Quality Assurance Manager

National Skills Agency; Liverpool City Region; Hybrid; GBP 41,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

National Skills Agency Ltd is seeking a Quality Assurance Manager to lead QA across Adult Skills, Prison Education and Apprenticeships. Hybrid working with regular travel to delivery sites, and a salary of £45,000 per annum.

You will drive the quality strategy, oversee SARs/QIPs, and coach delivery teams to improve learner outcomes while ensuring regulatory compliance and audit readiness.

Qualifications

• Significant quality assurance experience in further education, adult skills, apprenticeships or prison education.
• Experience leading QA teams, IQAs or standardisation activities.
• Involvement in SARs, QIPs and inspection-readiness planning.
• Strong understanding of Ofsted framework, safeguarding, and funding requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and implementation of the organisation's Quality Strategy.
• Manage annual quality cycle including SARs, QIPs and curriculum reviews.
• Drive continuous improvement and maintain inspection readiness.
• Oversee teaching, learning and assessment observations across all programmes.
• Coach tutors, trainers, assessors and curriculum teams to improve delivery.
• Lead standardisation activities and ensure consistent assessment practices.
• Ensure compliance with Ofsted, DfE funding rules, awarding body standards and contracts.
• Maintain quality assurance records and audit readiness.
• Coordinate internal audits, external audits and verification visits.
• Represent the organisation at sector networks and quality forums.
• Deliver CPD and professional development for IQAs and managers.
• Produce regular quality and performance reports for senior leaders.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Analytical thinking

Organisational skills

Communication

Problem solving

Decision making

Education

Level 4 IQA qualification

Job description

Job Title: Quality Assurance Manager

Location: Hybrid working, with regular travel to delivery sites

Salary: £45,000 per annum

Role Overview

The Quality Assurance Manager will lead and strengthen quality assurance across Adult Skills, Prison Education and Apprenticeship programmes, ensuring high standards of teaching, learning and assessment, regulatory compliance and continuous improvement.

Essential Qualifications:

• Level 4 qualification in Leading Internal Quality Assurance (IQA).
• Evidence of ongoing professional development within further education, adult skills or quality assurance.

Key Responsibilities:

• The Quality Assurance Manager will support the development and implementation of the organisation's Quality Strategy.
• Lead the annual quality cycle, including Self-Assessment Reports (SARs), Quality Improvement Plans (QIPs) and curriculum reviews.
• Drive continuous improvement and maintain inspection readiness.
• Oversee teaching, learning and assessment observations across all programmes.
• Coach and support tutors, trainers, assessors and curriculum teams to improve delivery.
• Lead standardisation activities and ensure consistent assessment practices.
• Ensure compliance with Ofsted, DfE funding rules, awarding body standards and contractual requirements.
• Maintain accurate quality assurance records and ensure audit readiness.
• Lead internal audits covering delivery, assessment, safeguarding, Prevent and prison education requirements.
• Work with curriculum leads to ensure provision meets learner, employer and sector needs.
• Monitor learner progress, achievement and performance data, identifying areas for improvement.
• Lead quality improvement initiatives to enhance learner outcomes and organisational performance.
• Manage relationships with awarding bodies, EPAOs, external quality assurers and contract managers.
• Coordinate external audits, verification visits and assessment quality checks.
• Represent the organisation at relevant sector networks and quality forums.
• Maintain the Quality Risk Register and implement appropriate risk mitigation strategies.
• Deliver CPD and professional development for tutors, assessors, IQAs and managers.
• Promote a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Produce regular quality and performance reports for senior leaders and external stakeholders.
• Monitor key performance indicators, including achievement, progression, employer satisfaction and timely apprenticeship completions.

Essential Experience and Knowledge as Quality Assurance Manager:

Significant quality assurance experience within further education, adult skills, apprenticeships or prison education, including:

• Conducting teaching, learning and assessment observations.
• Leading standardisation and managing quality teams, assessors or IQAs.
• Contributing to SARs, QIPs and inspection-readiness planning.
• Managing awarding body relationships and external quality assurance visits.
• Conducting internal audits and implementing improvement measures.
• Strong understanding of the Ofsted Education Inspection Framework, safeguarding, Prevent, British Values, DfE funding requirements, apprenticeship standards, KSBs and End-Point Assessment (EPA).

Skills and Personal Attributes as Quality Assurance Manager:

• Excellent leadership, communication and stakeholder-management skills.
• Strong analytical, organisational, problem-solving and decision-making abilities.
• Confident, credible and collaborative leader, passionate about teaching quality and positive learner outcomes.

Desirable Requirements:

• Teaching qualification (AET, CET, DET or PGCE), leadership/management qualification (ILM or CMI), and experience of prison education, risk-based sampling, curriculum planning or organisational quality strategy.

National Skills Agency Ltd is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy and is an Equal Opportunities employer we welcome applicants from all backgrounds