Qualifications Manager in Caerphilly

The Qualifications Manager will lead and hold operational accountability for the full lifecycle of qualifications delivery within Educ8 Training Ltd and Aspire 2Be. This includes scoping, procuring, implementing, monitoring, and assuring the quality and compliance of all regulated qualifications. The post-holder acts as Centre Manager for all Awarding Organisations (AOs), leads AO engagement, ensures qualification alignment with Welsh Government/Medr and Qualifications Wales requirements, and maintains rigorous internal and external quality assurance processes. The role also leads and manages the Invigilation team and External IQA activity, ensuring robust verification, compliance, value for money, and operational impact.

Key Responsibilities / Accountabilities

• Qualifications Centre and AO Management
  • Act as Centre Manager and named point of contact for all Awarding Organisations (AOs).
  • Oversee AO quality portals, notifications, updates, registrations, and certification requirements.
  • Ensure full compliance with Awarding Organisation, Qualifications Wales, JCQ and Welsh Government standards.
  • Lead and maintain full independent registration, delivery approval and certification status.
• Qualification Strategy, Planning & Development
  • Ensure all qualifications delivered are strategically aligned, current, fit for purpose, and meet regional and national priorities.
  • Conduct qualification research, horizon scanning and emerging qualification development (including digital, AI, and sectoral innovations).
  • Provide qualification intelligence and data to inform contract management, delivery models, compliance decisions and growth strategies.
  • Manage qualification budgets, registration costs, value-for-money models and AO growth agreements.
  • Support the development of the school's qualification strategy and design, ensuring alignment with VCSE requirements and supporting the strategic intent, progression routes and curriculum priorities.
• Registration, Certification & Data Management
  • Oversee learner registrations, monitoring, budget spend, certification timelines and data accuracy.
  • Ensure registration processes support compliance, revenue recovery, and meet agreed service levels.
  • Lead operational activity for qualification claims, compliance controls and attainment.
• Policies, Compliance & Risk Management
  • Ensure all qualification policies, procedures, assessment models and internal controls are current, compliant and consistently applied.
  • Monitor emerging regulatory requirements and act proactively to mitigate risk.
  • Ensure assessment practices meet high standards of rigour, validity and reliability.
• Stakeholder Engagement
  • Represent the organisation with AOs, Qualifications Wales, Welsh Government, Regional Skills Partnerships, and relevant professional bodies.
  • Lead qualification-focused research and change programmes including supporting new qualification design.
• External QA Oversight
  • Manage External QA relationships, scheduling, sampling strategies and structured responses to reports.
  • Track IQA performance, sampling, TC ratings (risk bandings), learner outcomes and improvement actions.
  • Monitor and evidence compliance through internal audits, moderation and standardisation.
  • Coordinate responses to EQA visits, outcomes, action plans, sanctions, and reporting.
  • Manage budgets relating to invigilation staffing, External QA fees, AO costs and associated expenditure.
  • Ensure effective, efficient, and financially sound operation of all qualification assurance processes.
• Invigilation
  • Line manage, develop and performance manage the invigilation team.
  • Ensure all tested activities are compliant with Awarding Organisation, JCQ and internal regulations.
  • Oversee off-site selection, safety compliance and budget monitoring.
  • Oversee remote invigilation uptake, compliance and budget monitoring.
  • Conduct sampling, audit checks and collaborative monitoring with Audit and Compliance.
  • Report on all testing data by sector including attendance and attainment.
• General
  • Work closely and collaboratively with the Quality Manager responsible for Internal Quality Assurance, ensuring alignment of IQA practice, sampling strategies, operational priorities, quality metrics, and continuous improvement activity.
  • Provide monthly reporting to Strategic and Operational Boards on qualification risk, compliance, outcomes and improvement.
  • Support sector reviews, sharing best practice and driving continuous improvement.
  • Ensure all policies, procedures and work practices are current, quality assured and adhered to.

Essential Criteria

• Significant experience managing qualification compliance and quality assurance in FE/WBL.
• Strong understanding of Welsh Government, Medr, Estyn and Qualifications Wales requirements.
• Significant experience and knowledge of Awarding Organisation regulations, assessment strategies and quality models.
• Proven experience of leading qualification operations, IQA teams and invigilation processes.
• Highly organised, analytical, able to operate and improve quality management systems.
• Full UK Driving Licence with Business Cover Insurance (A copy of your insurance will be requested upon offer) willing to travel across South Wales.

Desirable Criteria

• Welsh Speaker.
• Experience of qualification design and mapping.
• Previous experience as Head of Centre.
• TAQA Level 4 or equivalent.
• Teaching qualification.

Key Technologies

• Proficient use of Maytas, power PI and Awarding Organisation platforms.
• Confident in all Microsoft Office applications, with particular Excel competency.
• Smart Assessor and e-portfolio systems.

Educ8 Group is committed to Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk, and expect all employees to share this commitment. All successful applicants will be required to undertake a satisfactory DBS check, this may be a Standard or an Enhanced DBS check with a children's barred list check, in line with their job role.

Educ8 reserves the right to bring forward the closing date should we receive a sufficient number of applications for this role. Should you not hear from us 4 weeks after application, unfortunately you have been unsuccessful.