Senior Delivery Manager

Senior Delivery Manager I - Fixed Term Contract - £67,000 - £78,000

This role is a 12-month, fixed term contract.

Join us and be part of a mission-driven, independent publisher. You'll work with a diverse group of people who share a passion for empowering researchers, educators, and institutions to shape the future.

Sageis a global academic publisher of books, journals, and library resources with a growing range of technologies to enable discovery, access, and engagement. Believing that research and education are critical in shaping society, Sara Miller McCune founded Sage in 1965. Today, we are controlled by a group of trustees charged with maintaining our independence and mission indefinitely.

Our guaranteed independence means we're free to:

• Do more - supporting an equitable academic future, furthering disciplines that drive social change, and helping social and behavioural science make an impact
• Work together - building lasting relationships, championing diverse perspectives, and co-creating resources to transform teaching and learning
• Think long-term - experimenting, taking risks, and investing in new ideas

The Senior Delivery Manager joins a collaborative, high-performing Agile delivery team that partners closely with product managers, software engineers, business analysts, and customer-facing colleagues to deliver high-quality digital products. The team works at the heart of our technology organisation, shaping delivery practices, enabling continuous improvement, and ensuring our software releases meet the needs of customers, internal stakeholders, and the wider business.

You'll be a trusted partner to senior leaders, cross‑functional teams, and external collaborators, helping to build a culture where experimentation, learning, and shared ownership drive meaningful outcomes.

• Experienced in delivery leadership with experience guiding Agile or project delivery teams to measurable, successful outcomes?
• A confident communicator who can influence, guide, and align teams toward shared goals?
• Skilled in Agile delivery with hands‑on experience implementing Scrum, Kanban, or hybrid frameworks to improve team performance?
• A release management expert able to design and run effective release strategies that balance speed, quality, and customer needs?
• A critical thinker who thrives in fast‑paced environments, solving complex problems with clarity and calm?
• Highly collaborative with the ability to build strong partnerships, facilitate discovery, and drive shared ownership of outcomes?
• Committed to continuous improvement with experience embedding lean practices and measurable process enhancements?
• Professionally certified with qualifications such as Advanced Scrum Master, PMI‑ACP, PMP/Prince2, or CBAP (or working toward them)?

This role leads, guides, and empowers Agile software delivery teams to deliver high-quality products through industry-standard processes, critical thinking, and a culture of continuous learning. You will champion Agile methodologies, drive operational excellence, and ensure that delivery practices support both customer value and organisational goals.

• Embed consistent delivery practices that improve predictability, quality, and flow across Agile software teams.
• Ensure smooth, timely releases by leading end‑to‑end release management strategies aligned to customer and business priorities.
• Drive measurable continuous improvement by identifying bottlenecks, reducing waste, and implementing lean solutions that enhance team efficiency.
• Strengthen cross‑functional collaboration by flexing across project management, business analysis, and coaching to keep teams aligned and unblocked.
• Translate business needs into actionable delivery plans through close partnership with customers and internal teams.
• Champion Agile ways of working to increase team autonomy, transparency, and delivery effectiveness.
• Build a culture of continuous learning where experimentation, reflection, and shared knowledge drive ongoing improvement.
• Mentor and develop team capability by coaching colleagues in Agile, lean, and delivery methodologies…