Market Update: Tech & Change Hot Roles – (w/c 13/10)

A steady mid-October week with balanced interim and permanent activity. Interim briefs continue to centre on programme/transformation and data leadership, while permanent hiring is broad across CIO/ITD, architecture/ops, and product/innovation. Education and charity remain active alongside private equity and financial services.

Volume & Mix

• 41 roles total (including 1 NED/board post)

• Permanent: ~21

• Interim: ~19

• Channel: Primarily agency-led; notable direct/government hires include MHRA CDTO, Imperial College London Director of Architecture & Tech Ops, and Securitas Technology CIO, plus several university and council appointments.

Key Trends This Week

1. Programme & Transformation dominate (interim)
   Strong run of Programme Directors (ERP/SAP, pensions), Heads of Transformation, and SVP/CTO-led change in PE-backed environments.

2. Public & Education hiring remains lively
   Multiple leadership roles across universities and local government, from IT Directors to Heads of Infrastructure and IT Operations.

3. Data & Analytics leadership stays visible
   Interim CDO (Industrial), Head of Financial Data & Analytics (FMCG), and Head of Data (Charity/NFP) keep this segment active.

4. Architecture, Ops & Service roles strengthen (perm)
   Director of Architecture & Tech Ops (Imperial) and multiple Heads of Tech Ops/Modern Workplace signal depth beneath the CIO tier.

5. Governance continues
   A board trainee NED role (Accent Housing) highlights sustained appetite for digital oversight at board level.

Week-on-Week

• Totals stable vs last week (41 vs 45).

• Mix is even — permanent and interim activity almost balanced.

• Interim briefs remain transformation-heavy; permanent hiring covers a wider spread of functional leadership.

• Sector spread: education, charity, government, PE, and FS all active.

Month-on-Month (Aug → Oct so far)

Market activity has held consistently high since late summer.

• August: CIO and IT Director hires led the way, with transformation quieter.

• September: The busiest month yet — surge in IT Directors, Heads of Data, and Programme Directors, especially in housing, FS, and higher education.

• October: Volumes remain strong, but mix is shifting toward interim — more transformation, ERP, and CDO mandates, while permanent hiring continues for CIOs, Heads of Architecture, and Ops/Service Directors.

🟢 Summary: After a post-summer surge, the market has stabilised at a high tempo. Organisations are sustaining leadership investment through Q4, balancing long-term hires with interim delivery firepower.