Qualifications Manager

The Qualifications Manager will lead and hold operational accountability for the full lifecycle of qualifications delivery within Educ8 Training Ltd and Aspire 2

Be. 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 Invigilation team and External IQA activity, ensuring robust verification, compliance, value for money, and operational impact.

About the Role

Key Responsibilities / Accountabilities Qualifications Centre and AO Management

• Act as Centre Manager and named point of contact for all Awarding Organisations (AO’s).
• 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 Leadership & Management

• 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 up-take, 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…