Reporting and Governance Lead in Manchester

At AQA, we’re committed to advancing education and we’re committed to our people. As the largest provider of academic qualifications in the UK, we mark over 10 million exam papers each year and it’s our people who make this happen.

Make confident decisions possible. You know how important good decision making is. When leaders have clear, reliable insight, progress moves forward with confidence. When they don’t, it slows down.

As our Reporting and Governance Lead, you will shape how reporting and governance works across a complex change programme – General Qualification Reform - bringing clarity where there is ambiguity and consistency where there are gaps. If you enjoy turning complex information into clear insight and influencing senior stakeholders without relying on hierarchy, this could be a really rewarding next step.

You’ll sit at the heart of a large, multi‑directorate programme, working across areas such as product, assessment, operations, finance and HR. Your focus will be on making sure leaders have the insight they need to make informed decisions. You’ll design and improve governance, strengthen reporting, and bring together different strands of delivery into a clear, joined up view. Your work will directly shape how confident leaders feel in the decisions they make.

What you’ll be doing:

• Design and improve governance frameworks and ways of working so decisions are clear and well supported.
• Own integrated reporting, creating clear, useful updates for senior leaders and governance forums.
• Bring together integrated plans, milestones and dependencies so risks are visible early.
• Track key performance measures and ensure progress is transparent and consistent.
• Provide independent assurance, helping leaders trust the information they are acting on.
• Set standards and guidance so reporting is high quality across all teams.
• Support programme teams to improve how they plan, report and manage delivery across each of our office locations (Manchester, Guildford, Milton Keynes and London).

What’s in it for you:

• The opportunity to shape how a large programme is governed and delivered.
• A collaborative, values led working environment.
• 25 days’ annual leave, rising to 30 with service, plus bank holidays and extra closure days at Christmas.
• A 35 hour working week with flexible working arrangements.
• An excellent contributory pension scheme (6%–11.5% depending on your contribution).
• Life assurance, BUPA PMI, and health cash plan.
• Enhanced maternity and paternity schemes.
• Access to professional and personal development whenever you need it.
• The opportunity to join a variety of employee networks including LGBTQ+, neurodiversity, empowering women, wellbeing, ethnic diversity, Interfaith and more.

At AQA, we are committed to fostering a workplace that celebrates diversity and promotes equity and inclusion. We believe that a diverse team brings richer perspectives and drives better outcomes. Our ED&I strategy ensures that everyone—regardless of religion, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, age, disability, sexual orientation, or background—is valued, respected, and empowered to thrive. We actively promote inclusive language, avoid stereotypes, and strive for representation across all dimensions of diversity. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and lived experiences.

What you’ll bring:

You don’t need to meet every point, but you’re likely to have experience in most of the following:

• Designing and improving governance and reporting in complex programmes or portfolios.
• Turning large amounts of information into clear, decision‑focused insight - we use Planner Premium and Power BI.
• Managing dependencies, milestones and identifying risks early.
• Producing reporting for senior stakeholders or formal governance forums.
• Experience influencing and building alignment across teams, even without direct authority.
• Paying close attention to detail while balancing accuracy with pace.
• Working confidently where information is incomplete or evolving.

It would be helpful if you’ve worked in large transformation programmes or regulated environments, but this isn’t essential.

How to Apply:

If you’re ready to take ownership of governance and reporting in a complex delivery environment, apply now. Upload your most recent CV with a cover letter to tell us how you’ve helped bring clarity, structure and confidence to programme delivery and what has inspired you to apply for this role at AQA.

Applications will close at 23:59 on Monday 25 May 2026. Interviews will be over two stages with shortlisting between in the week of 8th June - 1st stage via Teams, 2nd stage face to face in either the Manchester or Guildford Office, whichever is nearer to you. Every application will be read by a human and will receive a written response.

Essential Criteria:

• Proven experience designing, embedding and operating governance and reporting frameworks within complex programmes or portfolios.
• Strong analytical and planning capability, with the ability to synthesise complex information into clear, decision‑focused insight.
• Demonstrable experience of dependency and milestone management, maintaining integrated schedules and proactively identifying sequencing and timeline risks.
• Experience producing high‑quality reporting for senior leaders and formal governance forums.
• Demonstrable ability to influence, challenge and build alignment across teams and senior stakeholders without direct line authority.
• Strong attention to detail, with the ability to balance assurance, proportionality and pace.
• Confidence working with ambiguity and incomplete information, using judgement to establish proportionate governance and maintain delivery momentum.
• A collaborative, values‑led approach aligned to AQA’s ways of working.
• A track record of building senior leader confidence through transparent, reliable and insight‑led reporting.
• Alignment with AQA values and behaviours.

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience working within large, multi‑year portfolios, transformation or Reform programmes.
• Experience working in education, assessment, regulatory or other highly governed environments.
• Understanding of portfolio, programme or PMO operating models.
• Experience using specific portfolio reporting, planning and performance tools (e.g., Microsoft Planner Premium, Power BI) to manage dependencies and delivery insight.
• Understanding of AQA’s operating model.
• Familiarity with education, public sector or regulatory environments.