Quality Manager

Derby; East Midlands; Hybrid; GBP 52,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Derby is seeking a Quality Manager to lead the Centre for Quality Assurance, driving strategic and operational quality assurance and regulatory compliance across the institution.

You will shape policy, oversee programme approvals and reviews, and provide expert guidance to senior leaders while developing a high-performing team committed to continuous improvement and student success.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in quality assurance and regulatory compliance in higher education.
• Policy development experience in a large, complex organisation.
• Proven leadership and ability to manage staff to deliver outcomes.
• Ability to interpret external regulatory requirements and apply them to institutional policies.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and continuous improvement of quality assurance policies and processes.
• Provide expert advice on quality assurance and regulatory matters to senior leaders and stakeholders.
• Oversee key quality assurance activities across programme approval, review, governance, external examining and accreditation.
• Support effective management of the academic portfolio and related QA activity.

Skills

Quality assurance

Regulatory compliance

Policy development

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Education

Postgraduate qualification or equivalent relevant work experience

Degree level qualification or equivalent professional qualification

Job description

£51,849 to £64,811 per annum(for exceptional performers, there is scope for further progression up to £74,533 per annum).

Hybrid
This role will be based on site, primarily in the named location with the opportunity to work remotely available in line with our Adaptive Working Framework.

We have one simple promise – to make a positive impact. Through our ground-breaking research, teaching excellence and commitment to sustainable living, we are changing lives for the better.

The University of Derby is a modern university with a modern outlook. Everything we do is driven by delivering excellence and opportunities for our students, our staff and our region.

We have some of the best university facilities in the UK and achieve outstanding results for our teaching and research and have been awarded Gold in the prestigious Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023 – making it one of the top universities in the country recognised for its outstanding student experience and student outcomes.

Financially strong and seriously ambitious we offer our employees an inclusive culture that centres itself around staff wellbeing, where you can be confident you will receive all the help and encouragement you need to build a rewarding career with lots of opportunities to enhance your skills.

Our Provost – Learning and Teaching department drives forward the University’s ambition to provide excellence and opportunities for all students; building on Derby’s long-standing reputation for teaching excellence, ensuring the development of sector-leading, flexible, integrated learning that aligns to the needs of learners, not just now but in the future.

Our mission is to enable the University to achieve its strategic aims and wider mission, and to be compliant with external regulatory requirements, through the design and implementation of a Quality Assurance and Enhancement Strategic Framework.

The Quality Manager is a key leadership role within the Centre for Quality Assurance, providing strategic and operational leadership for the University's quality assurance, enhancement and regulatory framework. Reporting to the Head of Academic Quality, you will lead the development and continuous improvement of quality assurance policies, processes and systems, ensuring compliance with internal requirements and external regulatory expectations, including those of the Office for Students (OfS), Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Bodies (PSRBs) and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

You will play a central role in maintaining academic standards, enhancing the quality of the student experience and ensuring the University remains responsive to the evolving higher education regulatory environment.

You will be an experienced higher education quality professional with a strong track record in quality assurance, regulatory compliance and policy development within a complex organisation. You will bring detailed knowledge of the UK higher education regulatory landscape, including the Office for Students (OfS) regulatory framework, the QAA Quality Code, and requirements relating to Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Bodies (PSRBs) and apprenticeships.

You will have proven experience of interpreting regulatory and institutional requirements, developing and implementing effective policies and processes, and driving continuous improvement. A strategic thinker with excellent judgement, you will be equally comfortable leading operational delivery, providing expert advice and influencing stakeholders across the University. A degree or equivalent professional qualification is essential.

• Play a leading role in shaping, developing and implementing the University’s quality assurance and enhancement framework.
• Ensure that effective, integrated and compliant quality management policies, procedures and regulations are in place across the University and are consistently applied.
• Lead and manage key quality assurance and enhancement activities, ensuring alignment with the University’s academic quality framework and external regulatory requirements, such as the OfS regulatory framework.
• Provide expert advice and guidance on quality assurance, academic regulations, policy and regulatory matters to senior leaders, academic and professional service staff and external stakeholders.
• Provide effective leadership and management of staff within the Centre for Quality Assurance, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, customer-focused services and support across the institution.
• Oversee the operation, review and continuous improvement of key quality assurance processes, including areas such as programme approval and review, academic governance, collaborative provision, assessment, external examining and accreditation activity.
• Support the effective management and oversight of the University’s academic portfolio and associated quality assurance activity.
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with Colleges, Professional Services, collaborative partners, External Examiners, PSRBs and other external stakeholders.
• Lead the review and enhancement of quality assurance processes, systems and ways of working to improve efficiency, effectiveness, consistency and customer experience, making appropriate use of technology and automation.
• Monitor developments within the higher education regulatory environment and advise on institutional responses to emerging requirements and sector developments.
• Contribute to institutional policy and regulatory development through the preparation of proposals, participation in working groups and responses to external consultations.
• Support the University’s preparation for external reviews, audits and regulatory engagement activities.
• Contribute to the effective planning and coordination of quality assurance activities across the academic year, managing peak workloads and competing priorities.
• Lead and manage a team of staff taking responsibility for recruitment, training and development and performance management including conducting individual performance reviews.
• Regularly review, audit and assess team performance and quality of service to ensure that high standards are achieved and maintained and understanding of good practice is shared within and between teams to enhance performance.
• Represent the Centre for Quality Assurance in internal and external networks and deputise for the Head of Academic Quality as required.
• Lead and/or directly contribute to institutional projects as they relate to quality assurance, enhancement and regulatory compliance.
• Any other duties as required to support the Head of Academic Quality, the wider Provost Learning and Teaching leadership team and key University activities (e.g. Clearing, Graduation etc.).
• Degree level qualification or equivalent professional qualification.

