UK

United Kingdom · Business transformation and change · Director/VP (16-20 years)

Director, Employee Experience & Technology

Here is the whole job, in plain words. What it is, what you decide, how you're judged, how people get here and where they go next. Then the part no course gives you: twelve AI tutors who learn your work.

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  • Experience bandDirector/VP (16-20 years)
  • Direct reports5-8 reports
  • Reports toChief Operating Officer (COO)
  • UK framework levelUsually a director, accountable for a division and its numbers

Also advertised as VP, Digital Workplace Transformation · Head of Future of Work · Director of Workplace Strategy · Head of Digital Employee Experience

Built on 43,079 real UK job descriptions we analysed · grounded in what real qualifications cover

Two short quizzes about you

1From this job to a course

The qualifications matched to this job

OTHM Level 7 Diploma in Data Science OTHM Qualifications · Level 7 · covers 2 of 5 standards
OTHM Level 5 Diploma in Project Management OTHM Qualifications · Level 5 · covers 2 of 5 standards
NCC Education Level 5 Extended Diploma in Computing with Data Science NCC Education Limited · Level 5 · covers 1 of 5 standards
Level 6 Award in Data-led Decision Making Institute of Sales Professionals · Level 6 · covers 1 of 5 standards
Pearson BTEC Level 5 Higher National Diploma in Computing for England Pearson Education Ltd · Level 5 · covers 1 of 5 standards

Matched from the standards this job is measured against: a suggestion, not an official ruling.

The units you would start with

Data Science Foundations OTHM Level 7 Diploma in Data Science
Digital Business Practices OTHM Level 5 Diploma in Project Management
Introduction to Data Science and Big Data NCC Education Level 5 Extended Diploma in Computing with Data Science
Data-led Decision Making Level 6 Award in Data-led Decision Making
Apply the Concepts of Data Science to Computer Engineering NOCN Level 5 Diploma in Computer Engineering (Information Technology and Data Science)
Data Analytics Pearson BTEC Level 5 Higher National Diploma in Computing for England

The future skills this job leans on

AI Fluency working with AI as a thinking partner
Data Fluency turning numbers into a decision
AI Governance Fluency using AI responsibly
Automation Fluency building AI into how work runs
Your Plan Illustration

Built for Director, Employee Experience & Technology

6 units that map to this job, from the qualifications that cover it.

  1. Data Science Foundations OTHM Qualifications · covers 2 of 5 standards Level 7
  2. Digital Business Practices OTHM Qualifications · covers 2 of 5 standards Level 5
  3. Introduction to Data Science and Big Data NCC Education Limited · covers 1 of 5 standards Level 5
  4. Data-led Decision Making Institute of Sales Professionals · covers 1 of 5 standards Level 6
  5. Apply the Concepts of Data Science to Computer Engineering NOCN · covers 1 of 5 standards Level 5
  6. Data Analytics Pearson Education Ltd · covers 1 of 5 standards Level 5
These are the real units behind this job, in the order they rank for it. Nothing here is marked done, because this plan has not been started by anyone yet. Yours would fill in as you go.

2AI and this work

Will AI change your work as a Director, Employee Experience & Technology?

Nobody can say exactly how. Here is what this job is being asked for next, and where to start.

The new skill this role is being asked for

  • AI-Driven Workforce Orchestration
Why each one is rising

The future skills this job leans on

We'll only ever tell you what we can actually back up. No hype, no scare tactics.

What happens when you start

Next, a free account. We build your Director, Employee Experience & Technology plan as you set up, starting with the free Automation Fluency module. No card.

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Keep this read. One email with what AI is changing in this job, the new skills it asks for and where to start free. Nothing else follows unless you confirm your address.

3What this role really is

This role shapes how people work with technology across a business, covering culture, tools and systems that support daily work.

4What you'd actually use

The tools this job runs on, and how well you'd need to know each one.

Microsoft 365 Suite (Strategic Governance) Strategic

Governing the entire M365 tenant, making licensing decisions (E3 vs. E5), developing the long-term roadmap, and integrating M365 with other enterprise platforms (e.g., Salesforce, Workday). You'll be thinking about how to maximise value and manage risk across the whole suite.

