Quality Assurance Manager – Employment Support

South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority; Sheffield; On-site; GBP 51,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Local Government Pension Scheme

Hybrid working

Flexible working hours

Training on the job

Professional membership reimbursement

Job summary

South Yorkshire Combined Mayoral Authority is seeking an experienced Quality Assurance Manager – Employment Support to lead QA across employment programmes in a hybrid Sheffield setting. You will design standards, guide audits, and drive improvement with partners and local authorities.

Reporting to the Head of Employment and Careers, you’ll leverage data and insights to mitigate risks, support providers, and promote best practice regionally and nationally.

Qualifications

• Experience of quality assurance, audit, compliance, service review or continuous improvement activity.
• Strong knowledge of employment support programmes and service delivery models.
• Experience working with publicly funded programmes, partnerships or commissioned services.
• Ability to analyse complex information and use evidence to drive improvement.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and influencing skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and delivery of quality assurance frameworks across employment and supported employment programmes.
• Design and implement quality standards, guidance, processes and tools that support consistent and effective programme delivery.
• Use performance data, insight and stakeholder feedback to identify risks, drive improvement and ensure high-quality outcomes.
• Support providers to prepare for and successfully undertake audits, reviews and quality assessments.
• Work with local authorities, delivery partners and community organisations to embed a culture of learning, quality and continuous improvement.
• Provide support, challenge and improvement planning to strengthen service delivery and performance.
• Act as a subject matter expert on quality assurance, providing advice and guidance to colleagues and external partners.
• Monitor compliance, identify risks and ensure appropriate interventions are implemented where required.
• Prepare reports, recommendations and briefings for senior leaders, boards and stakeholders.
• Represent SYMCA at regional and national forums, promoting best practice and innovation in employment support.

Skills

Quality assurance

Audit

Compliance

Continuous improvement

Data analysis

Stakeholder engagement

Influencing skills

Problem solving

Leadership

Job description

Quality Assurance Manager – Employment Support

Application Deadline: 9 September 2026

Department: Skills and Employment

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Sheffield Head Office

Reporting To: Tina Slater

Compensation: £51,357 - £54,495 / year

Description

• Hours: 37 hours per week (full time)
• Contract: Permanent
• Salary: Grade 11 - £51,357 - £54,495
• Location: Sheffield (hybrid working)

We are looking for an experienced and improvement-focused Quality Assurance Manager – Employment Support to join our Employment and Careers team.

This is an exciting opportunity to shape and lead quality assurance across South Yorkshire's employment and supported employment programmes. Working with local authorities, delivery partners and stakeholders, you will help ensure services are delivering high-quality outcomes for residents and employers while embedding a culture of continuous improvement, innovation and best practice.

About the role

Reporting to the Head of Employment and Careers, you will lead the development and implementation of quality assurance frameworks that support effective, compliant and high-performing employment support services across South Yorkshire.

In this role, you will:

• Lead the development and delivery of quality assurance frameworks across employment and supported employment programmes.
• Design and implement quality standards, guidance, processes and tools that support consistent and effective programme delivery.
• Use performance data, insight and stakeholder feedback to identify risks, drive improvement and ensure high-quality outcomes.
• Support providers to prepare for and successfully undertake audits, reviews and quality assessments.
• Work closely with local authorities, delivery partners and community organisations to embed a culture of learning, quality and continuous improvement.
• Provide support, challenge and improvement planning to strengthen service delivery and performance.
• Act as a subject matter expert on quality assurance, providing advice and guidance to colleagues and external partners.
• Monitor compliance, identify risks and ensure appropriate interventions are implemented where required.
• Prepare reports, recommendations and briefings for senior leaders, boards and stakeholders.
• Represent SYMCA at regional and national forums, promoting best practice and innovation in employment support.

This is a strategic role with the opportunity to influence the quality and effectiveness of employment support provision across South Yorkshire.

About you

You will be an experienced quality, performance or programme professional with a passion for improving services and achieving better outcomes for residents.

You will bring:

• Experience of quality assurance, audit, compliance, service review or continuous improvement activity.
• Strong knowledge of employment support programmes and service delivery models.
• Experience working with publicly funded programmes, partnerships or commissioned services.
• The ability to analyse complex information and use evidence to drive improvement.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and influencing skills, with the confidence to provide support and constructive challenge.
• Experience building effective relationships across organisations and sectors.
• Strong communication skills, including the ability to present complex information clearly to a variety of audiences.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities independently.
• A collaborative and proactive approach to problem-solving and continuous improvement.

Knowledge of supported employment frameworks such as Individual Placement and Support (IPS) and the Supported Employment Quality Framework (SEQF) would be advantageous.

If you are passionate about improving quality, raising standards and helping more people access effective employment support, we'd love to hear from you.

Benefits

All colleagues have access to a Local Government Pension Scheme and the chance to be part of an organisation where you can really make a difference. Located in Sheffield City Centre, we are well-placed for transport links and encourage employees to take advantage of the active travel facilities. Work/life balance is extremely important to us here at SYMCA with our recognised family/friendly policies, genuine work flexibility, recognition, and shared success.

In addition to the above, some of our benefits include -

• Holiday Entitlement – From 28 to 36 days annual leave entitlement (depending on length of service) plus bank holidays. Pro-rata for part time colleagues.
• Annual Leave Purchase Scheme – The ability to purchase up to a further 15 days per year in additional to your normal annual leave
• Hybrid working – Our offices are a space where we come together and collaborate. Most of our roles are offered on a hybrid basis with the exception of some support roles being onsite full time. Please note, unless specified within the job advert, we cannot accommodate remote working contracts.
• Flexible Hours Scheme – Most roles within SYMCA work under the Flexi-Scheme which allows office-based employees’ flexibility and discretion over their working hours. Under the scheme employees can accrue a defined amount of credit or debit of working hours, and to take time-off in the form of Flexi-Leave or banked Annual Leave.
• Rewarding You – Reducing everyday expenses through discounts, benefits, financial advice, wellbeing solutions and more with Reward Gateway and Cycle-to-Work schemes.
• Training on the job – Support with upskilling skills through on-the-job training and qualifications
• Professional Membership Fees – Where membership to Professional bodies is applicable to your role, SYMCA will reimburse your membership fees where applicable and following approval by Line Management.

Diversity at South Yorkshire Combined Mayoral Authority

Our workforce is made up of a diverse community, where we all belong and feel part of something bigger. We are committed to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and/or belief.

All employees are eligible to request Flexible Working arrangements from day one of employment as such all requests will be considered subject to operation requirements.

Where candidates share disabilities within the application process, if they demonstrate that they meet all essential criteria from the Role Profile within their application, they will automatically be invited to interview.

If you require any reasonable adjustments throughout the process, please contact [e-mail] or include within your application form detailing the adjustment and how it will assist in managing any barriers.