Sectors

Higher Education

Accelerating digital transformation in Higher Education

With over 35 years’ experience, our Higher Education team, delivers solutions that connect organisations with the very best talent. Cost optimisation, world-class student experiences and market competitiveness are just some of the factors driving digital transformation agendas and hiring strategies across Higher Education and require expert advice to deliver on. This is where we excel.

Why Harvey Nash?

35+ years' experience.
Dedicated Higher Education practice with a team of experts.
Global leaders in technology recruitment.
Unrivalled access to talent who trust us with their careers.
Leading market insights and future trends from across the world.

Trusted talent partner to Higher Education

Our Higher Education team boasts top-tier tech consultants, skilled in delivering technology and transformation talent at all levels. Armed with expertise, flexibility and a personal approach, we deliver bespoke solutions for your talent needs, advising you on everything from skills availability to attraction strategies to secure them.

Get in touch

If you're looking to secure your next role or make your next best hire, we'd love to help. Get in touch to speak with one of our consultants today.

Our track record

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University of Edinburgh

We provided the University of Edinburgh a blended recruitment model to deliver over 100 roles to support their service excellence transformation. Utilising a well-respected framework we ensured all hiring practices met rigorous governance standards as well as implementing IR35 best practices. The partnership resulted in a flexible interim delivery model providing a wide range of skilled talent with efficient coordination and collaboration managed by a dedicated account owner.

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University of Salford

Since 2016, we have delivered several campaigns to support the University of Salford’s increasing demand for digital specialists. This includes a retained CIO search, expenditure of their senior leadership team and a 95% fulfilment rate for contingent and permanent IT specialists from head of service to data architects. As well as bespoke multi-channel employer branded activities, adeptly communicating their employee value proposition and promoting a diverse and inclusive workplace.

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University of Sheffield

Since working with University of Sheffield since early 2021, we have optimised the full recruitment process to help them scale at pace without comprising on quality talent. We have placed over 150 candidates across the breadth of IT with 100% of hiring managers stating they would recommend Harvey Nash services.

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Heriot Watt University

Harvey Nash provided Heriot Watt University with a swift and cost effective hiring process to support their ERP (enterprise resource planning) programme. All skilled resources were supplied with clear and consistent coordination and execution, providing a remarkable time-to-hire record of less than two weeks for each role.

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University of Dundee

This exclusive partnership helped support university of Dundee’s digital Transformation Programme to deliver readily available top-tier talent with exceptional candidate care and streamlined, tailored recruitment processes including 48-hour CV turnarounds. All contributing to the successful advancement of the transformation programme.

“Phil and the team at Harvey Nash delivered outstanding support for our University’s IT recruitment campaign, successfully addressing critical challenges of location and market. Recruiting for a higher education institution requires a nuanced understanding of the academic environment and its unique demands, and Harvey Nash exceeded our expectations.

In addition to achieving impressive results, Phil and the team worked closely with us to enhance and refine our recruitment processes in line with University recruitment guidelines. By leveraging data-driven insights and modern recruitment technologies, they significantly improved our ability to attract and assess top-tier talent across IT leadership, architecture, and support roles. I would recommend Phil and the team at Harvey Nash to any organisation seeking IT recruitment support, particularly within the higher education sector."

Naomi Stewart, IT Resources Manager, Lancaster University

Clients we work with

We are delighted to provide bespoke talent solutions across Higher Education. Here’s some examples of the academic institutions we’re currently working with: 

Get in touch

If you're looking to secure your next role or make your next best hire, we'd love to help. Get in touch to speak with one of our consultants today.

