Quality and Compliance Manager

National Skills Agency Ltd; South Yorkshire; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

National Skills Agency Ltd. is seeking an experienced Quality and Compliance Manager to provide strategic leadership for quality assurance, regulatory compliance and continuous improvement across its apprenticeship and funded provision.

The postholder will act as the Ofsted Nominee and drive inspection readiness, audits and evidence-based improvements. The role reports to the Operations Director and requires hybrid working with a Head office near Sheffield.

Qualifications

• Essential teaching, training or assessing qualification (e.g., DET, PGCE, AET or equivalent) with IQA and Safeguarding Level 3 CPD.
• Maths and English at level 2 or equivalent.
• Substantial quality assurance and compliance experience within apprenticeships and government-funded learning.
• Experience as Ofsted Nominee or Safeguarding/Prevent Lead with external QA experience.

Responsibilities

• Act as Ofsted Nominee, coordinating inspection readiness, evidence collation and responses to external scrutiny.
• Lead the Quality Strategy, self-assessment and Quality Improvement Plan with measurable actions.
• Maintain the quality cycle including curriculum reviews, teaching observations and learner voice.
• Monitor attendance, progress and outcomes, intervening where performance falls short.
• Coach Curriculum Leaders, Tutors and Skills Coaches to strengthen curriculum impact.
• Oversee safeguarding, Prevent arrangements and staff guidance aligned with policy changes.
• Provide concise monthly reporting to Directors on quality indicators and risk.

Job description

Location: Hybrid, with a minimum of one day per week at Head office near Sheffield

Reports to: Operations Director

Key relationships: Directors, Curriculum Leaders, Tutors and Skills Coaches, Learner Support and Enrolment, Sales and Marketing, Finance and Operations

Job Summary

Our client is seeking an experienced Quality and Compliance Manager to provide strategic and operational leadership for quality assurance, regulatory compliance and continuous improvement across its apprenticeship and wider funded provision. The role will ensure curriculum design, teaching, learning, assessment and learner support meet apprenticeship standards, awarding organisation requirements and the expectations of Ofsted, the Department for Education (DfE) and Skills England.

The postholder will act as the Ofsted Nominee and lead inspection, audit and assurance activity. Using performance data, learner and employer feedback, observations and audit findings, the role will identify risk, drive improvement and support strong learner outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as Ofsted Nominee, coordinating inspection readiness, evidence collation, staff preparation and responses to external scrutiny.
• Lead the Quality Strategy, annual self-assessment, Self-Assessment Report and Quality Improvement Plan, ensuring clear evidence, ownership, measurable actions and regular review.
• Maintain the quality cycle, including curriculum reviews, deep dives, teaching, learning and assessment observations, learner work scrutiny, standardisation, learner and employer voice, and performance reviews.
• Monitor attendance, progress, off-the-job training, achievement, timely completion and destinations, intervening where performance falls below expectations.
• Coach, support and constructively challenge Curriculum Leaders, Tutors and Skills Coaches to strengthen curriculum intent, implementation and impact.
• Ensure accurate and consistent use of learner management and information systems, including reviews, learning activity, feedback, actions and evidence.
• Lead apprenticeship assessment standardisation and quality assurance, including awarding organisation requirements and relevant changes to end-point assessment arrangements.
• Oversee safeguarding and Prevent arrangements, ensuring concerns are appropriately managed, recorded, escalated and reviewed.
• Maintain quality policies, procedures and guidance, ensuring they remain current and embedded through induction, training, supervision and monitoring.
• Provide Directors with concise monthly reporting on quality indicators, emerging risks, staff development, improvement‑plan progress and inspection readiness.
• Maintain current knowledge of Ofsted expectations, apprenticeship reform, awarding organisation requirements, DfE/DWP funding rules, Skills England requirements and relevant regulatory developments.
• Oversee learner data, funding returns and supporting evidence, ensuring records, apprenticeship service information, management information, accounts and evidence are accurate, complete and audit‑ready.
• Maintain a risk‑based internal audit programme covering eligibility, assessment, enrolment, recognition of prior learning, training plans, reviews, attendance, off‑the‑job training, support, breaks in learning, completion and withdrawal.
• Coordinate DfE/DWP, awarding organisation, subcontractor, partner and other external audits, recording findings, agreeing corrective actions and verifying completion.
• Monitor funding, contractual and service performance, escalating material risks, recurring errors and control weaknesses to Directors.
• Maintain controlled procedures, audit trails, compliance checklists and staff guidance, ensuring regulatory and policy changes are communicated and embedded.
• Use trends from data errors, audit findings, complaints and performance information to strengthen controls, reduce recurrence and inform the Quality Improvement Plan and organisational risk register.

Person Specification

Essential

• Relevant teaching, training or assessing qualification, such as DET, PGCE, AET or equivalent, plus IQA and Safeguarding Level 3 qualifications and evidence of CPD.
• Maths and English at minimum Level 2, or equivalent.
• Substantial quality assurance and compliance experience within apprenticeships and government‑funded learning.
• Experience leading self‑assessment, quality improvement and audit‑readiness activity, with experience supporting and constructively challenging delivery teams.
• Experience as an Ofsted Nominee, Designated Safeguarding Lead or Prevent Lead, with awarding organisation and external quality assurance experience.
• Current knowledge of Ofsted expectations, DfE/DWP apprenticeship funding rules, DWP Accountability Framework, Skills England requirements, safeguarding, Prevent, apprenticeship assessment and evidence requirements.

Desirable

• External quality assurance, auditing or leadership qualification.
• Experience of DfE compliance and funding assurance audits, Skills Bootcamps or Adult Skills Fund provision, EQA and awarding organisation audits.
• Experience of curriculum and assessment‑plan development, apprenticeship service and funding data returns, dashboard development and risk‑based sampling.
• Understanding of adult skills funding, commercial training, professional body accreditation and revised apprenticeship assessment arrangements.
• Experience supporting organisational growth or change while maintaining quality and compliance.

About the Opportunity

This is an influential role for a quality professional who combines detailed regulatory knowledge with sound judgement, strong analytical skills and a practical approach to improvement. The successful candidate will help maintain high standards, robust processes and positive learner outcomes across its funded provision