Experience

• Significant experience of quality assurance, regulatory compliance and policy development in higher education.
• Strong leadership skills and proven experience of managing and motivating a team to deliver successful outcomes against agreed targets/objectives.
• Substantial experience of interpreting external regulatory requirements and/or relevant institutional policies to apply to individual cases and situations.
• Proven experience of establishing, developing and implementing improvements to protocols, policies, procedures and systems in a large and complex organisation
• Experience of managing projects and delivering successful outcomes to agreed timescales and quality standards.

Skills, knowledge & abilities

• Detailed knowledge and understanding of quality assurance and enhancement in higher education, the associated regulatory environment and current issues facing the sector. This includes a thorough understanding of the OfS regulatory framework, the QAA Quality Code and other external regulatory requirements, such as those relating to apprenticeships and PSRBs.
• Ability to devise and develop innovative approaches to quality assurance that are risk-based and proportionate, minimise regulatory burden and make best use of available resources.
• Ability to think strategically and contribute to the strategic direction of the team and wider University and to balance this with the requirements of operational delivery.
• Strong leadership and change management skills, with the ability to drive continuous improvement and secure stakeholder engagement.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills including the ability to write high quality reports and deliver presentations to a wide range of audiences.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with an articulate, confident and diplomatic approach to communications, tact and discretion when dealing with sensitive issues and the ability to lead, negotiate, persuade and influence.
• Excellent attention to detail with the ability to maintain a high level of accuracy whilst working at pace.
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to produce effective operational work plans and manage team performance against those plans.
• Ability to work collaboratively and build effective relationships within the team and across organisational boundaries.
• Ability to deal with confidential and sensitive information and to maintain confidentiality at all times.
• Ability to work under pressure, meet tight deadlines and manage competing priorities on own initiative.
• A high degree of self-motivation and a self-managing work style, with the ability to set goals and work independently.

Business requirements

• Travel may be required on occasion within the UK and possibly overseas in support of the service. If required it is likely to be infrequent.

Qualifications

• Postgraduate qualification or equivalent relevant work experience
• Generous annual leave entitlement of 42 days inclusive of bank holidays and concessionary days (pro rata)
• Suite of holistic wellbeing benefits and support including family-friendly policies, generous sick pay provision and comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme
• Access to a variety of staff discounts at high street retailers
• Discounted onsite gym
• Access to employer-funded Private Health Insurance
• Holiday purchase
• Cycle to Work scheme
• A flexible working environment
• A commitment to personal and professional development

For further information and informal enquiries regarding the role, please contact Richard Monk, Head of Academic Quality via [e-mail]

For enquiries regarding your application and for sponsorship eligibility, please contact the recruitment team via [e-mail] .

This role is eligible for sponsorship by the University, however, your individual circumstances must meet the criteria set out by UKVI ; this includes meeting the English Language requirement and earning a salary that meets the highest of either the going rate for the SOC code or the minimum salary threshold for the Skilled Worker route (£41,700 per annum, as of 22nd July 2025).

If the role is eligible, but the offered salary is less that the going rate for the role, you may still be able to apply for a Skilled Worker visa if:

Your job is on the Immigration Salary List

You’re under 26, studying or a recent graduate, or in professional training

You have a PhD level qualification that’s relevant to your job

You have a postdoctoral position in science or higher education

Please note that the University cannot confirm your eligibility for sponsorship until an offer is made and your individual circumstances have been considered.

The University of Derby is committed to fostering an open, inclusive and diverse community where everyone is treated with dignity, fairness and respect. We are committed to advancing equity, diversity and inclusion regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief (or none), sex or sexual orientation.

As a Disability Confident employer, we are committed to inclusive recruitment and welcome requests for adjustments throughout the recruitment process. Applicants may choose their preferred title, including 'Mx', and may share preferred pronouns if they wish. We also use anonymised shortlisting to help reduce the potential impact of unconscious bias. For more information on equity,diversityand inclusion at the University of Derby, pleasevisitour website .

We are also committed to promoting academic freedom and freedom of speech and expression within the law, in line with our Code of Practice , and value diversity of thought alongside diversity of backgrounds and experiences.

However you identify, we welcome applications from people whose experiences, perspectives and talents will contribute to our inclusive, supportive and intellectually vibrant community.

The University of Derby is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all our staff, students and children. At the University of Derby, safeguarding is everybody's concern.