Product Development Officer

Location: Sheffield or Bristol office with Hybrid working available

Contract: Permanent

Hours: Full Time (37.5 hours per week)

SFJ Awards is a regulated awarding organisation, delivering high quality qualifications and custom certification for learners through approved centres in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. We are also an apprenticeship assessment organisation approved by Ofqual to deliver assessment services for a growing number of standards in England. SFJ Awards is part of the Workforce Development Trust group.

The Workforce Development Trust is a not-for-profit organisation that provides services that support employers to develop skilled, sustainable, and efficient work forces in the UK and abroad. We operate via our four brands;
Skills for Health, Skills for Justice, SFJ Awards, iCQ Awards and People 1st International, which deliver specialist, targeted skills interventions to support a variety of frontline public services.

The purpose of this role is to develop qualifications, assessment materials and related products that meet regulatory, organisational and stakeholder requirements. We are seeking an experienced qualification and assessment developer who can quickly take ownership of a product portfolio and work autonomously within a regulated environment.

This role is ideally suited to someone with prior experience developing regulated qualifications and/or apprenticeship assessment products within an Awarding Organisation, Apprenticeship Assessment Organisation or a similar regulated setting. The successful candidate will support the development and maintenance of SFJ Awards qualifications, Apprenticeship Assessment materials, and wider assessment and accreditation products, ensuring they remain compliant with regulatory obligations and meet customer and organisational quality standards.

Working under the direction of the Product Development Manager, the post holder will collaborate with a range of customers, stakeholders and sector bodies involved in the design and development of qualifications, accreditations and assessment materials aligned to National Occupational Standards and Apprenticeship Assessment professional standards. The role will also involve liaising with, commissioning work from and reviewing the outputs of external subject matter experts and associates involved in development activities.

This role requires a highly organised and proactive individual who is comfortable operating within a fast-paced and evolving regulatory environment. The successful candidate will be confident managing multiple priorities, working independently and building effective working relationships with stakeholders, customers and subject matter experts.

This role plays a vital part in supporting SFJ Awards’ growth, innovation and reputation as a trusted awarding organisation within the justice, health, emergency services, community safety and protective security sectors. The role contributes directly to the development and maintenance of high-quality qualifications and assessments that meet regulatory requirements, respond to sector needs and support workforce development across the UK.

The role requires strong project management, stakeholder engagement and communication skills, alongside the ability to manage multiple priorities and work collaboratively across teams. Experience in qualification or product development, quality assurance, problem‑solving and regulatory awareness is important, as well as the ability to translate customer and sector feedback into effective products and services.

Daily work includes managing qualification and assessment development projects, collaborating with employers, sector specialists and regulators, reviewing and updating products and assessment materials, and working closely with internal teams including quality assurance, operations, business development and marketing. The role combines strategic product development with hands‑on coordination, stakeholder engagement and…