✅ 1. Top 20 Most In-Demand Senior Roles
HIGH = hired consistently every week
MEDIUM = frequent but not weekly
LOW = occasional / niche
Role
Frequency
Transformation Director
HIGH
Programme Director
HIGH
CIO / CDIO / CTO
HIGH
IT Director
HIGH
Head of IT
HIGH
Head of Change
HIGH
Head of Data / Data Director
MEDIUM–HIGH
Head of Engineering / Director of Engineering
MEDIUM–HIGH
Head of PMO / PMO Director
MEDIUM–HIGH
CISO / Head of Cyber / Cyber Director
MEDIUM–HIGH
Head of Product / Director of Product
MEDIUM
Head of Architecture / Chief Architect
MEDIUM
Head of Digital / Director of Digital
MEDIUM
AI / Data Science Leadership (Head / Director / VP)
LOW–MEDIUM (growing)
Head of Service / Service Director
MEDIUM
Head of Cloud / Director of Cloud
LOW–MEDIUM
Integration Lead / M&A Director
LOW–MEDIUM (spiking in PE)
Head of Delivery / Delivery Director
LOW–MEDIUM
Head of Operations / IT Ops / Platforms
LOW–MEDIUM
NED (Tech / Digital)
LOW
✅ 2. Sector Heatmap
Shows which sectors have been hiring most since August.
Dark = more roles, Light = fewer.
Sector
Volume Bucket
Financial Services / Insurance
HIGH
Private Equity / PE-Backed
HIGH
Government / Central Government
HIGH
Higher Education
HIGH
Housing
MEDIUM–HIGH
Manufacturing / FMCG
MEDIUM
SaaS / Software / Tech
MEDIUM
Local Government
MEDIUM
Retail / eCommerce / Hospitality
LOW–MEDIUM
Transport / Logistics
LOW–MEDIUM
Media / Telco
LOW–MEDIUM
Charity
LOW–MEDIUM
Regulators / Arms-length bodies
LOW–MEDIUM
Legal
LOW
Gaming / Betting
LOW
✅ 3. Priority Experience & Skill Themes
Most requested experience types across senior hires (Aug–Nov).
HIGH DEMAND EXPERIENCE
Transformation leadership (enterprise, digital, operating model)
Programme delivery (multi-stream, complex change)
Private Equity experience (carve-outs, integration, turnaround)
M&A / TSA / Integration
ERP (SAP, Oracle, D365) major programme leadership
Data leadership (governance, platforms, strategy)
Cybersecurity leadership (CISO, cyber uplift programmes)
Cloud modernisation (AWS/Azure migration)
Public sector digital transformation
Service and operations leadership
MEDIUM DEMAND EXPERIENCE
AI / ML / LLM strategy leadership
Engineering leadership (esp. SaaS / large-scale platforms)
Architecture leadership (EA, domain/solution architecture)
Product strategy & ownership (Director/Head level)
Customer experience & digital service design
Risk, controls, audit (ITGC)
LOW–MEDIUM (EMERGING) EXPERIENCE
Blockchain/Web3 engineering leadership
Advanced analytics / data science management
Cyber/AI combined roles
Innovation / R&D leadership
Digital twins / emerging tech
✅ 4. Role Family Summary
Grouped into families with frequency buckets.
Role Family
Frequency
Transformation & Change Leadership
HIGH
Technology Leadership (CIO/CTO/IT Director)
HIGH
Programme & Portfolio Delivery
HIGH
Data Leadership (Head/Director)
MEDIUM–HIGH
Cyber & Security Leadership
MEDIUM–HIGH
Engineering & Architecture Leadership
MEDIUM
Product Leadership
MEDIUM
Digital Leadership / Digital Transformation
MEDIUM
AI Leadership
LOW–MEDIUM (rising)
Operations / Service / Platforms
LOW–MEDIUM
NED / Board Roles
LOW
✅ 5. Key Market Themes
Transformation dominates all months.
Interim roles driven by integration, carve-outs, turnarounds, ERP, M&A.
Permanent roles broad: IT Directors, CIOs, Heads of Data, Heads of Product, Heads of Engineering.
Data, AI & Cyber steadily rising since September.
Public sector & PE are the two steadiest sources of leadership hiring.
November is the strongest month of the period.