Digital Adoption Platform (WalkMe, Whatfix) (Enterprise Selection & Strategy) Strategic

Selecting the enterprise DAP vendor, building the business case for DAP investment, linking adoption metrics directly to business outcomes (e.g., reduced support tickets, faster process completion), and ensuring it's integrated into our overall learning strategy.

Enterprise Collaboration Tools (Slack, Miro, Confluence/Jira) (Policy & Integration) Strategic

Deciding which collaboration tools are sanctioned vs. 'shadow IT', managing critical vendor relationships and enterprise licenses, and defining the overall collaboration strategy (e.g., 'Jira for dev, Asana for marketing', and how they all talk to each other).

Data Visualization & Analytics (Power BI, Tableau) (Executive Reporting) Strategic

Defining the key KPIs for the entire digital workplace programme, presenting executive dashboards to the C-suite and board to justify budget and demonstrate ROI, and integrating data into enterprise reporting tools like Domo or Anaplan for strategic oversight.

IT Service Management (ServiceNow, Jira Service Management) (Strategic Alignment) Strategic

Using the GRC module in ServiceNow to manage risk for new 'citizen developer' apps, aligning the digital workplace roadmap with the formal IT change management (CAB) process, and ensuring seamless service delivery for new digital tools.

Financial & Strategic Planning (Anaplan, Advanced Excel) Expert/Strategic

Using Anaplan or similar tools to model the multi-year financial impact of the transformation strategy, presenting the financial plan to the CFO and securing funding, and modelling total cost of ownership (TCO) for major technology investments.

5What you get to decide, and how that grows

Power in a job isn't your title. It's what you're allowed to decide. Here's how it grows as you move up.

The choiceComing in Where you are nowThe step above
Digital Workplace Strategy & Roadmap No input, executes tasks defined by strategy. Proposes minor adjustments to project plans within the existing strategy. Designs workstream-level strategies and makes recommendations for programme adjustments.
Technology Vendor Selection & Contracts Uses pre-selected tools. Evaluates specific features of existing tools; may provide input on new tools. Recommends specific tools for project needs; contributes to vendor assessment criteria.
Departmental Budget Allocation No budget authority. Manages project expenses within a defined budget. Manages workstream budgets up to £50K, flags overspends.
Team Hiring & Performance No hiring authority, receives feedback. Provides peer feedback for hiring decisions. Interviews junior candidates, provides input on hiring and performance reviews for mentees.

6How you'll be judged

The scoreboard, and what is not on it. The hard targets, how often each is actually looked at, and the quiet signals that never reach a dashboard.

Digital Workplace ROI
The measurable financial return on our digital workplace technology investments, including cost savings from software consolidation, reduced support tickets, and quantified productivity gains.
Target · Achieve a positive ROI (e.g., 1.5x) within 24-36 months of programme initiation.

If we invest £2M in new platforms and change programmes, we'd expect to see £3M in quantifiable benefits (e.g., £1M saved on legacy licenses, £1M from reduced IT support costs, £1M from increased sales team efficiency) within three years.

Employee Digital Experience Score (EDX)
A composite score reflecting employee satisfaction and sentiment regarding our digital tools and workplace environment, usually measured through internal surveys and feedback channels.
Target · Increase the EDX score by 10-15 percentage points year-over-year.

Moving from a 60% 'satisfied' rating on our current collaboration tools to 75% 'satisfied' after a major platform rollout and adoption programme. We'll look at specific areas like 'ease of finding information' or 'effectiveness of virtual meetings'.

Technology Adoption & Utilisation Rate
The percentage of targeted employees actively using key digital workplace tools and features, focusing on depth of use (e.g., using advanced features, not just basic login).
Target · Achieve 80%+ active adoption of critical platforms (e.g., M365, DAP) and 60%+ feature utilisation for core functions within 12 months of launch.

Ensuring that 85% of our sales team are not just logged into Teams, but are regularly using its file co-authoring, meeting recording, and integrated apps (e.g., Salesforce bot) features, not just chat.

