This week’s labour market figures paint what the British Chambers of Commerce describes as a “gloomy picture for jobs, opportunities and growth”. With the unemployment rate climbing to a post-pandemic peak of 5.1 per cent, it blamed “sky-high employment costs and a tidal wave of new employment legislation coming down the track”.
While much of the focus has been on graduate and entry-level roles, Suzie Walker, from the corporate recruiter Suzie Walker Executive Search, notes that the number of senior-level candidates on the market is an alarming ten times higher than normal.
Walker believes in 2026 there will be “increased middle-management redundancies as boardroom cost decisions cascade downwards”, but predicts an increase in executive and fractional hiring as companies become more flexible in the face of AI and global economic headwinds.
For those seeking a new role in the new year, which jobs provide the best opportunities? Here are the expert predictions for 2026.
Chief Information Officer: This was the UK’s fastest-growing role of 2025, with data from Adzuna, the jobs platform, showing a 411 per cent surge in hiring. As more businesses embrace digital transformation, chief information officers are responsible for overseeing internal IT systems, infrastructure and processes to ensure efficiency and alignment with business goals. Salaries average £110,000.
Chief Technology Officer: While chief information officers look internally, CTOs focus externally, driving product innovation, new technology and competitive advantage. Demand for their skills jumped by 255 per cent with salaries from £100,000 to £250,000.
Business infrastructure is behind a rise in construction jobs
NATHAN STIRK/GETTY IMAGES
Construction Director: The need for new business infrastructure including data centres and ecommerce warehouses has prompted a resurgence in this traditional role, with a 165 per cent rise in appointments. Salaries are more modest than tech roles, averaging £95,000. Demand for the controversial role of contentious construction solicitor rose by 37 per cent.
• Leadership and trust still matter as AI drives business change
Chief Digital Officer: This senior role leads digital transformation, bridging gaps between business and IT units. Advertised positions jumped by 166 per cent, with pay typically falling at £134,000. The related but junior enterprise architect saw demand almost double, with £85,000 average salaries.
Chief AI Officer: Forty-eight percent of FTSE 100 companies now have these specialist roles, with a 70 per cent year-on-year increase in appointments globally. Walker said: “The clearest signal of AI’s strategic importance is the emergence of the chief AI officer as a board-level appointment.” Remuneration ranges from £120,000 to £180,000.
Cybersecurity Consultant: This year’s attacks on M&S and Jaguar Land Rover sent shockwaves through the corporate world, leading to a 141 per cent leap in cybersecurity consultant appointments. Expect £35,000 entry-level salaries rising to six figures for significantly experienced hires.
Human Resources Director: HR departments are rapidly being expanded before the Employment Rights Bill. Open vacancies rose 45 per cent, while demand for the supporting employment associate job climbed 35 per cent.
Top tips for executive candidates to make their next move
As jobseekers look ahead to 2026, Jennifer Schielke, a recruitment expert and author of Leading for Impact, says standing out will require far more than a polished CV. Here are her tips for executive candidates to plan their next move.
Upskill with intent: Key for 2026 will be articulating how you use AI in your role and also how you have addressed past growth gaps.
Demonstrate authentic community impact This can be through volunteer work or charity initiatives at work that you have led or made a big contribution to.
Levelling up leadership: Show that you give back by mentoring others, regardless of title.
Build a personal advisory board This is a vital support network to guide the next chapter of your career. They act like directors to challenge your thinking and offer fresh perspectives.
Creating a targeted job-search plan: Competition for top jobs is intense, so build this with specific companies and roles in mind.
Preparing for success in advance: Put in the work before interviews begin.
Quantum leap for chief tech officers
The co-founders of Phasecraft, Toby Cubitt, centre, with Ashley Montanaro, left, and John Morton
JOHN MILLAR
Toby Cubitt is co-founder and chief technology officer at the quantum algorithms company Phasecraft. “A CTO has always been essential at a deep-tech company like Phasecraft, but more and more companies, including non-traditional tech organisations, are becoming technology-driven,” Cubitt, centre, from London, said.
