Awarding Organisation (AO) Quality Assurance Manager
FutureQuals
Coalville, Leicestershire
To develop and manage the quality assurance and the customer support function, ensuring that all processes are consistent with the regulatory requirements and are regularly monitored, reviewed and where necessary adapted to ensure regulatory compliance, ensuring a high-level of customer service is maintained at all times.
37.5 Hours
Mon-Fri 9:00-17:00
Key Responsibilities
- Manage and develop the operational team to ensure excellent customer service
- Manage the day-today operational functions, ensuring appropriate delegation of duties to the Quality
- Coordinator and the Customer Support team
- Manage quality assurance processes to ensure that they contribute to the organisation’s strategic aims
- Develop the quality assurance strategy
- Support the Head of Development in the implementation of new qualifications ensuring quality assurance plans have been considered during the development phase
- Support the Senior Management Team with Governance Reviews
- Manage non-compliance investigations, analysing the cause and implementing procedures to prevent recurrences; ensuring incidents are escalated to the Head of AO Operations
- Set and monitor quality and customer support policies, procedures, and targets to meet regulatory requirements and meet the business objectives
- Support the quality assurance-based culture throughout the organisation
- Manage and oversee all aspects relating to the intervention of sub-standard provision delivery standards and/or legal requirements that are not being met
- Lead the management of incidents and issues, providing solutions to mitigate risk and recurrence
- Maintain high standards of continuous improvement, ethics and governance within the department
- Build and maintain collaborative and professional working relationships with Approved Centres, and technical experts to support the delivery of the quality strategy
- Build and maintain strong relationships with all FutureQuals departments, supporting collaborative work to maintain regulatory compliance
- Attend regulatory meetings when appropriate
- Build and maintain knowledge of FutureQuals qualifications
- Use experience of effective leadership and management to ensure the smooth day-to-day running of the quality and the customer support function
- Responsible for ensuring own knowledge is updated regularly in order to provide the most up-to-date advice and guidance and maintain awareness of the best practice
- Oversee the risk management processes
- Oversee and monitor the processes which ensure that any remedial actions for the organisation or centres are addressed in a timely manner
- Co-ordinate the provision of Reasonable Adjustments and Special Considerations
- Plan and coordinate supportive training sessions for approved centres, by analysing trends and statistical information, and engaging with internal and external stakeholders
- Plan and co-ordinate the National Principal Assessor courses
- Regularly review and develop the organisations CASS to ensure it meets the organisations and regulators’ requirements
- Manage and use feedback mechanisms with centres and the wider workforce team to continually improve quality assurance and customer support processes
- Prepare and provide internal reports, including data as required
- Recruit, manage and standardise external quality assurers (EQAs)
- Lead the development of new quality and customer support processes to enhance operational quality and efficiency
- Prepare and coordinate responses to external regulatory audits and data requests including the implementation and achievement of action plans
- Oversee and monitor the management of the assessment and appeals procedure for Approved Training Centres
- Adopt an innovative approach to maximise systems and technologies to support the quality assurance and customer support functions
- Coach and teach members of the Awarding Organisation to ensure they develop their capability and understanding of regulatory requirements and continually improve the services to customers
- Conduct appraisals and create and review SMART staff development plans
Essential Qualifications, Knowledge and Experience
- Must hold an IQA qualification
- GCSE education in English and Mathematics (at Grade C or above) or equivalent
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills both verbal and written with a commitment to managing expectations
- Strong ability to prioritise and manage own workload in a varied work programme
- Experience of maintaining, developing and delivering excellent customer relationships
- Highly analytical and process-driven
- Knowledge of quality systems and processes
- Experience of accurately inputting data on a consistent basis
- Experience of working in a regulated awarding body/organisation within quality assurance
Desirable Skills and Abilities
- General management qualification
- Experience of further education sector
- An understanding of FutureQuals products and services
- Knowledge of professional business environment
- Proven ability to operate as an effective tactical, strategic thinker and planner
- Project management experience
- Experience of understanding differences in opinions, anticipating potential areas of conflict and proactively managing discussions