Process Efficiency Gains
The measurable reduction in time or resources required for critical business processes that have been re-engineered as part of the digital transformation.
Target · Deliver a 20%+ efficiency gain for 3-5 high-impact business processes annually.

Reducing the average contract approval time from 7 days to 3 days by implementing a new digital workflow, or cutting the monthly financial close process by two days through automation and better data flow.

Strategic Influence & Board Engagement
Your ability to shape the executive agenda, secure buy-in for major initiatives, and present compelling cases to the board, demonstrating a clear understanding of business value.
  • Regular invitations to C-suite and board-level strategic planning sessions
  • your recommendations consistently adopted for major technology and people investments
  • positive feedback from executives on your strategic presentations and proposals.
Organisational Change Leadership
Your effectiveness in leading and inspiring large-scale change, fostering a culture of adaptability, and building a strong network of change champions across the business.
  • Positive feedback from HR and business unit leaders on change programme effectiveness
  • a visible, active network of digital workplace champions
  • successful navigation of resistance to change, with clear mitigation strategies in place
  • high retention rates within your own team.
Vendor & Partner Relationship Management
Your skill in managing strategic vendor relationships to ensure we get maximum value, favourable terms, and innovative solutions, while also building strong partnerships.
  • Regular, productive strategic reviews with key vendors
  • successful negotiation of enterprise contracts
  • vendors proactively bringing us innovative solutions
  • positive feedback from internal procurement and legal teams on contract terms and service levels.

7Would you like it

Both sides. What people enjoy, and what grinds them down.

What people enjoy
Shaping the Future of Work

You'll be constantly thinking about how our business can be more agile, connected, and productive. This means designing new ways of collaborating, experimenting with emerging tech, and seeing your vision come to life across thousands of employees.

Leading a board discussion on the strategic implications of AI for our workforce, then working with HR to design a pilot programme for AI-assisted workflows.

Driving Tangible Business Impact

You're not content with just launching a new tool; you want to see it genuinely improve efficiency, reduce costs, or boost employee satisfaction. You'll be tracking the metrics, identifying areas for improvement, and celebrating real-world results.

Presenting a quarterly report to the COO that clearly links our digital workplace investments to a £2M reduction in operational costs and a 10-point increase in employee engagement scores.

Building and Empowering High-Performing Teams

You'll be responsible for recruiting, mentoring, and developing a team of talented transformation specialists. Seeing your team grow, take on bigger challenges, and deliver outstanding results will be a major source of satisfaction.

Coaching a Manager through a complex stakeholder negotiation, or sponsoring a Lead Strategist for a leadership development programme, then seeing them excel.

What frustrates people
  • The constant battle for budget and resources against other 'harder' business priorities.
  • Dealing with 'change fatigue' across the organisation, where employees are just tired of new initiatives.
  • The inevitable clash between IT's security and governance needs and the business's desire for speed and flexibility.
  • Vendor over-promising and under-delivering, requiring constant management and negotiation.
  • The slow pace of large-scale organisational change, even with the best plans.
What this role does not give you
  • A quiet, predictable environment where you can focus solely on technical solutions.
  • Direct control over all the teams and budgets needed to execute your vision (you'll rely heavily on influence).
  • Immediate, universal adoption of every new tool or process you introduce – patience is key.
  • A role where you can avoid difficult conversations or challenging senior leaders.

8Who you work with

This role has a direct impact on our entire workforce's productivity, engagement, and retention. You'll be shaping our operational efficiency, influencing our culture, and making sure our technology investments deliver real, measurable value. Frankly, you're building the engine that powers our future success.

Inside the business
  • C-Suite (CEO, CFO, CHRO)
  • Heads of IT, HR, and Real Estate
  • Business Unit Leaders (e.g., Head of Sales, Head of Marketing)
  • Legal and Compliance teams
Outside the business
  • Key Technology Vendors (e.g., Microsoft, ServiceNow)
  • Industry Analysts and Consultants
  • Strategic Partners for new workplace solutions

9What you need before you start

Not a wish list. The things you would be expected to already have.