Latest Jobs

Up to £75000.00 per annum
Negotiable
£400 - £425 per day + Outside IR35
Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear
Negotiable
£350 - £415 per day
Up to £157.36 per day
£275 - £375 per day + Umbrella/PAYE (Inside IR35)
£55000.00 - £60000.00 per annum
Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear
£40000.00 - £50000.00 per annum + excellent benefits
£0.00 - £635 per day
Havant, Hampshire
Negotiable
£45000.00 - £55000.00 per annum
Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear
Negotiable
£250 - £300 per day
Up to £80000.00 per annum
Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear
Up to £61000.00 per annum
£950 - £985 per day
Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire
Up to £400 per day
Manchester, Greater Manchester
£45000 - £55000.00 per annum
£100000.00 - £125000.00 per annum + Bonus
£110000.00 - £115000.00 per annum
Edinburgh
Up to £0.00 per annum
£0.00 - £550 per day
Leeds, West Yorkshire
Negotiable
Dublin City Centre, Dublin
Negotiable
Negotiable
Up to £105000.00 per annum + Extensive Benefits
Greater Manchester
£45000 - £55755.00 per annum
Manchester, Greater Manchester
£46735 - £55755.00 per annum
£300 - £325 per day
Lancaster, Lancashire
£39355.00 - £45413 per annum + Benefits Package
City of London, London
£30.00 - £34.00 per hour
£45000 - £51039 per annum + Benefits Package
Lancaster, Lancashire
£39355.00 - £45413 per annum + Benefits Package
Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear
£70000.00 - £80000.00 per annum + excellent benefits
Negotiable
City of London, London
£500 - £575 per day
Up to £150 per day
£0.00 - £190 per day
£0.00 - £270 per day
Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear
Negotiable
Leeds, West Yorkshire
£350 - £550 per day + Outside IR35
Leeds, West Yorkshire
£350 - £550 per day + Outside IR35
£120000.00 - £140000.00 per annum
£550 - £650 per day
Leeds, West Yorkshire
£350 - £550 per day + Outside IR35
Leeds, West Yorkshire
£350 - £550 per day + Outside IR35
Aberdeen
£200 - £250 per day
Inside IR35
Belfast, County Antrim
£100 - £170 per day
Negotiable
Up to £120000.00 per annum
£500 - £650 per day + Inside IR35
£0.00 - £470 per day
City of London, London
£500 - £575 per day + Umbrella/PAYE (Inside IR35)
City of London, London
£400 - £500 per day
Leeds, West Yorkshire
£65000.00 - £70000.00 per annum + + Package
£65000.00 - £75000.00 per annum + Bonus, Pension, Car Allowance
£65000.00 - £75000.00 per annum + Bonus, Pension, Car Allowance
Sheffield, South Yorkshire
Negotiable
City of London, London
£350 - £450 per day + Umbrella/PAYE (Inside IR35)
Up to £130000.00 per annum + Extensive Benefits
Salford, Greater Manchester
Negotiable
£37000.00 - £45000.00 per annum
£550 - £650 per day
Up to £550 per day
£400 - £450 per day
Manchester, Greater Manchester
Excellent benefits package

