Transformation Director (Data Science)

• Define, maintain, and continuously improve the standards for programme and project management across the transformation: planning, RAID, dependency management, change control, benefits tracking etc.
• Assess hygiene across workstreams, challenge where it is not fit for purpose, and coach programme and project lead to close gaps early.
• Provide independent assurance on delivery confidence, flagging slippage and emerging risk before it becomes an escalation.
• Apply sufficient technical understanding of data science, ML and AI engineering (e.g. model development and deployment, model registries, LLM optimisation, production-grade code) to challenge plans, estimates, dependencies, and risk assessments, and to spot when reported progress does not reflect technical reality.

• Run the governance cadence end to end, including operating committee and steering committee forums: agendas, papers, decisions, actions, and follow-through.
• Own all reporting materials up to senior leadership level, producing concise, accurate and decision-oriented packs, dashboards, and narratives.
• Establish a single source of truth for status, milestones, risks, and benefits, and ensure data quality behind it.

• Maintain a coherent view of the whole change portfolio, identifying overlaps, conflicts, dependencies and gaps between workstreams.
• Support prioritisation and sequencing decisions, balancing capacity, risk and strategic value.
• Align portfolio governance with wider Data Science OKRs and planning cycles.

• Support leads in building robust business cases: clear problem statements, options, costs, benefits and risks.
• Work with Finance to validate assumptions and track realised benefits against the original case.
• Help shape the pipeline of future initiatives so new proposals fit the portfolio and strategy

• Exposure to AI governance and regulatory context (e.g. EU AI Act).
• Professional accreditation (e.g. MSP, PfMP, P3O, PMP).
• Experience in publishing, information services or a comparable data-rich business.

We know that your well-being and happiness are key to a long and successful career. These are some of the benefits we are delighted to offer:

• Generous holiday allowance with the option to buy additional days.
• Health screening, eye care vouchers, and private medical benefits
• Wellbeing programs
• Life assurance
• Access to a competitive contributory pension scheme
• Save As You Earn share option scheme.
• Travel Season ticket loan.
• Electric Vehicle Scheme
• Optional Dental Insurance
• Maternity, paternity, and shared parental leave
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Access to emergency care for both the elderly and children
• RECARES days, giving you time to support the charities and causes that matter to you.
• Access to employee resource groups with dedicated time to volunteer.
• Access to extensive learning and development resources
• Access to employee discounts scheme via Perks at Work

About the business -

A global leader in information and analytics, we help researchers and healthcare professionals advance science and improve health outcomes for the benefit of society. Building on our publishing heritage, we combine quality information and vast data sets with analytics to support visionary science and research, health education, and interactive learning, as well as exceptional healthcare and clinical practice. At Elsevier, your work contributes to the world's grand challenges and a more sustainable future. We harness innovative technologies to support science and healthcare to partner for a better world.

We know your well-being and happiness are key to a long and successful career. We are delighted to offer country specific benefits. Click