Application Support Manager

AQA; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible hybrid schedule

35-hour work week

25 days annual leave

11.5% pension contribution

Bupa health/wellbeing support

Volunteering opportunities

Employee networks

Job summary

AQA is seeking a senior leader to shape and run its enterprise application support function. You will guide governance, risk, and resilience across Dynamics 365, Power Platform, Workday and enterprise AI, while building a proactive, service‑oriented team.

You’ll balance internal talent with trusted partners to deliver reliable live services. The role sits in the Enterprise Applications leadership team, reporting on governance and customer experience, with a hybrid work model and a Thursday

Qualifications

• Experience leading enterprise application support or IT service management including internal teams and third-party partners.
• Strong knowledge of application management, governance, audit, risk, resilience and continuity.

Responsibilities

• Lead the application support function and develop its people with a focus on continuous improvement.
• Define and improve end-to-end support and application management processes across the portfolio.
• Ensure governance, audit, risk, resilience and continuity are at the centre of live service.
• Provide proactive support and clear communications for system users and citizen developers.
• Plan demand, priorities, capacity and the right blend of internal and third-party resources.
• Hold suppliers to account for quality, value, pace, risk and outcomes.
• Design support models for new applications and ensure smooth transition from delivery to live service.

Skills

Enterprise application leadership

ITIL knowledge

Cloud SaaS knowledge

Stakeholder influence

Tools

Dynamics 365

Power Platform

Workday

Enterprise AI

Job description

Working arrangements: Hybrid, with two days a week in the office including Thursday as the team anchor day

Shape a proactive application support function for AQA's growing technology portfolio.

This is a new senior leadership role with the freedom to shape how AQA supports and manages its enterprise applications. You'll move the function towards proactive service excellence, ensuring reliable, resilient and well-governed live services that give users the support they need. The portfolio includes Dynamics 365, Power Platform, Workday and enterprise AI, with scope continuing to grow.

You'll join the Enterprise Applications leadership team and lead the application support function. You'll bring together internal teams, service owners and suppliers, put governance and customer experience at the centre of live service and ensure new and changed applications can move smoothly into support.

In this role, you'll be responsible for:

• leading the application support function and developing its people, with clear expectations and a focus on continuous improvement
• defining and improving end-to-end support and application management processes across the portfolio
• keeping governance, audit, risk, resilience and continuity at the centre of live service
• providing proactive support and clear communications for system users and citizen developers
• planning demand, priorities, capacity and the right blend of internal and third-party resources
• holding suppliers to account for quality, value, pace, risk and agreed outcomes
• designing support models for new applications and ensuring effective transition from change delivery into live service

You’ll thrive in this role if you have:

You’ll combine service leadership with a proactive customer mindset, using evidence to make decisions and helping others navigate competing priorities.

• demonstrable experience leading an enterprise application support or IT service management function, including internal teams and third-party partners
• expert applied knowledge of application management and governance, including audit, risk, resilience and continuity
• a practical understanding of ITIL and service management principles. ITIL certification is welcome but equivalent practical knowledge will also be considered
• knowledge of supporting cloud-based SaaS products, ideally including Dynamics 365, Power Platform, Workday or enterprise AI, or comparable platforms
• the ability to influence senior stakeholders, challenge constructively and improve supplier and service performance

What's in it for you?

The opportunity to build a modern support function, influence a growing technology portfolio and make a meaningful contribution to education while developing your leadership impact.

• a 35-hour working week with flexible, hybrid working
• 25 days' annual leave, rising to 30, plus Christmas closure days
• a benefits package including up to 11.5% pension contribution, Bupa healthcare support, wellbeing programmes and volunteering opportunities
• the chance to shape support for a growing SaaS portfolio, including emerging AI capabilities and citizen development
• an inclusive, values-led culture with employee networks including LGBTQ+, neurodiversity, empowering women, wellbeing, ethnic diversity and Interfaith

Diversity and Inclusion Statement

At AQA, we're committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels they belong and can do their best work. We value the different perspectives, experiences and backgrounds our people bring, knowing they strengthen our culture, decision-making and impact. We foster an inclusive environment where everyone is treated with respect, has access to opportunities to grow and contribute, and feels able to be themselves. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and lived experiences.

Interviews:

Two stages are anticipated. The first is expected to be an online competency and technical interview w/c 2/11. The final stage will be face to face in our Manchester office w/c 9/11.