Learning & Development Associate (Part-Time - 20 hours per week)

IRIS; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 17,000 - 23,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Job summary

IRIS Software Group in Manchester is seeking a part-time L&D Associate to support apprenticeship and sponsored study opportunities across the business. The 20-hour-a-week role offers hybrid working and flexibility across three to five days.

You will be a trusted point of contact for learners, managers and external providers, handling queries, tracking progress and maintaining accurate records. This role provides ownership and a clear path to develop skills in learning operations.

Qualifications

• Experience in case management or learner support.
• Strong attention to detail and reliable records.
• Ability to manage a caseload independently and meet deadlines.
• Clear, confident communication with learners and providers.
• Familiarity with apprenticeship administration would help.

Responsibilities

• Answer programme, eligibility, funding and next-step queries.
• Support learners when they are absent, disengaged or facing difficulties and escalate high-risk cases.
• Coordinate applications, enrolments, progress, withdrawals and evidence, chasing approvals.
• Maintain accurate learner information and reconcile trackers with provider records.
• Monitor purchase orders, invoices, spend and maintain an audit trail; flag variances.
• Produce management information and support improvements to learner communications and processes.

Skills

Case management

Learner support

Attention to detail

Clear communication

Apprenticeship administration

Job description

About IRIS

IRIS Software Group is one of the UK's largest privately held software companies, trusted by 100,000+ businesses, schools and accountancy firms to keep their operations running. Our software pays 1 in 6 UK employees, supports over 12,000 schools, and is relied on by 91 of the top 100 UK accountancy firms.

We're a Great Place to Work® certified employer, recognised for our commitment to well-being, inclusion and development - and we're growing fast.

Looking for a part-time role where great organisation and people support make a real difference? Join IRIS Software Group as an L&D Associate and help colleagues across the business access apprenticeship and sponsored study opportunities that build skills, confidence and careers. Based in Manchester on a hybrid basis, this 20-hour-a-week role offers variety, ownership and the chance to become a trusted point of contact for learners, managers and external providers.

Why This Role Matters

Our apprenticeship and sponsored study programmes involve much more than enrolment. Learners need timely support, providers need clear answers, records must be accurate, funding and spend need careful tracking, and important deadlines cannot slip. You will help keep that whole learner journey moving, combining empathetic case management with dependable programme administration, reporting, financial tracking and compliance support. It is a role where attention to detail has a direct impact on people’s development experience.

About the Team You'll Join

You will join our Global Talent & L&D team and work across IRIS with learners, line managers, programme providers and other stakeholders. The role is part-time at 20 hours per week. The job description recommends spreading those hours across four to five days, while the hiring discussion confirmed flexibility and a preference for coverage across at least three days. Your exact working pattern will be agreed with the line manager, taking account of caseload and peak periods.

What You'll Be Doing

• Act as a trusted first point of contact for learners, managers and providers, answering programme, eligibility, funding and next‑step queries.

• Support learners sensitively when they are absent, disengaged or experiencing personal difficulties, escalating higher‑risk cases appropriately.

• Coordinate applications, enrolments, progress, completions, pauses and withdrawals, chasing approvals, forms and evidence where needed.

• Maintain accurate learner information and reconcile internal trackers with provider, Cascade and DAS records, investigating discrepancies.

• Monitor purchase orders, invoices, actual and forecast spend, maintaining a clear audit trail and flagging risks or variances early.

• Produce management information and support improvements to learner communications, webpages, FAQs, campaigns and programme processes.

What We’re Looking For

You may already work in learning or education, but that is not the only route into this role. We are interested in people whose experience shows strong organisation, care for others and confidence managing detailed, deadline‑driven work.

• Experience in case management, learner or student support, or similarly sensitive administrative work.

• Strong attention to detail and confidence maintaining reliable learner and financial records.

• The ability to manage a caseload independently and prioritise effectively when deadlines compete.

• Clear, confident communication with learners, managers and external providers, including sensitive conversations.

• Familiarity with apprenticeship administration, levy‑funded programmes or similar compliance‑led processes would be an advantage, rather than an essential requirement.

Why Join Us?

This is a varied role with a clear connection to people’s growth and career development. You will gain an end-to-end view of apprenticeship and sponsored study programmes, build relationships across IRIS and develop experience spanning learning operations, programme governance, stakeholder support, management information and financial administration. The part‑time structure may also suit someone looking to bring valuable experience back into the workplace or combine work with other commitments, while taking ownership of meaningful work.

Why You’ll Love Working Here

• Impact: Your work will influence millions globally.

• Growth: Continuous learning and career development opportunities.

• Belonging: A culture that celebrates diversity and empowers every individual.