  • Proven track record of leading large-scale business or technology transformation programmes (not just projects) in complex organisations.
  • Extensive experience (10+ years) in a senior leadership role, ideally within digital workplace, IT strategy, or organisational change management.
  • Demonstrable experience managing budgets of £2M+ and leading teams of 5+ direct reports (including managers).
  • Strong experience presenting to and influencing C-suite executives and board members.
  • Deep understanding of Microsoft 365 ecosystem and other enterprise collaboration/productivity tools from a strategic and governance perspective.
  • Demonstrable experience in developing and executing comprehensive change management strategies for major technology rollouts.

10What to practise next

Where the job is going, and what to do about it starting this week.

Metaverse & Spatial Computing Strategy

While still nascent, immersive technologies are poised to redefine collaboration, training, and remote work. As a Director, you'll need to understand their potential and plan for their strategic integration, not just dismiss them as hype.

Digital Twins for Workplace Design · Immersive Collaboration Platforms · Interoperability Standards for the Metaverse · Cybersecurity in Immersive Environments

  • This quarter: Attend a leading industry conference (virtual or in-person) focused on the future of work and immersive tech.
  • Next 6 months: Commission a small internal research project to identify 2-3 potential use cases for spatial computing within our business.
  • Next 12 months: Develop a 'horizon scanning' report for the C-suite on the long-term implications of these technologies.
  • Ongoing: Engage with startups and thought leaders in the spatial computing space.

Quick win: Experiment with existing VR/AR tools for team building or virtual tours. It's a low-cost way to get a feel for the technology and its potential.

11Staying current once you are in

What people here do to keep up
  • Regularly attending and speaking at industry conferences on the future of work, digital transformation, and employee experience.
  • Building a strong network with other industry leaders and sharing best practices.
  • Engaging with thought leaders and analysts (e.g., Gartner, Forrester) to stay abreast of emerging trends and vendor landscapes.
  • Participating in executive leadership development programmes focused on strategic influence, organisational change, and innovation.

12The rising capability

The rising capability

Zavmo analysis

What's rising in its place

This is where the work is heading, and the higher pay with it. Get fluent here and the shift stops being a threat and starts being your edge.

AI-Driven Workforce Orchestration

AI is rapidly moving beyond simple automation to intelligent orchestration of work, resource allocation, and even talent development. Directors who can harness this will gain a significant competitive advantage in productivity and employee experience.

  • AI for Dynamic Work Assignment
  • Predictive Analytics for Employee Engagement
  • Ethical AI in Workplace Decisions
  • Human-AI Teaming Strategies

13What you’ll use

What you’ll use

Skills this role draws on

Technical

  • Prosci ADKAR® Model (Strategic Application)
  • Employee Journey Mapping (Enterprise Design)
  • Business Process Re-engineering (Strategic Oversight)
  • Technology Adoption Measurement & ROI Calculation
  • Citizen Developer Governance & Strategy
  • Agile for Organisational Change (Program Level)

14The pathway

The pathway

How you actually get there, here

How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.

  1. 1

    Head of Digital Workplace / Senior Manager, Transformation

    3-5 years in a previous senior leadership role.

    Skills to master

    • Mastering cross-functional programme leadership, managing large budgets (multi-£M), building and leading teams of managers, and consistently delivering measurable ROI for transformation initiatives.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Successfully led 2-3 major enterprise-wide technology rollouts from strategy to adoption.
    • Consistently secured significant budget approvals (e.g., £500K+) for your programmes.
    • Proven ability to influence C-suite stakeholders and resolve complex inter-departmental conflicts.
    • Developed and mentored a high-performing team, with clear succession planning in place.
  2. 2

    IT Director / Head of Business Applications

    4-6 years in an IT leadership role, with a strong focus on user experience.

