Quality Manager

Zenith Advisory Partners; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading education consultancy in the United Kingdom is seeking a Quality Manager to oversee quality assurance for legal apprenticeship programs. You will lead a team, develop quality procedures, manage compliance with DfE and Skills England regulations, and prepare for Ofsted inspections. The ideal candidate has over 5 years of experience in education or quality assurance, strong leadership skills, and expertise in developing quality processes. This role offers a dynamic work environment focused on learner success.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in education or quality assurance, especially in apprenticeships.
• Strong leadership and management experience with Curriculum Leads and IQAs.
• Involvement in Ofsted inspections ensuring compliance.
• Ability to design and implement quality procedures effectively.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of Curriculum Leads and IQAs to ensure high educational standards.
• Develop and manage quality assurance procedures and reports.
• Oversee inspection readiness and internal audits.
• Design training programs for coaches and tutors.

Skills

Leadership skills

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Stakeholder management

Quality assurance expertise

Education

Minimum 5 years in education or quality assurance

Legal qualifications/experience preferred

Job description

Overview

As the Quality Manager for legal apprenticeship programmes, you will drive excellence in learner outcomes by overseeing feedback systems, quality assurance, and stakeholder engagement while leading a team of Curriculum Leads and Internal Quality Assurers (IQAs).

Your responsibilities include developing and implementing quality procedures, managing the Quality Improvement Plan (QIP), Self-Assessment Report (SAR), and Qualification Achievement Rates (QAR), and ensuring compliance with Department for Education (DfE) and Skills England regulations. You will train and mentor new coaches and tutors, facilitate External Quality Assurance (EQA) visits, and collaborate with departments to enhance programme delivery and promotion, ensuring alignment with company mission to deliver innovative legal education.

With recent senior-level involvement in a successful Ofsted inspection, you will ensure full compliance with the Education Inspection Framework (EIF) by leading inspection preparedness, conducting internal audits, and presenting learner experience and quality assurance evidence. By fostering a high-performing team culture, overseeing learner journey evaluations, and maintaining up-to-date policies and resources, you will drive continuous improvement and empower learners to succeed in the legal profession.

Key Responsibilities

Team Leadership & Quality Assurance

• Lead and manage a team of Curriculum Leads and Internal Quality Assurers (IQAs), fostering a collaborative and high-performing team culture.
• Develop current and implement new quality assurance procedures to enhance programme delivery and learner outcomes in line with the growth of the business.
• Organise and oversee quality of education observations, covering tutors and coaches and working with Coach Managers to implement development plans.
• Create and maintain the Quality Improvement Plan (QIP), Self-Assessment Report (SAR), ensuring accurate data and strategic alignment with programme goals.
• Drive Qualification Achievement Rates (QAR), working with Compliance and Delivery departments to maintain the Apprenticeship Accountability Framework (AAF).
• Take ownership of updating policies and processes related to learner experience, quality assurance, and programme delivery, ensuring compliance with Department for Education (DfE) and Skills England funding regulations.
• Ensure learner experience initiatives align with quality assurance frameworks and drive continuous improvement.
• Facilitate EQA visits supporting Curriculum and IQA Leads to meet awarding body requirements.
• Collaborate with department managers including the marketing team to support promotion of legal apprenticeships.
• Oversee the creation and maintenance of learner and employer resources, supporting Curriculum leads to maintain consistency across departments.

Learner Experience & Feedback

• Lead the design and delivery of learner experience initiatives, ensuring feedback is systematically captured and actioned to enhance programme quality.
• Oversee session evaluations, analysing data to produce actionable reports that drive programme improvements.
• Facilitate learner focus groups and consultation panels to review and refine customer-facing processes, documents, and resources.
• Expand evaluation processes to cover the full learner journey, including onboarding, initial assessments, tutor drop-ins, gateway feedback, and exit reviews.
• Manage annual learner and employer evaluation processes, producing strategic reports to shape future programme development.

Training & Development

Design and deliver training programmes for new coaches and tutors, ensuring they are equipped with the skills and knowledge to deliver high-quality legal apprenticeship training.

Provide ongoing mentoring and support to coaches and tutors to maintain consistency and excellence in teaching practices.

Ofsted & Inspection Readiness

Play a pivotal role in preparing for Ofsted inspections, ensuring full compliance with the Education Inspection Framework (EIF).

Lead the collation and presentation of learner experience data, feedback, QAR, and quality assurance evidence during inspections.

Work with leadership, tutors, and employer partners to implement Ofsted action plans.

Conduct internal audits to assess inspection readiness and identify improvement areas.

Stay updated on Ofsted expectations, ensuring ongoing compliance and best practice.

Skills & Qualifications

• Proven experience in education, learner experience, or quality assurance, within apprenticeships, minimum 5 years.
• Strong leadership skills with experience managing teams, including Curriculum Leads and IQAs.
• Expertise in developing quality procedures, QIPs, SARs, QARs, and updating policies/processes.
• Recent involvement with Ofsted inspections, in a senior capacity, ensuring full compliance with the Education Inspection Framework (EIF).
• Experience in training and developing coaches and tutors to deliver high-quality education.
• Strong analytical skills to interpret feedback, QAR data, and other metrics to drive evidence-based improvements.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills to engage learners, employers, and internal teams.
• In-depth knowledge of DfE, Skills England, and Ofsted requirements, with a commitment to maintaining compliance.
• Ability to manage multiple projects, prioritise effectively, and deliver high-quality outcomes.
• Legal experience/qualifications are preferred, but not essential.