Head of Product – Professional Standards and Excellence

What you'll be doing

This is a rare opportunity to lead and shape the IET’s Professional Standards and Excellence portfolio, including our work on accreditation, professional registration, CPD, awards, and end point assessment. As Head of Product, you’ll lead a high-performing team of Product Managers and sit on both the Portfolio and Product Management (PPM) and wider IET Senior Leadership Teams.

You’ll drive a global strategy rooted in rigorous knowledge of engineering standards and regulatory frameworks, ensuring the IET remains a leader in defining, maintaining, and advancing engineering professionalism and ethics. From UK-SPEC to international accreditation models, you’ll build and evolve the frameworks that underpin professional excellence, from apprentice to senior fellow, across the global engineering profession.

You’ll drive innovation, seek new markets, build influence across professional and regulatory bodies, and lead the development of systems and processes that power a world-class professional journey.

What we hope you can bring to the role

We’re looking for an experienced strategic leader with a strong track record in engineering frameworks and standards, accreditation systems, and professional recognition, ideally within technical, educational, or regulatory environments. You’ll be confident shaping high-impact strategies that align with organisational goals and respond to the evolving needs of the engineering and technology sectors.

You’ll bring excellent leadership and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to influence at senior levels, represent the IET nationally and internationally, and work collaboratively across teams to deliver measurable outcomes. Your ability to manage complex programmes, inspire high-performing teams, and embed a culture of continuous improvement will be key to your success in the role.

A detailed understanding of engineering regulatory systems, including Engineering Council requirements, quality assurance processes, and global accreditation models, is critical. So too is a commercial mindset, capable of balancing innovation, compliance, and revenue growth in a complex stakeholder landscape.

This is a fantastic opportunity for a confident and forward-thinking professional to shape the future of engineering excellence and help deliver lasting value to members, partners, and the wider community.

A little more about the role

• Define and drive the global strategy for the IET’s professional recognition and excellence portfolio.
• Lead a talented team to develop high-impact solutions including CPD, registration, accreditation, end point assessment, and international standards.
• Innovate and shape the future of professional recognition, working with partners to reinterpret standards like UKSPEC and explore new registration categories and global accreditation models.
• Build recognition frameworks that support engineers at every stage of their development through awards, scholarships, credentialing, and more.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with teams across Engagement, Growth, Fundraising, Technology, Governance, and External Engagement to ensure impact and alignment.
• Represent the IET nationally and internationally, building influence across committees, working groups and strategic networks.
• Drive continuous improvement in processes, systems, and customer experience, enhancing value for members and stakeholders.
• Ensure robust governance, risk management, and financial performance across the portfolio.

A little more about what we’re looking for

• In-depth knowledge and proven leadership in engineering frameworks, professional registration, and standards development, ideally within technical, educational, or regulatory contexts.
• Experience working with national and international frameworks such as Engineering Council standards, accreditation systems, and quality assurance methodologies.
• Strong strategic and collaborative abilities, aligning product development with stakeholder and organisational needs.
• Exceptional stakeholder engagement skills, with the credibility to influence high-level decision-making and represent the IET nationally and internationally.
• Commercial acumen, with a track record of managing budgets, overseeing P&Ls, and driving sustainable innovation.
• Familiarity with governance, compliance, and risk management across complex portfolios.
• A proactive, solutions-oriented approach, with a passion for continuous improvement and delivering excellence to members and the wider engineering community.

We’d love to get to know you

Is Imposter syndrome creeping in? Don’t worry – we’d rather hear from you this time than not hear from you at all!

Download the full job description for a little more information about the role; but also, keep in mind that we’re open to discussing flexible ways of working, including reduced hours and working in an agile way, supported by a hybrid working framework that allows you to find the best place to do your best work.

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What if you could be you?

The IET is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.