    Skills to master

    • Developing a deep understanding of organisational change management, employee experience design, and the strategic business value of technology beyond just infrastructure. Shifting from 'keeping the lights on' to 'shaping how we work'.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Successfully delivered major application modernisations with high user adoption.
    • Demonstrated strong collaboration with HR and business units on technology initiatives.
    • Moved beyond technical delivery to focus on user-centric design and business outcomes.
    • Managed significant IT budgets and vendor relationships.
  3. 3

    Senior HR Leader (e.g., Head of HR Operations, Head of People Experience)

    5-7 years in a senior HR role, with a strong technology focus.

    Skills to master

    • Deepening technical literacy, understanding enterprise architecture, and developing robust business case development skills for technology investments. Bridging the gap between people strategy and technology execution.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Successfully led HR technology implementations (e.g., HRIS, LXP) with strong employee engagement.
    • Demonstrated a passion for leveraging technology to improve the employee experience.
    • Proven ability to collaborate effectively with IT and business leaders on strategic initiatives.
    • Strong understanding of organisational design and change management principles.

15Where this role leads

The long view: This work can lead to senior leadership roles such as Chief People Officer or Chief Information Officer, shaping strategy across an organisation.

The ten Future Fluencies

Zavmo analysis

The credential is what you can do today. These are what keep you valuable.

A qualification proves you can do the job as it's defined today. These ten are what decide whether you're still the obvious person for it in five years. They're the capabilities employers are now writing into senior roles faster than people are learning them. Zavmo weaves them through whatever you study, so you come out with both: the credential and the fluency.

The highlighted ones are the Fluencies your role leans on hardest, from how Director, Employee Experience & Technology is actually changing.

Where it leads

Roles this leads to

Also named as a next step, with no page in the catalogue yet:

  • VP, Business Transformation / Chief Digital Officer (CDO)

How you would learn this

One to one, on the work you already do

A tutor sets the task against your own job and marks the reasoning, at your pace. There is no cohort to fall behind.

A lesson from Data Science Foundations, worked against Director, Employee Experience & Technology.

Data Science Foundations Level 7

Applied to your work in Director, Employee Experience & Technology

1. To enable the learner to define the scope and landscape of Data Science and differentiate the roles of Data Scientists from other IT professionals. 2. To enable the learner to evaluate key topics within Data Science, including data administration, governance, and big data sources. 3. To enable the learner to describe the architecture and core elements of Apache Hadoop. 4. To enable the learner to analyse the advantages and disadvantages of utilising Artificial Intelligence techniques in a business context. 5. To enable the learner to critically analyse the impact of Big Data on digital transformation within organisations and its effects on users. 6. To enable the learner to review strategies for ensuring data compliance and explain the responsibilities and challenges faced by data specialists.

How the thinking builds
  1. 1 Remember
  2. 2 Understand
  3. 3 Apply
  4. 4 Analyse
  5. 5 Evaluate
  6. 6 Create
An illustration of a Zavmo lesson, built from this role’s own route. The unit, its objective and every criterion above are the awarding body’s own words, not an example.

It is £70 a month, billed monthly. Your free first module is Future Fluency, and you can cancel any time.

See Your Progress Grow Illustration
Director, Employee Experience & Technology
  • Prosci ADKAR® Model (Strategic Application)
  • Employee Journey Mapping (Enterprise Design)
  • Business Process Re-engineering (Strategic Oversight)
  • Technology Adoption Measurement & ROI Calculation
  • Citizen Developer Governance & Strategy
  • Agile for Organisational Change (Program Level)
This is your Mind Palace on learn.zavmo.ai. Every skill above comes from this role's own record, not an example borrowed from another job. A node lights up when you evidence it, and what you build stays yours between jobs. That is the part a course cannot do.

16The detail, folded away

Everything else the record holds

The career branches in full, how AI is already showing up in the day-to-day, and the questions people ask about this job. Here when you want them, out of the way while you decide.

Where it leads next, rung by rung

Where it leads

The career path, and where it branches

Director, Employee Experience & Technology is a start, not a ceiling. Each step below asks for new skills and hands back more autonomy.

  1. VP, Business Transformation / Chief Digital Officer (CDO)

    3-5 years in this Director role.

