Full-Time
Senior Lead
Strategy, Finance
Pearson
1-10 employees
Global education publisher providing digital courseware
Compensation Overview
$175k - $250k/yr
United Kingdom + 1 more
More locations: United States
In Person
 Business & Strategy (2) |
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- Proven experience in transformation, strategy, or operating model design within a large, complex organization
- Demonstrated track record of delivering enterprise-wide transformation programs with measurable business impact
- Strong strategic leadership capability, with the ability to link finance strategy to enterprise value creation
- Experience leading complex, multi-year programs across systems, processes, and organizational structures
- Deep understanding of financial performance, profitability drivers, and capital allocation principles
- Expertise in operating model design, including governance, processes, and accountability frameworks
- Exceptional ability to influence and align executive stakeholders across functions
- Strong change leadership capability, with experience driving behavioral as well as structural change
- Experience working with enterprise systems, data transformation, and digital finance capabilities
- Excellent communication and storytelling skills, with the ability to translate complex strategy into clear, actionable narratives
- Partner with the Group Finance Officer to define, refine, and operationalize the finance strategy in alignment with broader corporate and business unit priorities
- Translate strategic vision into a clear, executable finance operating model, including defined accountabilities across global, business unit, and functional finance teams
- Drive alignment between financial planning, performance management, and value creation priorities across the organization
- Clarify the role of finance as both an owner and enabler of performance, embedding best-in-class principles for accountability and decision support
- Lead a portfolio of enterprise finance transformation initiatives spanning global processes, systems, data governance, and business assurance
- Establish and run a structured program governance model, with clear milestones, delivery plans, and value realization tracking
- Identify and remove barriers to execution, ensuring transformation initiatives deliver at pace and with measurable impact
- Act as the integrator across initiatives, ensuring a connected, end-to-end transformation rather than fragmented delivery
- Drive the adoption of automation, advanced analytics, and AI across finance to improve efficiency, forecasting, and decision support
- Partner with Technology and Data teams to prioritize finance system investments aligned to strategic outcomes
- Champion the shift toward real-time, data-driven finance capabilities, reducing manual processes and enhancing predictive insight
- Ensure digital initiatives are embedded into day-to-day ways of working, not just deployed as standalone tools
- Act as a key interface between finance leadership, business unit leaders, and central functions to align priorities and drive trade-offs
- Influence executive-level stakeholders to prioritize transformation initiatives and commit the necessary resources
- Provide strategic insight and challenge, positioning finance as a proactive partner in enterprise performance
- Build strong cross-functional relationships to enable faster, more effective decision-making
- Lead the overall change narrative for finance transformation, translating strategy into a clear, compelling story for the organization
- Design and deliver structured change management approaches to ensure adoption of new processes, tools, and behaviors
- Engage and mobilize the finance community, building momentum and commitment to transformation goals
- Ensure communication is consistent, outcome-focused, and reinforces accountability and progress
- Build and develop capability across the finance organization in program delivery, digital finance, and strategic partnering
- Foster a culture of innovation, ownership, and continuous improvement across teams
Pearson is a global education company that provides a wide range of learning materials and services. It offers textbooks, digital courseware, online learning platforms, and a rich set of teaching and learning resources for primary and secondary schools, higher education, vocational training, and English language learning. Its products work through multiple channels: physical textbooks and digital courseware, subscription-based online platforms, and customized learning solutions for institutions, along with training and certification programs. Pearson differentiates itself with a large, multi-market footprint, multiple revenue streams, and a focus on combining print and digital resources with analytics and educator support to serve learners from early education through adulthood. Its goal is to make learning more accessible and effective, helping students, teachers, and institutions achieve their academic and professional goals.
Company Size
1-10
Company Stage
IPO
Headquarters
London, United Kingdom
Founded
1844
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- On 31 Jul 2026, Pearson's H1 revenue rose 4%; operating profit rose 14%.
- Virtual Learning revenue jumped 19% on 15% spring enrollment growth.
- Pearson's AI certification and Adobe Firefly programs already drew tens of thousands.
What critics are saying
- On 31 Jul 2026, English Language Learning revenue fell 3%; PTE demand weakened.
- U.S. higher-education courseware depends on AI-tool demand and pricing, risking slower adoption.
- If assessments commoditize, Pearson's profit base erodes before 2027 contract renewals.
What makes Pearson unique
- Pearson's assessments, virtual schools, and print workflows resist fast imitation.
- Pearson's AI modules and badges embed skills inside MyLab and Mastering.
- Pearson's global testing and qualifications franchises generate recurring revenue across education stages.
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Benefits
Flexible Work Hours
Remote Work Options
Professional Development Budget
Company News
Pearson reported strong first-half results, with underlying revenue up 4%, adjusted operating profit rising 14% to £276 million, and adjusted earnings per share increasing 19% to £0.289. The education company maintained its full-year guidance for mid-single-digit revenue growth and adjusted operating profit of £640 million to £685 million. Virtual Learning drove growth with revenue jumping 19%, whilst Enterprise Learning & Skills rose 7%, supported by enrolment momentum and AI-upskilling programmes. However, English Language Learning revenue fell 3% as demand for the Pearson Test of English weakened amid softer study-abroad demand and tighter migration policies. Free cash flow increased £103 million year-on-year to £259 million, benefiting from improved working-capital management.
