Market Update: Tech & Change Hot Roles (w/c 04/05)

The first week of May brought a modest uptick in activity, with volumes holding steady at 53 roles and broadly matching the previous week. Permanent hiring remained the clear majority, with interim mandates spread across financial services, insurance, and public sector. The week was characterised by an unusually strong concentration of cyber security leadership roles and a notable cluster of CTO appointments.

📊 Volume & Mix

53 roles total this week
Permanent: ~38
Interim: ~15

Channel: Agency-led hiring accounted for approximately 75% of roles. Direct appointments were concentrated in public sector and regulated environments, including North Tyneside Council, Parliamentary Digital Service, Leeds City Council, Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, SSE plc, WPP, GESH, and the UK Home Office.

Up marginally from 52 roles the previous week (w/c 20/04).

💡 Key Trends This Week

Cyber security leadership was prominent across both permanent and interim markets, with Deputy CISO roles at WPP and a private sector agency client, a Director of Cyber Security, a Director of Security Governance & Posture, and a Deputy CDIO focused on cyber and information security — reflecting continued board-level investment in security governance.
CTO demand was notably elevated, with four CTO mandates appearing across gaming, technology start-ups, a FTSE 250, and a large commercial organisation — an unusually high concentration for a single week.
Insurance and Lloyd's market hiring remained active, with Transformation Programme Directors, Senior Programme Directors, and Programme Directors focused on post-merger integration and international expansion, signalling continued change and restructuring activity in the sector.
Public sector and local government showed solid presence, with roles spanning digital, data, transformation, and technology delivery across North Tyneside Council, Leeds City Council, Parliamentary Digital Service, the UK Home Office, and Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.
Data leadership was visible across both markets, with Head of Data Strategy & Architecture, Head of Data & Business Intelligence, Head of Cloud Platforms, and two interim CDO mandates all appearing in the same week, indicating continued investment in data foundations.

📅 Month-on-Month (rolling view)

January 2026 (w/c 06/01): 64 roles; permanent hiring dominant; IT Director and Head of IT most common titles; housing and charity sectors notably active.
February 2026 (w/c 09/02): 65 roles; highest volumes since early January; CISO and security leadership prominent; higher education notably active; interim demand sustained.
February 2026 (w/c 23/02): 71 roles; strong rebound post-half-term; Head-level roles dominant across disciplines; CIO appointments notably frequent.
March 2026 (w/c 09/03): 77 roles; substantial rebound; AI and data leadership dominant theme; highest weekly total recorded.
March 2026 (w/c 23/03): 57 roles; volumes down from peak; public sector exceptionally strong with multiple Director General appointments; AI leadership sustained.
April 2026 (w/c 20/04): 52 roles; AI transformation leadership standout theme; interim Chief-level roles concentrated in public sector; infrastructure and operational technology more visible.
May 2026 (w/c 04/05): 53 roles; stable volumes; cyber security leadership prominent; CTO demand unusually strong; insurance and Lloyd's market active.

Role

Type

Employment

Sector

Location

Link

Director/VP of Product Design

Agency

Interim (FTC)

Technology

London