Senior Technical Consultant - Student Systems and Digital Transformation

Act as a senior technical authority across complex transformation programmes, shaping technical approaches, leading workstreams and supporting clients through system implementation, integration, migration and transition activities.

What you'll be doing

• Lead technical architecture and delivery across student systems programmes
• Shape integration, migration, testing, cutover and deployment approaches
• Define and assure system architecture, data models and integration patterns
• Lead technical workstreams and coordinate cross-functional delivery teams
• Provide technical assurance across suppliers, vendors and third parties
• Translate technical complexity into clear recommendations for stakeholders
• Support governance, risk management and delivery planningContribute to proposals, technical approaches and capability development

Do you have experience in Test automation?, * Proven experience leading technical delivery on major enterprise systems implementations, upgrades, or replacements within higher education.

• Experience acting as a client-side technical lead, technical design authority, senior technical consultant, solution architect, or equivalent on a significant student systems transformation.
• Strong understanding of Student Information System and student lifecycle processes, including admissions, enrolment, curriculum, assessment, progression, awards, graduation, and related reporting or statutory requirements.
• Experience working with enterprise Student Record or Student Information Systems such as Tribal SITS, Ellucian Banner, TechnologyOne Student Management, Thesis, Unit4 Student Management, or equivalent.
• Strong understanding of systems integration, including REST APIs, SOAP, middleware, iPaaS/ESB platforms, batch interfaces, and data feeds.
• Strong knowledge of data migration strategy, including data mapping, cleansing, transformation, validation, reconciliation, and quality assurance.
• Experience developing, leading, or assuring technical cutover planning, including migration windows, deployment sequencing, rollback planning, dress rehearsals, and go-live readiness.
• Ability to design and review architecture diagrams, data models, integration patterns, technical specifications, and supplier designs.
• Experience leading technical teams or technical workstreams, including developers, analysts, testers, integration specialists, data specialists, and supplier resources.
• Ability to work effectively with complex legacy estates, including bespoke integrations, local processes, reporting dependencies, and operationally critical interfaces.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to simplify complex technical concepts for non-technical stakeholders.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to bring structure to ambiguous or complex technical and organisational challenges.
• Commercial awareness, including the ability to understand scope, manage expectations, identify delivery risks, and contribute to realistic estimates and delivery plans.
• Ability to adapt technical leadership skills across different client environments, systems landscapes, sectors, and project types.

Desirable Skills and Experience

• Experience guiding organisations through significant Student Information System transformations or wider digital change programmes.
• Experience with cloud platforms such as Azure, AWS, or GCP.
• Familiarity with modern DevOps pipelines, release management, automated testing, and environment management.
• Hands-on experience with database technologies such as SQL Server, Oracle, or similar.
• Experience in Agile delivery approaches such as Scrum, Kanban, or hybrid delivery models.
• Understanding of data protection regulations, including GDPR, and higher education sector compliance considerations.
• Experience contributing to proposals, statements of work, client estimates, delivery plans, or consultancy business development.
• Experience developing reusable consulting methods, templates, accelerators, or technical assurance approaches.
• Technical certifications in cloud, architecture, integration platforms, or related disciplines.
• Project management or Agile certification, such as PRINCE2, Scrum Master, or equivalent., * Degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Relevant technical, architecture, cloud, integration, project management, or Agile certifications would be advantageous but are not essential., * Highly collaborative and able to work across technical and non-technical teams.
• Confident operating as a senior consultant in client-facing environments.
• Comfortable working with autonomy, taking ownership, and building trusted client relationships.
• Analytical and structured, with strong attention to detail.
• Able to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic project environment.
• Calm and methodical during high-risk delivery periods, including testing, migration, cutover, and go-live.
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity and bringing structure to complex technical and organisational problems.
• Able to balance strategic architecture with pragmatic delivery decisions.
• Confident challenging suppliers, technical teams, and senior stakeholders constructively.
• Willing to work beyond Student Information System projects where required, applying technical leadership skills to wider digital, data, systems integration, and business transformation assignments.

PACT Solutions is a specialist consultancy working with UK higher education institutions to deliver strategy, digital transformation and operational change. We combine deep sector expertise with a collaborative, partner-first approach to deliver meaningful, lasting outcomes.