Head of Quality (Apprenticeships) in Birmingham

Meet AiCore. AiCore exists to help large employers in England get every employee using AI to drive revenue, cut costs and boost productivity through role specific training pathways that are fully government funded.

Our track record:

• Originated at Imperial College London, where we founded the Machine Learning Society with DeepMind sponsorship and educated 6,000+ students pro bono.
• Selected by NVIDIA to deliver specialised training via their Deep Learning Institute across top UK universities.
• Became the fastest-growing AI bootcamp in the UK, training 1,500+ people during Covid-19.
• Partnered nationally with the UK Department for Education, delivering outcomes that contributed to an estimated £17,310,932 tax uplift and supporting 740 people into employment.
• Apprenticeship business holds Grade 2 Ofsted and 91% completions.

The Role: Fractional Head of Quality & Compliance (Apprenticeships)

We’re seeking a single, senior owner to put a robust, inspection-ready quality and compliance operating system in place without requiring a full-time hire.

What you’ll own (fractional but accountable):

• As Fractional Head of Quality & Compliance, you will own and elevate the quality, compliance, and continuous improvement system across AiCore’s apprenticeship provision.
• Your mandate is to protect outcomes (for learners and employers), protect funding (ESFA rules and audit readiness), and raise the bar on teaching, learning, assessment, and operational rigour so that quality scales as we scale.
• This is a role for someone who can operate with high autonomy in a fast-moving, remote-first environment, while bringing the discipline and credibility of an inspection-ready quality function: robust SAR/QIP cycles, strong internal audit, clean ILR/data controls, and a culture of accountability.
• Because the role is fractional, success depends on leverage: you’ll set standards, controls, cadence, sampling and escalation; delivery/ops leaders execute day-to-day activity, with you providing oversight, coaching, and risk-based assurance.

Your scope mirrors what top-tier Heads/Directors of Quality typically carry in high-performing ITPs: ESFA funding compliance, EIF alignment, internal quality assurance, TLA/OTLA expectations, data integrity (including ILR), inspection readiness, staff development/standardisation, and safeguarding assurance.

Engagement model (Fractional):

• Weekly cadence: quality governance, KPI/risk review, action tracking, targeted sampling and coaching.
• Operating model: you own the system (standards, assurance, audit readiness, inspection readiness); nominated owners in delivery/ops execute actions and maintain evidence day-to-day.
• Surge capacity: option to increase time commitment temporarily around audit windows, SAR/QIP deadlines, or inspection readiness milestones.

Quality Team Vision:

• We’re building a quality function that is outcomes-obsessed: completion, progression, employer satisfaction, and learner experience.
• Inspection-ready at all times: no “inspection panic” culture—just strong cycles and evidence.
• Commercially aware: quality that accelerates growth rather than slows it—without compromising compliance.

Who This Is For:

• You’ll likely thrive here if you take pride in high standards, clean evidence, and disciplined operating rhythm.
• Enjoy building systems that make teams better (not “quality police,” but quality leadership).
• Can challenge constructively, coach confidently, and hold peers accountable.
• Like high-growth contexts where you must prioritise, simplify, and execute.
• Believe apprenticeships can be a serious engine for capability-building done properly.

What We Offer:

• Real ownership of the quality & compliance strategy and operating system (fractional, but decisive).
• Direct access to leadership; high influence on how AiCore scales delivery.
• Remote-first autonomy with a high-performance, high-integrity culture.
• Investment in professional development (inspection readiness, leadership, coaching, sector CPD).
• The opportunity to build a quality model for modern AI capability-building not generic training.

What We Expect From You:

• Core Responsibilities: Quality Strategy & Continuous Improvement, Audit, Compliance & Risk Management, Teaching, Learning, Assessment & Learner Journey, Inspection Readiness & External Relationships, Safeguarding & Learner Protection, Leadership & Enablement.

Requirements (Essential):

• Proven experience leading quality in apprenticeship / work-based learning provision, with credible ownership of SAR/QIP cycles, internal audit, and inspection readiness.
• Strong working knowledge of ESFA funding rules/compliance and the Education Inspection Framework.
• Demonstrable ability to drive improvement in teaching/learning/assessment standards and learner outcomes.
• Strong command of performance data and compliance reporting (including ILR-related integrity controls).
• Comfortable operating with autonomy in a remote environment; high standards, high integrity, direct communication style.

Nice to Have:

• Experience as an Ofsted Nominee or leading a provider through inspection/monitoring with strong outcomes.
• Governance/advisory experience or board-level quality reporting.
• Experience scaling quality systems in a high-growth environment (new standards, new cohorts, new delivery teams).

Location: Remote-first (UK-centric), with occasional travel as required for quality activity, partner engagement, or inspection-readiness milestones.

Compensation: Competitive, dependent on experience. Structured as a day rate or monthly retainer (fractional).