Apprenticeship Experience Manager

Northeastern University London; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Parental leave

Job summary

Northeastern University London is seeking an Apprenticeship Experience Manager to oversee the operational management, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance of the degree apprenticeship programmes within the Success Manager Team.

This post holder reports to the Director of Business and Partnership Development & Apprenticeships and provides direct line management to the Success Manager team, ensuring programme compliance and learner success outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Line management of the Success Manager team with regular appraisals and performance reviews.
• Implement a Workload Allocation Model and ensure capacity meets intake peaks.
• Lead quality audits and ensure regulatory compliance across apprenticeship delivery.
• Develop KPIs and provide coaching to improve learner outcomes.
• Escalate risks and maintain a data-led oversight of employer engagement.

Job description

Location

Hybrid - Marble Quay/Portsoken, London & WFH

Term

Monday to Friday, 9:00am-5:30pm | 37.5 hours per week

Benefits

The university supports staff maintaining a good work/life balance, offering flexible working and parental leave opportunities, an Employee Assistance Programme as well as optional private medical insurance, season ticket loans and a cycle to work scheme. Tuition fee remission is also available. Employees are automatically enrolled in the University's pension scheme with a minimum 4% contribution. They may also join the Salary Sacrifice plan to make additional tax efficient pension contributions. The University matches 4% as standard, rising to 8% maximum for higher contributions. Employees can tailor their contributions with support from an appointed independent financial advisor.

Direct Reports

Team of Success Managers (currently 11 headcount)

Reports to

Director of Business and Partnership Development & Apprenticeships

Start

October 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter

The role

The Apprenticeship Experience Manager is a management role responsible for the operational management, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance of NU London's degree apprenticeship programmes within the Success Manager Team. Reporting to the Director of Business and Partnership Development & Apprenticeships, this post holder provides direct line management to the Success Manager team and holds accountability for programme compliance, learner success outcomes, and continuous quality improvement across the full apprenticeship portfolio. This is a role that requires an experienced, credible manager who can operate with both managerial oversight and operational rigour. The post holder must bring demonstrable management experience, a strong understanding of the apprenticeship regulatory landscape (DWP/ESFA, Ofsted, OfS), and the confidence to make decisions, manage risk, escape appropriately, and drive a culture of quality and accountability within their team. The successful candidate will be expected to establish and embed structured management practices from day one - including regular quality audits, clear performance frameworks, escalation protocols, and data-led oversight of apprentice and employer engagement.

Duties and Responsibilities

Line Management and Team Leadership The post holder holds full line management responsibility for the Success Manager team and is accountable for team performance, professional development, conduct, and wellbeing. Provide structured, consistent line management to all direct reports including regular one-to-ones, annual appraisals, mid-year reviews, and probation processes in line with NU London's HR policy. Set clear individual and team performance expectations, using KPIs, targets, and quality standards as the basis for objective-setting and performance review. Manage underperformance promptly and constructively, using NU London's performance management framework and seeking HR guidance where required; escalate to the Director where formal processes are warranted. Identify and address individual and team development needs, commissioning (with Director approval) or facilitating training and CPD aligned to both operational requirements and personal growth. Foster a high-performance team culture underpinned by accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement - where quality is a shared value, not a compliance function. Manage team workload and resource allocation, including absence cover, caseload distribution, and contingency for periods of transition or high demand. Maintain and regularly review a Workload Allocation Model (WAM) for the SM team, ensuring caseloads are fairly distributed, EPA and break-in-learning weighting is accounted for, and capacity is proactively managed ahead of intake and completion peaks. Lead team meetings, briefings, and away days with a structured agenda and clear outcomes; ensure team communication is regular, transparent, and two-way. Act as a visible, credible manager who models the professional standards expected of the team and provides a clear point of escalation within the directorate. Quality Assurance and Compliance The post holder is the operational lead for quality and compliance within the Success Manager function, ensuring all apprenticeship delivery activity meets regulatory requirements and NU London's internal quality standards. Design, implement, and maintain a structured quality assurance framework for all Success Manager outputs, including tripartite reviews, LSP reviews, employer reports, gateway preparation, and records management. Conduct regular, scheduled quality audits of SM work - at minimum monthly - providing written feedback, identifying patterns and systemic gaps, and escalating material compliance risks to the Director and Head of Operations and Quality Lead. Maintain an up-to-date working knowledge of DWP/ESFA funding rules, Ofsted's Education Inspection Framework (EIF), OfS conditions of registra