“CTO roles are increasingly critical because businesses need strategic, in-house expertise to effectively integrate and leverage emerging technologies, such as AI.
“To succeed in the role, technical expertise is essential, but it’s not enough. The human side is arguably just as important — your success depends on building a cohesive team.
“As CTO, you are directly responsible for and involved in doing cutting-edge technology development. For me, there is nothing more exciting you could do.”
Six from the best
Ben Branson, founder of Seedlip
SEEDLIP
Best known as founder of Seedlip, the world’s first distilled non-alcoholic spirit, Ben Branson now owns Sylva, a distillery and maturation lab producing aged non-alcoholic drinks. His diagnosis of autism and ADHD in 2022, led him to set up neurodiversity charity The Hidden 20%. Here he shares his tips for doing business differently.
1. Nurture naivety: the best innovation often comes from the “what ifs” — those first principles, and innocent thoughts that find new ground, away from how it has always been done.
2. The slow hustle: tech made us all believe we needed to move fast and break things, but there’s a lot to be said for taking a persistent and a longer-term approach to sustaining growth.
3. Embrace neurodiversity: we need all kinds of brains. Championing a mix of literal and lateral thinkers is a highly underestimated competitive advantage.
4. Be interested: yes in your brand and your category, but the best ideas and creativity comes from where your competition isn’t looking into or learning about.
5. Hold the tension: we love black and white, this or that, one or the other. What about the grey? What about both? Brands are intangible, at times enigmatic entities that mean different things to different people. Don’t dismiss complexity.
6. Unreasonable deadlines: after “why”, the “when” and “who” are the next most important questions. I’ve found within high-performing teams, working to difficult deadlines brings focus and an urgency for transparency and communication.
Working weekWorkers can’t switch off
Less than half of professionals plan to unplug completely over Christmas. While 96 per cent will take time off, only 45 per cent feel able to properly disconnect, research from the HR platform Dayforce shows. A further 65 per cent admit they “feel pressure from their employer” to be available during their time off. Dayforce’s Amy Cappellanti-Wolf said: “Organisations have a responsibility to … help [their staff] get the rest they need.”
Bah humbug for bonuses
Is it all over for the Christmas bonus? Three in five employees are not expecting any form of festive payment this year and of those who do receive one, two in five expect it will be the last year the payment is given. The new study from the benefits hub Epassi UK also found that six in ten employees think that the money allocated to the office Christmas party could be better spent on financial support for employees.
AI to ‘lead to more hiring’
This was the year that AI began to affect hiring levels, but new research from the workflow platform Monday.com suggests a third of UK directors claim AI will lead to more recruitment, not less. It predicts AI will lead to specialist roles to build on existing capability. Ben Barnett, a spokesman, said: “UK directors say the question isn’t about replacing people, but about how AI can help them do more of what matters.”
Gen Z staff slay at work
Gen Z staff face numerous challenges at work with 44 per cent saying they have experienced stereotyping from older colleagues. The most common criticism was being “too passionate”, levelled at almost half of young staff, followed by using informal language or slang. But 57 per cent engage in reverse mentoring by teaching their managers basic tech tasks, the Kahoot study found. “This generation is often more useful than credited,” it said.
Appointment of the week
St Catherine’s College, Oxford, is seeking to appoint a finance bursar. As the largest of the 39 colleges, comprising a total student body of more than 1,000 students with just over 500 undergraduates, it maintains the coveted features of the Oxford collegiate tradition with a friendly and relaxed atmosphere.
The new finance bursar will be a fellow — a member of the governing body — and will take a leading role in setting the college’s financial strategy and policy, including membership of and accountability to the finance committee, with responsibility for implementing its decisions.
Suitable candidates should be educated to degree level with relevant business, financial and investment experience. Applicants will also be expected to have a proven track record of strategic planning and working collaboratively to translate strategic plans into operational practice, with significant expertise in financial management.
It is desirable for applicants to offer excellent leadership and people management skills.
Apply by January 9 at appointments.thetimes.com