News & Insights

How are employers rethinking talent to keep pace with AI innovation?How are employers rethinking talent to keep pace with AI innovation?
How are employers rethinking talent to keep pace with AI innovation?
The demand for AI skills is outpacing supply at an extraordinary rate. According to the latest Nash Squared/Harvey Nash Digital Leadership Report, 51% of global tech leaders now say their organisation has an AI skills shortage, almost double the 28% reported just a year ago. AI has leapt from sixth to the number one most-scarce skill in just 18 months, marking the steepest rise seen in over 15 years of research. Featured in a recent ZDNet article, Nash Squared CIO Ankur Anand , offers timely insight into why the gap has grown so significantly, and what organisations can do to address it. He points to the speed of innovation as a key factor: “There’s an unprecedented pace of development in generative AI and the supporting large language models… Professionals must learn new skills quickly, and traditional learning methods can’t keep pace.” The article explores how forward-thinking leaders are adapting, from rethinking recruitment to embedding continuous learning, and ensuring their organisations can attract and retain the right blend of AI expertise and ethical awareness. You can read the full ZDNet article, including Ankur Anand’s insights and reflections on the fast-moving AI skills landscape, here.
How are tech leaders securing the biggest pay rises?
How are tech leaders securing the biggest pay rises?
Harvey Nash’s Helen Fleming, Executive Director, and Peter Birch, Director of Technology and Digital Executive Search recently featured in a Computing article exploring why some technology leaders are receiving inflation-busting salary increases, and what sets them apart. Drawing on the latest insights from the 2025 Harvey Nash Digital Leadership Report, the article reveals that over half of technology leaders globally received a pay rise last year, with 11% securing an uplift of over 10%. The data points to a clear pattern, the most rewarded leaders are working in businesses where technology is seen as a growth engine, not just a cost centre. These organisations are more likely to be investing in AI at scale, expanding their tech teams, and backed by leaders who view technology as a strategic enabler. Helen and Peter share advice for tech leaders looking to improve their earning potential - from aligning with forward-thinking, tech-driven organisations to choosing sectors with stronger demand and budgets for senior digital talent, such as financial services, healthcare, and defense. To find out how the most successful leaders are shaping their careers – and their compensation – read the full article in Computing.
TechNExt 2025: Tech Flix goes North
TechNExt 2025: Tech Flix goes North
On 17th June, the Harvey Nash Newcastle team attended TechNExt, the North East’s flagship technology festival, bringing together thousands of attendees across five days to celebrate the region’s thriving tech scene. As part of the festival the team took to the TechNExt Sustainability Hub alongside David Savage, Group Technology Evangelist, to showcase the fifth instalment of the Tech Flix docuseries, ‘Data’s Untold Story: The AI Energy Crisis’, a thought-provoking documentary exploring the growing tension between innovation, data and sustainability. Held in Blyth, the session welcomed attendees with an introduction by Michael Day, Associate Consultant, who set the scene for what is becoming an increasingly urgent issue: the exponential growth of data versus the energy required to sustain it. The documentary was then presented to the audience, which explores the mounting challenge of energy consumption in technology and data and what that means for our digital future. Following the screening, a panel of industry leaders took to the stage to reflect on the film’s themes and share their own perspectives. The panel featured: Joanne Todd, CIO, St John Ambulance Jayne Routledge, Digital, Data and Technology Director, Everyturn Mental Health Paul Fitton, Director of Digital and Innovation Northern Powergrid Stuart Redshaw, IT Manager, Tombola Moderated by David Savage, the panel tackled some of the film’s most pressing questions: What is the true cost of storing our ever-growing digital data, and how do we maintain long-term sustainability strategies when the average tenure of a senior leader is just over three years? - as reported in the Nash Squared/Harvey Nash Digital Leadership Report 2025. Key themes from the discussion included: Return on impact: Rather than focusing solely on traditional ROI, panellists stressed the importance of understanding the broader impact of sustainability projects, both environmentally and socially. Jane Routledge highlighted the challenge of aligning the board with long-term sustainability goals, advocating for a shift in how value is measured and communicated. Leadership turnover and continuity: A recurring theme from both the film and the panel was the issue of leadership churn. With digital leaders often in post for less than four years, the panel questioned how organisations could maintain momentum and accountability for long-term net-zero goals. Shared responsibility in the digital supply chain: The panel also discussed the role of major cloud and tech providers, such as Microsoft and AWS, in the sustainability equation. It's not just about individual business actions; suppliers too must take accountability for the energy their platforms consume. The ethics of AI and data consumption: As AI becomes more integrated into business operations, ethical concerns around its environmental impact surfaced. Questions from the floor explored whether issues like AI governance and energy usage were being properly discussed at board level, the general consensus was that they’re not, but they should be. Should data consumption be taxed? One particularly provocative idea raised by the audience was the introduction of a “gigabyte tax” on data consumption, similar to a carbon tax. While the idea was ultimately deemed unworkable (due to the risk of rising end-user costs), it sparked important dialogue around how governments and regulators might incentivise more sustainable tech practices. While the session didn’t promise clear-cut answers, what it offered was arguably more important: a space for debate, reflection and collective responsibility. From practical strategies to philosophical challenges, the panel opened new ways of thinking about tech’s role in sustainability. As Nash Squared/Harvey Nash’s Tech Flix series continues to tour the UK, events like this provide a critical platform to drive forward the conversation - not just about what the problems are, but about who is responsible and how we move forward together.
Harvey Nash Supports the Launch of the UK’s National Hiring Taskforce at Parliament
Harvey Nash Supports the Launch of the UK’s National Hiring Taskforce at Parliament
On 16th May, Andy Heyes, Managing Director UK&I & Central Europe, joined industry leaders and policymakers at parliament for the official launch of the UK’s National Hiring Taskforce, a new initiative from the Better Hiring Institute. The event brought together voices from across government, business, and recruitment to discuss how the UK can modernise and improve its hiring landscape. With a central theme of ‘reimagining recruitment’, the Taskforce aims to explore how we can make hiring faster, fairer, and more inclusive through technology, data, and innovation. Andy represented Harvey Nash in discussions focused on the evolving role of technology in recruitment, particularly how innovation can reduce friction in the hiring process and unlock untapped talent across all regions and sectors. A key theme was the need to move beyond traditional job titles and qualifications, instead focusing on individuals’ potential and transferable skills to build more diverse, agile and skills-driven workforces. By bringing together key decision-makers and forward-thinking organisations, the launch highlighted a shared commitment to making recruitment work better for everyone in the UK. As a leader in technology recruitment, Harvey Nash is proud to contribute to these important conversations. We see daily how innovation can connect people to meaningful opportunities and help organisations build diverse, high-performing tech teams. Being part of the National Hiring Taskforce reflects our continued dedication to shaping a recruitment industry that is modern, inclusive, and future-ready.