS Teams or in-person on-site. Manage expectations further by informing candidates of any role related tasks / presentation requirements. For example:
• First stage virtual interview via MS Teams. You will be asked to deliver a 10 minute presentation at the start of this.
• Final stage interview: in-person at our offices in Coventry or 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 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