[Hiring] Head of Implementation @Aptem

Role Description

Aptem builds software for the UK skills and employment sector. Our platform supports training providers, employers, and employment organisations to manage learner journeys from enrolment through to qualification or employment outcome. We are in the middle of a deliberate, ambitious transformation of how we work, and this role is at the centre of it.

We are looking for a Head of Implementation to transform our implementation function into a market-leading onboarding operation: faster, lower effort for customers and for Aptem, and consistently excellent. This is a transformation role first. You will not carry a personal project portfolio; your job is to fundamentally reimagine how the team works, build the processes and capability to sustain it, and drive continuous improvement from there.

The right person has already done this. They can point to specific examples of implementation or onboarding transformation they have led, the metrics that prove it, and how they brought their team with them. Evidence of what you have built and changed matters more than tenure or seniority.

What you will be doing:

• Leading transformation
• Leading the fundamental redesign of implementation processes to materially reduce effort and cycle time for both Aptem and its customers
• Identifying and driving automation opportunities, using AI and working with product and technology teams where appropriate
• Setting and pursuing an ambitious improvement agenda, not just incremental change
• Owning the tooling and technology used to support implementation; making recommendations on new approaches
• Evaluating implementation effectiveness through customer and stakeholder feedback, and acting on what you find
• Leading the team
• Building, developing, and retaining a high-performing team of 12 with a clear customer focus and a continuous improvement mindset
• Providing coaching and performance feedback that genuinely raises capability over time
• Holding the team accountable for data accuracy in Planhat to enable reliable reporting
• Managing workload allocation, recruitment, onboarding, and day-to-day team issues
• Ensuring team members set clear expectations internally and externally and follow through on them
• Operating cross-functionally
• Building productive relationships with Sales, Customer Support, Customer Success, Product, and Finance
• Acting as the primary escalation contact for implementation issues with senior customer stakeholders
• Supporting Sales on large prospect opportunities, including presentations and project estimates
• Working with Marketing to identify customers who could serve as references or case studies

Qualifications

• Experience in a SaaS or technology business
• Demonstrated experience leading a meaningful implementation, onboarding, or operational transformation, with specific evidence of what changed, by how much, and how it was measured
• Strong people leadership: a track record of developing and retaining a team through significant change, and getting buy-in rather than just driving change from above
• A track record of getting buy-in for transformation, not just driving it from above
• Experience managing a team across multiple concurrent customer accounts or projects
• Proven ability to manage senior stakeholder relationships and act as a credible escalation contact
• Strong commercial awareness: understanding of how implementation connects to revenue, retention, and customer satisfaction
• Clear, confident communicator across all channels, including when delivering difficult messages
• Working knowledge of implementation and project management tooling

Requirements

• Experience working in a regulated or compliance-adjacent environment
• Proficiency in Planhat

Benefits

• 27 days annual leave
• Option to buy up to 5 extra days’ annual leave
• Life insurance
• Optional comprehensive private medical insurance
• Optional EV scheme with Octopus to make electric cars more affordable
• Salary Extras: retail and gym discounts, plus Employee Assistance Programme
• Summer hours for extra flexibility in warmer months
• Birthday day off
• Pension scheme to support your long‑term financial future
• Aptem Neighbour Scheme to connect local remote colleagues
• Up to two paid volunteering days each year
• Biannual company social events
• Virtual coffee networking to build connections across the business