Head of Quality Assurance

Bedford College Group; Bedford; On-site; GBP 48,000 - 62,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

35 days annual leave

Teacher's pension/LGPS

Discounts

Professional development opportunities

Access to college courses

Job summary

Bedford College Group is seeking a Head of Quality Assurance to lead the Quality department and drive compliance, continuous improvement, and regulatory readiness across our provision.

You will oversee quality monitoring, audits, and IQA/EQA activities, identify risks, and work with awarding organisations to maintain standards while leading on risk management and strategic quality development.

Qualifications

• Degree and teaching qualification (PGCE/CertEd) with strong understanding of FE quality systems.
• Leadership and influencing skills to drive a culture of high performance and continuous improvement.
• Analytical/data-driven approach with strong report writing and feedback capabilities.
• Commitment to safeguarding, health & safety and organisational values.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the Group's Quality Assurance function to drive compliance and continuous improvement.
• Oversee quality monitoring, audits, curriculum health checks and quality reviews to identify risks and drive actions.
• Ensure robust qualification approval processes and manage engagement with awarding organisations (IQA/EQA).
• Lead on malpractice and maladministration investigations and implement corrective actions to reduce risk.
• Support quality strategy, inspection readiness, and reporting for senior leaders.

Skills

Leadership

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Quality assurance

Regulatory/compliance

Education

Degree + PGCE/CertEd

Job description

Role:

Head of Quality Assurance

Location:

Bedford College - Cauldwell Street Campus

Salary/Benefits:

Salary is between £47,972 and £62,099 per annum DOE and Qualifications, 35 days annual leave plus Bank holidays, Teacher's pension / Local Government Pension Scheme, Retail and Leisure Discounts, excellent professional and personal development opportunities, accessing college courses.

Hours/Weeks:

37 hours per week - 52 weeks per year

Contract Type:

Permanent - Full Time

This is a UK based contract, and you are required to have the Right to Work in the UK. Unfortunately, we’re unable to offer sponsorship and any offer of employment will be subject to evidence of your Right to Work in the UK.

About the role:

We are currently seeking a Head of Quality Assurance to join our Quality department at The Bedford College Group.

• Quality Assurance Leadership - Lead and manage the Group's Quality Assurance function, ensuring consistent implementation of processes that drive compliance, accountability, and continuous improvement across all provision.
• Quality Monitoring & Improvement - Oversee audits, curriculum health checks, and quality reviews, identifying risks, monitoring performance, and driving improvement actions to enhance learner outcomes.
• Compliance & Awarding Body Management - Ensure robust qualification approval processes, maintain strong relationships with awarding organisations, and oversee IQA and EQA activities to meet regulatory standards.
• Risk, Investigations & Performance Management - Lead on malpractice and maladministration processes, manage investigations, identify trends, and implement corrective actions to reduce organisational risk.
• Strategic Development & Inspection Readiness - Support quality strategy, maintain inspection readiness, produce reports for senior leaders, and continuously improve quality systems in line with regulatory requirements.

About you:

• Qualifications & Professional Knowledge - Degree and teaching qualification (PGCE/CertEd), with strong understanding of FE quality systems, Ofsted frameworks, assessment, and awarding organisation requirements.
• Quality Assurance Experience - Extensive experience in FE or awarding organisations, including audits, curriculum health checks, self-assessment, and driving measurable quality improvement outcomes.
• Leadership & Influencing Skills - Proven ability to lead, motivate, and coach teams, influence stakeholders at all levels, and drive a culture of high performance and continuous improvement.
• Analytical & Communication Skills - Strong data-driven approach, report writing, problem solving, and ability to communicate effectively while providing constructive feedback and recommendations.
• Professionalism & Compliance - Commitment to safeguarding, health & safety, and organisational values, with flexibility to travel, work under pressure, and continuously develop skills.

For a more detailed breakdown of the job role and the requirements, please see the Job Description attached to this vacancy.

Interviews to be held:

TBC

Successful candidates must also be able to demonstrate alignment to our organisational VISION values:

• Valuing Teamwork - We are one team who by working together can achieve great things, respecting the opinion and valuing the contribution each of us makes.
• Improving Continuously - We challenge ourselves to always do better by trying new things, sharing knowledge, reflecting on practice and learning from others.
• Student Centred - At our heart is always doing what is best for our students. We consider students in all of our decision making to create positive outcomes and memorable experiences for every student.
• Inclusive - We celebrate differences and diversity, recognising that we can learn from each other.
• Open and Caring - We care about the wellbeing of our staff, our students, our community and wider society, creating an environment built on trust where we listen, engage with and support each other.
• Nurturing Education Excellence - We promote educational excellence by delivering programmes that challenge our students to achieve their ambitions.

About The Bedford College Group

The Bedford College Group was formed in 2017 following the merger of Bedford College and Tresham College and is now the largest provider of education in the South East Midlands, with over 15,000 students passing through our doors each year.

Today, the Group is made up of a family of colleges across Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire: Bedford College, Central Bedfordshire College and Tresham College in the towns of Bedford, Dunstable, Leighton Buzzard, Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough; Shuttleworth College, a specialist land-based college; The Bedford Sixth Form, (the only dedicated sixth form in Bedford); The Corby Sixth Form, (opened in September 2023); and the National College for Motorsport alongside Silverstone race circuit. To widen accessibility to education and training, the Group also has community-based Learning Centres in Bedford, Corby and Kettering which offer IT training.

Safeguarding our Students

The Bedford College Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to thorough vetting process which includes, an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Exceptions Order 1975, provides information about which convictions must be declared during job applications and related exceptions and further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS filtering guide. The Bedford College Group's policy on Employment of Ex-Offenders is attached to this vacancy.

Candidates who are barred from working with children are reminded it is a criminal offence to apply for this post.