Strategy Lead - SC Cleared

📍 Location: Reading (Hybrid - 2-3 days on-site per week)
📅 Contract: 6-Month Rolling Contract
💷 Rate: £95-£104 per hour (Inside IR35)
🔒 Clearance: Active SC Clearance (Essential)

We're looking for an experienced Digital Employee Experience Strategy Lead to define and deliver an enterprise-wide Digital Employee Experience (DEX) strategy within a secure Defence environment.

This is a strategic consultancy role focused on shaping how technology, processes, data and support services come together to create a productive, secure and engaging employee experience. You'll work closely with Digital, Security, HR, Communications and Business stakeholders to establish a future-state vision, define governance and deliver a transformation roadmap aligned with business growth and operational excellence.

• Lead the assessment of the current Digital Employee Experience across the employee lifecycle, including Joiners, Movers and Leavers (JML), collaboration, learning and productivity.
• Review existing platforms including Microsoft 365, Teams, SharePoint, ServiceNow, Power Platform, SAP and Identity & Access Management.
• Identify pain points and opportunities to improve productivity, engagement and service quality.
• Benchmark organisational maturity against recognised Digital Employee Experience frameworks and industry best practice.
• Develop an enterprise-wide Digital Employee Experience Strategy, including vision, principles, governance, operating model and success measures.
• Design the future-state Digital Employee Experience architecture and service model.
• Produce a prioritised roadmap covering short, medium and long-term transformation initiatives.
• Work collaboratively across IT, HR, Security and Business functions to drive strategic change.
• Champion employee-centred design and continuous improvement.

You'll be responsible for delivering:

• Current State Assessment Report
• Employee journey mapping
• Digital platform and service assessment
• Maturity benchmarking
• Digital Employee Experience Strategy
• Future-state operating model and governance framework
• Experience architecture and capability map
• Prioritised transformation roadmap (0-6, 6-18 and 18-36 months)

You'll have demonstrable experience of:

• Defining and delivering enterprise-wide Digital Employee Experience or Digital Workplace strategies.
• Leading digital workplace transformation programmes within large, complex organisations.
• Delivering cross-functional initiatives across IT, HR, Security, Service Management and Business functions.
• Implementing and optimising Microsoft 365, Microsoft Teams and enterprise collaboration platforms.
• Establishing governance, standards and strategic roadmaps for digital workplace transformation.
• Applying employee-centred design and service design principles.
• Influencing senior stakeholders and driving strategic change.

• Active SC Clearance (mandatory).
• Proven experience delivering within UK Defence and/or Aerospace environments.
• Experience supporting MOD, Defence Digital or other highly secure organisations.
• Ability to work 2-3 days per week on-site in Reading.

• 6-month rolling contract
• £95-£104 per hour
• Inside IR35
• Hybrid working (2-3 days per week on-site in Reading)