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- Tasks: Lead assurance for vocational education programmes, ensuring quality and effective decision-making.
- Company: Join AQA Group, a leader in vocational education with a focus on innovation.
- Benefits: Enjoy 25-30 days annual leave, flexible working, and a strong pension scheme.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on vocational qualifications and help shape the future of education.
- Qualifications: Experience in vocational education and strong stakeholder management skills required.
- Other info: Dynamic role with opportunities for visibility and influence across the organisation.
The predicted salary is between 45000 - 55000 £ per year.
There are now several organisations within AQA Group, including TQUK, that are delivering and supporting high-quality vocational education, which gives us a strong foundation to develop new qualifications and apprenticeships. Your focus will be on assurance, challenge and alignment - helping AQA Group take well judged decisions as we design and deliver new vocational qualifications and apprenticeships.
You will sit at the centre of the vocational reform programme, providing hands-on programme level assurance - bringing together planning, risk, governance and quality insight to support confident senior decision making in a complex reform environment. This role is not about owning policy design in isolation, nor about running operational delivery. It sits deliberately between those worlds - bringing vocational expertise, strong stakeholder judgement and an assurance mindset to help the organisation navigate reform well.
- Providing expert assurance and constructive challenge on vocational reform activity, ensuring assessment design, quality processes and delivery plans are robust and credible in a post-16 context.
- Providing programme level assurance across vocational reform activity, with a particular focus on risk, interdependencies and delivery readiness.
- Exercising sound judgement in conditions of uncertainty, helping teams test assumptions, surface trade-offs and make proportionate, evidence based decisions.
- Tracking progress, identifying risks early and escalating issues where clarity, pace or alignment are at risk.
- Strong experience of vocational, post-16, FE or skills qualifications - including assessment, quality assurance, regulation or delivery.
- Strong stakeholder judgement - building trusted relationships while knowing when to probe, when to escalate and when to enable progress.
- Experience of programme, project or assurance environments, without being tied to a single policy or operational lens.
A role that builds visibility and influence across AQA's vocational strategy and leadership community.
25 days' annual leave, rising to 30 with service, plus bank holidays and additional 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).
At AQA, we are committed to fostering a workplace that celebrates diversity and promotes equity and inclusion.
Assurance Manager (Permanent) in Bolton employer: AQA
Contact Detail:
AQA Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Assurance Manager (Permanent) in Bolton
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the vocational education sector, especially those connected to AQA Group. Use LinkedIn to connect and engage with them; you never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by understanding the key challenges in vocational reform. Brush up on your knowledge about assessment design and quality assurance processes. This will help you demonstrate your expertise and show that you're ready to tackle the complexities of the role.
✨Tip Number 3
Don’t just wait for job postings! Keep an eye on AQA’s website and apply directly through it. Sometimes, roles are filled before they even hit the job boards, so being proactive can give you an edge.
✨Tip Number 4
Showcase your stakeholder management skills during interviews. Be ready to share examples of how you've built trusted relationships and navigated complex environments. This is crucial for the Assurance Manager role, so make sure you highlight your experience!
We think you need these skills to ace Assurance Manager (Permanent) in Bolton
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV reflects the skills and experiences that align with the Assurance Manager role. Highlight your vocational expertise and any relevant programme assurance experience to show us you’re the right fit.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you’re passionate about vocational reform and how your background makes you a great candidate. Keep it engaging and personal, so we can see your enthusiasm.
Showcase Your Stakeholder Skills: In your application, emphasise your ability to build trusted relationships and navigate complex environments. We want to see examples of how you've exercised sound judgement and provided constructive challenge in previous roles.
Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it’s super easy to do!
How to prepare for a job interview at AQA
✨Know Your Vocational Stuff
Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of vocational education and the specific qualifications relevant to the role. Understand the current landscape of post-16 education and be ready to discuss how you can contribute to AQA Group's mission.
✨Showcase Your Assurance Mindset
Prepare examples that demonstrate your experience in providing assurance and constructive challenge. Think about situations where you've had to exercise sound judgement in uncertain conditions and how you navigated those challenges.
✨Build Relationships, Even Virtually
Since this is a hybrid role, think about how you can build rapport with stakeholders both in-person and online. Be ready to discuss your approach to fostering trusted relationships and how you handle difficult conversations.
✨Be Ready to Discuss Risks and Interdependencies
Prepare to talk about how you've tracked progress and identified risks in previous roles. Have specific examples ready that highlight your ability to escalate issues and ensure alignment in complex environments.