Director of Quality and Compliance

UK Management College; Manchester; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading institution in UK higher education is seeking a Director of Quality and Compliance to oversee academic and operational quality across campuses. The role involves strategic leadership, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards, and driving continuous improvement in student outcomes and institutional performance.

Qualifications

• Significant leadership experience in academic quality assurance.
• In-depth understanding of OfS Conditions of Registration and QAA quality code.
• Proven ability to lead complex teams and deliver strategic improvements.

Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver a strategic quality plan aligned with regulatory conditions.
• Lead the Academic Quality and Compliance team to drive excellence.
• Oversee annual monitoring, external examiner reports, and periodic programme reviews.

Skills

Leadership experience

Communication skills

Analytical skills

Education

Master’s degree in Higher Education or related field

Job description

Job Description

Job Title: Director of Quality and Compliance

Location: Manchester

Institution: UK Management College (UKMC)

Reports to: Managing Director

Works closely with: Provost of the College and University Partners

Salary: Competitive

Overview

As Director of Quality and Compliance, you will be a senior institutional leader at UK Management College (UKMC), overseeing academic and non-academic quality across all campuses. Reporting directly to the Managing Director, and working in close strategic partnership with the Dean and external university partners, you will play a pivotal role in developing, implementing, and assuring institutional frameworks for quality, compliance, and standards.

You will lead a cross-functional quality team to embed a culture of continuous improvement, ensuring alignment with the Office for Students (OfS), QAA, and the academic regulations of our partners institutes. Your leadership will ensure that both the educational provision and institutional operations meet the highest levels of regulatory compliance and student satisfaction.

Essential Criteria

• Significant leadership experience in academic quality assurance, institutional governance, and regulatory frameworks within UK higher education.
• In-depth understanding of OfS Conditions of Registration, QAA quality code, sector best practices, and academic regulatory requirements.
• Proven ability to lead complex teams and deliver strategic improvements in institutional quality.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with the ability to influence and collaborate across all institutional levels and with external partners.
• Strong skills in analysing quality assurance data (retention, attainment, continuation, progression, student satisfaction, graduate outcomes) and reporting for internal and regulatory purposes.
• Master’s degree (or equivalent experience) in Higher Education, Education Management, Quality Assurance, or a related field.
• Demonstrable impact on student outcomes and experience through quality leadership.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver a strategic quality plan aligned with regulatory conditions and institutional goals.
• Lead the Academic Quality and Compliance team to drive excellence across teaching, assessment, and institutional services.
• Maintain, review, and embed a coherent policy and procedure framework that governs academic and operational quality.
• Ensure that programme and institutional quality meet or exceed QAA and partner university standards.
• Oversee annual monitoring, external examiner reports, and periodic programme reviews.
• Manage engagement with regulatory, professional, and awarding bodies.
• Provide institutional oversight for academic governance structures and ensure high-quality committee servicing and reporting.
• Align all academic, non-academics and support operations with OfS expectations and our partners’ quality frameworks.
• Lead policy reviews and ensure that updates are implemented across all academic and support departments.
• Promote awareness and consistent application of policies through clear communication and staff development.
• Oversee all quality elements of programme validation, partnership reviews, and accreditation processes.
• Liaise with partner institute, and future partner institutions to ensure quality alignment in delivery and assessment.
• Prepare documentation and lead institutional preparations for external review or audits.
• Oversee the production and analysis of student outcome data (e.g., continuation, retention, achievement, non-submission, academic misconduct, EC trends).
• Produce quality assurance reports for SLT, partner universities, and external bodies.
• Use data insights to inform strategic improvements in course design, delivery, and support structures.
• Work collaboratively with the Dean to implement strategic academic quality initiatives.
• Serve as the College’s representative in sector networks and professional forums.
• Provide training and development to ensure staff are confident and compliant in implementing quality policies.