    Move to Level 007 (C-Suite)

    • Defining enterprise-level digital strategy across all business units.
    • Leading large-scale organisational restructuring.
    • Driving market-shaping innovation and competitive differentiation.
    • Managing complex regulatory and compliance landscapes at an enterprise level.

  2. Chief Operating Officer (COO)

    5-7 years in this Director role, potentially with an interim VP role.

    Move to Level 007 (C-Suite)

    • Optimising end-to-end business processes across all functions.
    • Leading large-scale operational efficiency programmes.
    • Managing complex global operations.
    • Driving cultural transformation and operational excellence.
Working with AI on the job

Working with AI

Where AI is starting to help

As a Director, your time is incredibly valuable. Imagine reclaiming a significant chunk of your week, not just for more meetings, but for deeper strategic thinking, more impactful leadership, and truly moving the needle. AI isn't just for junior roles; it's a game-changer for executive productivity.

We're building an internal AI Productivity Hub, a central place where you can discover and implement AI tools specifically designed to boost your effectiveness. For a Director in Digital Workplace Transformation, this means using AI to get ahead of trends, streamline reporting, and empower your team more effectively. Here's a glimpse of how you'll use AI to amplify your strategic leadership:

AI-Powered Strategic Insights

Use generative AI to quickly synthesise vast amounts of market research, competitor analysis, and internal data to identify emerging digital workplace trends, potential risks, and strategic opportunities. Get concise summaries and actionable recommendations in minutes, not days.

Executive Communication Co-pilot

Draft compelling board presentations, executive summaries, and strategic communications with AI assistance. Refine messaging for different audiences (e.g., CFO vs. CHRO), ensuring clarity, impact, and alignment with their priorities. Perfect your pitch in a fraction of the time.

Automated Performance Reporting

Connect AI tools to your digital workplace metrics dashboards (e.g., Power BI, DAP analytics). Generate automated, narrative-driven reports that highlight key trends, explain variances, and suggest strategic interventions, freeing up your team's time for deeper analysis.

Optimised Vendor Negotiations

Use AI to analyse vendor contracts, identify key clauses, benchmark pricing against industry standards, and even simulate negotiation scenarios. Go into every discussion better prepared, ensuring we secure the best possible terms for our enterprise technology investments.

Common questions

Common questions

How do you become a Director, Employee Experience & Technology?

Common routes in include Head of Digital Workplace / Senior Manager, Transformation (3-5 years in a previous senior leadership role.), IT Director / Head of Business Applications (4-6 years in an IT leadership role, with a strong focus on user experience.) and Senior HR Leader (e.g., Head of HR Operations, Head of People Experience) (5-7 years in a senior HR role, with a strong technology focus.). Times vary with prior experience.

Where can a Director, Employee Experience & Technology progress to?

This role can lead on to VP, Business Transformation / Chief Digital Officer (CDO) (3-5 years in this Director role.) and Chief Operating Officer (COO) (5-7 years in this Director role, potentially with an interim VP role.), depending on the skills you build.

What new skills matter most for a Director, Employee Experience & Technology?

Increasingly, AI-Driven Workforce Orchestration. These are the skills our record of this role lists as growing.

Free tools

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17Where to go from here

Other roles at Level 7

Same depth of qualification, different job. Useful if the work appeals but this particular role does not.

 More jobs in business transformation and change

Stay in the field you know and move sideways rather than up.
If you leave this industry

The skills built here, including change leadership, digital fluency and working across departments, carry over to other industries facing digital change, including financial services, retail, healthcare and public sector organisations.

This role profile is © 2026 Growth Engineering Technologies Ltd. Built from UK occupational standards and regulated qualification data, and written for Zavmo.

You're not behind. You're right on time. The shift is only just beginning. Your role won't look the same in two years. Be the one who leads the change, not the one it happens to. Start my free Automation Fluency module What happens next: a free account, then we build your plan as you set up. No card. Build your plan, see your roadmap and meet the twelve tutors matched to you. All free. When you're ready to start learning, it's £70 a month, billed monthly. Cancel any time and billing stops.