Head of Assessment Design

At AQA, we’re committed to advancing education and we’re committed to our people. As the largest provider of academic qualifications in the UK, we mark over 10 million exam papers each year and it’s our people who make this happen.

Head of Assessment Design

Permanent

Location – Manchester, Milton Keynes, London or Guildford

Salary: North - £67800 -£76,200, South £72,760 - £79,400

Closing date - 11:59pm 27th April 2025.

Are you a dynamic and inspiring leader looking for a key role in Assessment Design? In this role, you will set a clear vision to shape team plans in alignment with AQA’s corporate and business area strategies. As a leader, you’ll inspire high performance by modelling best practices, championing AQA’s values, and fostering a culture of excellence.

You’ll take ownership of delivering high-quality assessment design work on schedule, continuously reviewing and improving assessment products to enhance validity and reliability. Your expertise will also ensure AQA consistently exceeds regulatory standards and supports our commitment to educational excellence.

AQA is the UK’s largest awarding organisation, with nearly 1.4 million students sitting our exams each year. We are passionate about creating high-quality, error-free assessments that shape the future of education. Join us as we look to continually improve General Qualifications for AQA and OxfordAQA through innovation and excellence in assessment.

What’s in it for me?

• A 35-hour working week with 25 days annual leave, rising with service, with bank holidays and extra closure days around Christmas on top.
• An excellent contributory pension which could see up to 18.5% combined contribution.
• Private Medical Insurance and a Health Care Cash Reward Plan.
• A new Electric Vehicle Leasing Scheme.
• Up to 5 days for volunteering.
• Newly refurbished offices with a variety of individual and collaborative workspaces.

What will I be doing?

• Lead and manage the assessment design team to ensure strong performance and high-quality outcomes are delivered efficiently and effectively and to budget.
• Lead on planning the work of the team, working with Assessment Design Team Managers and liaising with colleagues from other teams, to ensure assessment performance review, improvement planning and commissioning is of high quality and delivered to time and cost.
• Support the work of the Product Board to contribute to the overall Product Strategy and ensure the team contributes appropriately to individual product strategies.
• Lead the team on the contribution to the awarding process to help ensure valid, reliable and comparable outcomes are delivered in line with agreed approaches set by the regulator and the Standards and Awarding team.
• Manage, engage with, and influence those organisation-level stakeholders identified as part of the stakeholder strategy whose focus is on assessment and regulation, particularly Ofqual.
• Set direction for the Assessment Design team and work with the team to define the objectives and high-level deliverables that ensure organisational objectives and plans are delivered.
• Lead and manage direct reports to ensure strong personal performance with high-quality outcomes and good cultural fit and personal development.

What will I need to succeed?

• Excellent knowledge of assessment design and delivery strategy and approaches.
• Understanding of approaches to performance measurement and management in a customer, product or technical environment.
• Understanding of the regulatory environment in which AQA operates and likely impact of key stakeholders and influencers on assessment and product design.
• Ability to think strategically and understand the national and international context in which assessments operate, including a basic understanding of the different assessment practices on a global scale and excellent understanding of assessment practice in England.
• Excellent communications and presentation skills to create and explain a succinct and coherent view of complex assessment issues.
• Confident in dealing with influential external parties, the regulator(s), and government.
• Good networking, influencing, persuasion, and engagement skills to help ensure desired outcomes are delivered.
• Ability to define and articulate issues for research and shape investigations into assessment performance questions.
• Planning and project management skills to manage routine deliverables and change initiatives.
• Ability to understand requirements for assessment design in different subjects and advise on developing products which meet those requirements whilst recognising customer and stakeholder needs.

How do I apply?

Read the full job description below, then upload your most recent CV with a cover letter explaining how your skills and experience match what we are looking for.

Interviews will be over 2 stages, one on Teams and one face to face.

AQA is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community regardless of gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, age, neurodiversity, disability status, citizenship, or any other aspect which makes people unique.