Pearson on track for growth as virtual learning demand soars. Fri, 31st Jul 2026 08:00 LONDON, July 31 (Reuters) - British education company Pearson said on Friday it was on track to meet 2026 guidance, helped by strong growth in its virtual learning division, and as demand rises for its AI study tools in U.S. higher education. For the first-half, Pearson posted underlying group revenue up 4% to £1.78 billion ($2.39 billion), and group adjusted operating profit up 14% to £276 million after last year's outcome was impacted by an impairment charge. "We have delivered a good first-half performance and executed well against our strategy, with a focus on driving operational improvements while innovating to build learning and assessment experiences," CEO Omar Abbosh said. Pearson's 2026 guidance is for mid-single digit underlying revenue growth and adjusted operating profit of £640 million to £685 million. The company said its virtual learning division, which provides online teaching services and technology, grew revenue 19% in the first six months of the year, while its assessment and qualifications units performed well and demand for U.S. courseware was solid. Shares in this article. 1,269.00 -1.82%
Pearson reiterates 2026 guidance, helped by virtual learning growth. Fri, 31st Jul 2026 07:16 LONDON, July 31 (Reuters) - British education company Pearson said on Friday it was on track to meet 2026 guidance, helped by growth in its virtual learning division which provides online teaching services and technology. For the first-half, Pearson posted underlying group revenue up 4% to £1.78 billion ($2.39 billion), and group adjusted operating profit up 14% to £276 million. ($1 = 0.7436 pounds) (Reporting by Sarah Young, Editing by Paul Sandle) Shares in this article. 1,249.00 -3.37%
Oxford International Digital Institute appoints Dr. Ella Soper as Senior Vice President, Global Sales - Language Testing. July 28, 2026. Oxford International is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Ella Soper as Senior Vice President, Global Sales - Language Testing at the Oxford International Digital Institute (OIDI). Ella joins OIDI with more than 15 years of international leadership experience spanning language assessment, digital learning and higher education. In her new role, she will lead the global commercial strategy for OIDI's Language Testing division, driving international growth, market expansion and the adoption of the organisation's English language assessment portfolio across higher education, government, workforce and professional sectors. Working with academic partners, English language providers, governments and employers across Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Europe, Africa and the Americas, Ella will play a key role in expanding the global reach of the Oxford ELLT and Oxford ELLT Spotlight, while strengthening partnerships that support international education, workforce readiness and global mobility. Before joining Oxford International Digital Institute, Ella held senior leadership positions at IDP Education and Pearson Online Learning Services, leading international commercial growth and strategic partnerships across multiple global markets. She holds a PhD from the University of Toronto and brings extensive expertise in commercial strategy, international partnerships and English language assessment.
Gaia Learning secures £400k to expand specialist education support for neurodivergent learners. STOCKPORT, UK. July 15, 2026 - Education technology company Gaia Learning has raised £400,000 in a new equity funding round backed by GC Angels, NESTA and a group of angel investors. The investment will support the company's continued growth, strengthen its specialist services for neurodivergent children and accelerate the rollout of its new SEND platform, Bloom. Established in 2019, Gaia Learning was founded to help tackle the lack of suitable educational options for neurodivergent children. The online education provider delivers specialist alternative provision for children and young people across the UK whose needs are not always met in mainstream education. It supports learners experiencing autism, ADHD, anxiety, school avoidance, mental health challenges and other additional needs by providing personalised learning environments designed around their individual circumstances. The company previously raised £550,000 in 2024 in an investment round led by NESTA Impact Investments alongside GC Angels. Since then, Gaia Learning has grown its workforce to 24 employees across full-time and part-time positions while also building strategic relationships, including a collaboration with Pearson Edexcel. Part of that earlier investment supported the creation of Bloom, a SEND infrastructure platform that enables schools and education providers to plan, monitor and evidence support for pupils with additional needs. The platform draws on Gaia Learning's experience of working directly with neurodivergent learners, educators and support professionals. With this latest funding, Gaia Learning plans to extend access to its specialist education services while continuing the rollout of Bloom. Pilot programmes are already taking place in Northern Ireland, with additional school pilots due to begin in September. The company's long-term vision is for Bloom to become a central system that helps schools coordinate, deliver, monitor and evidence SEND provision, making support more effective while improving accountability and outcomes for children with additional needs. Kate Heath, Founder and CEO of Gaia Learning, said: "Gaia Learning was born out of a passion for ensuring neurodivergent children can access education that is best suited to their unique needs. Our first funding round really helped us to get this idea off the ground, allowing us to grow our team and accelerate the development of Bloom. Most importantly, it has enabled us to support more neurodivergent learners and help more schools deliver effective support for children with additional needs. "This latest funding round will help us to build on this success. By once again partnering with the teams at GC Angels and NESTA, we're proud to be working with investors who share our commitment to improving educational outcomes for young people. This support will play an important role in helping us accelerate our plans and extend our reach." Marc Shirman, Head of Equity Investment at GC Angels, added: "Gaia Learning's progress over the last few years has been outstanding. Kate and the team demonstrate the strength of innovation across the North of England, using technology to create more inclusive and accessible educational opportunities for neurodivergent learners. "It has been a pleasure to support Gaia Learning throughout its growth journey, and we are excited to see the impact Bloom will have as it is introduced to more schools and education providers. We look forward to continuing our partnership as the team develops solutions that improve outcomes for children and young people with additional needs." The Business Manchester News Desk team is a collective of experienced journalists and editors dedicated to delivering comprehensive business news and insights from the Manchester area and beyond. With a strong background in finance, technology, property, and innovation, our team ensures that our readers stay well-informed about the latest trends and developments in the business world. Through in-depth reports and insightful analysis, the Business Manchester News Desk team is committed to providing high-quality journalism to its audience. 21/07/2026 Business Manchester will use the information you provide on this form to be in touch with you and to provide updates and marketing. Don't miss 16/07/2026 17/07/2026 15/07/2026 16/07/2026 06/07/2026 01/07/2026