Regulatory Relationships Manager in Manchester

You'll be stepping into a role with real influence at the heart of AQA’s work. As Regulatory Relationships Manager, you'll help shape how we engage with our regulators, protect public confidence in our qualifications and safeguard the experience of learners across the UK. This is more than a relationship management role. You'll lead a specialist team and work closely with regulators and senior colleagues to navigate risk, change and opportunity. If you're a confident people leader who enjoys complex stakeholder environments and wants to make a meaningful, purpose‑led impact, this is a role where you can really make your mark.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a small team of compliance experts to manage day‑to‑day regulatory relationships, deadlines and casework.
• Oversee and coordinate regulatory engagement, including event notifications, correspondence, data returns and statutory reporting.
• Support AQA teams with clear, practical advice on regulatory rules, compliance and assurance.
• Lead the planning and implementation of key aspects of qualification regulatory risk, compliance and relationship functions, including managing and overseeing effective and robust annual regulatory assurance plans.
• Handle day‑to‑day regulatory contacts, correspondence, and requests for information, coordinating responses from across the organisation.
• Build and maintain excellent professional relationships with all qualifications regulators and key stakeholders, working with colleagues from across AQA to establish, maintain and enforce compliance with qualifications regulator requirements.
• Oversee and deliver a centralised first point of contact service for AQA for all qualifications regulatory relations.
• Conduct investigations and draft responses to regulatory authorities.
• Provide proactive support, advice, guidance and assurance, assisting the business in managing regulatory risks and supporting colleagues across the business to deal with audits and other regulatory interventions.
• Model professional and proportionate responses, exemplifying AQA's compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Establish and cultivate enhanced professional working relationships with qualifications regulators and other key stakeholders, building trust and credibility and influencing decisions in the commercial interests of the business.
• Administer the Responsible Officer's regulatory correspondence.
• Interpret and implement diverse and complex qualifications regulatory principles and guidance across products, processes and services.
• Act as the lead subject matter expert providing technical advice and assurance to help the business manage core regulatory risks.
• Manage the process for providing the annual statement of regulatory compliance to Ofqual.
• Lead on the preparation of replies and letters to regulatory consultations, legal notices and information requests.
• Proactively raise awareness across the organisation of the importance of regulatory compliance and minimising regulatory risks.
• Recruit, train, lead and manage a small team of staff to ensure that plans are delivered, ensuring consistently high quality and responsiveness to business needs.
• Champion and foster a culture of accountability.
• Demonstrate commercial flexibility by undertaking other responsibilities which are of a commensurate level as business needs change.

Qualifications

• Strong and experienced people manager who knows how to build and sustain high‑performing teams.
• Excellent stakeholder and relationship management skills, with the confidence to influence at all levels.
• Experience working with regulatory, compliance, assurance or external standards frameworks, or closely related environments.
• Strong analytical and prioritisation skills, able to assess risk and confidently manage competing demands.
• In‑depth understanding of regulatory risk, compliance and assurance functions, frameworks and methodologies.
• Broad understanding of the political, educational, regulatory and business context within which AQA works, including industry regulations.
• Self‑motivated and able to successfully manage, motivate and develop individuals and teams, leading by example.
• Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with a range of partners and stakeholders.
• Proven ability to think creatively and solve complex problems.
• Understand and synthesise complex, diverse, incomplete and potentially contradictory information to support sound decisions and priorities, including diverse and complex legislation and regulatory rules, principles and guidance.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, able to influence and build rapport with a range of internal and external stakeholders, and be a role model for a partnership‑based matrix style of working.
• Track record of ability to work under pressure and in a fast‑moving environment, fostering a sense of calm and resilience within teams.
• Flexible and responsive to changing demands, willing to challenge the thinking of others and to champion new ways of working.

Desirable:

• Understanding of the wider context within which the Regulatory Relationships and AQA operates.
• Experience of responding to regulatory requirements on behalf of a business.
• Experience of networking, influencing, persuading and engaging with influential external stakeholders to help ensure desired outcomes are delivered.

Benefits

• Exposure to organisation-wide projects, including compliance assurance and qualification reform.
• 35‑hour working week with flexible, hybrid working.
• 25 days annual leave (rising to 30) plus Christmas closure days.
• Excellent pension (up to 11.5% employer contribution).
• Private medical insurance, life assurance and wellbeing benefits.