Head of Qualifications and Assessment

The opportunity

The primary objective of the Head of Qualifications and Assessment is to develop and maintain an outstanding portfolio of creative qualifications that deliver transformative education to students across the UK and globally, and secure UAL Awarding Body’s position as the pre-eminent provider of pre-degree creative qualifications in Further Education, schools, 6th Form College and specialist universities.

The Head of Qualifications and Assessment will have responsibility for designing innovative and high-quality qualifications and assessments, which secure an appropriate balance between validity, comparability and reliability. They will need to apply a creative and ideas-driven approach to qualification and assessment design in order to meet the requirements of the Department for Education, Ofqual, CCEA and Qualifications Wales, and to meet the needs of students, universities, and employers in the creative sector.

About you

Specialist Knowledge/Qualifications

Degree or equivalent qualification (essential)

Postgraduate qualification in the arts or education policy (desirable)

A comprehensive understanding of qualification, assessment and education policy, specifically in regard to further education, vocational and applied qualifications and public funding (essential)

A comprehensive understanding of the systems, processes and timelines of regulators and funders for Awarding Organisations from the Department for Education, Ofqual, CCEA, Qualifications Wales, Education and Skills Funding Agency and UCAS (essential)

A comprehensive understanding of the principles of budget management and project management (essential)

Relevant Experience

Strategic leadership and management in an awarding organisation (desirable)

Experience of leading qualification and assessment development projects to deliver innovative outcomes that meet the needs of users and stakeholders (essential)

Experience of leading qualification and assessment development projects that satisfy the design rules of the Department for Education, Ofqual, CCEA, Qualifications Wales, Education and Skills Funding Agency and UCAS (essential)

Experience of working across a large organisation and successfully influencing and managing complex projects in such an environment (desirable)

Experience of budget management and business planning in a commercial environment (essential)

Experience of working with specialist colleagues in finance, IT and HR to ensure smooth business operations (desirable)

Communication Skills

Communicate in a compelling and influential way adapting the style and message to a diverse internal or external audience in an inclusive and accessible way (essential)

Leadership and Management

Motivates and leads effectively, setting the direction of one or more function and promoting collaboration across formal boundaries (essential)

Professional Practice

Contributes to advancing professional practice in own area of specialism (essential)

Planning and Managing Resources

Effectively plans, prioritises and manages the delivery of complex projects or activities to achieve long term strategic objectives (essential)

Teamwork

Builds effective teams, networks or communities of practice and fosters constructive cross team collaboration (essential)

Student experience or customer service

Leads the improvement of the student or customer experience and promotes an inclusive environment for students, colleagues or customers (essential)

Creativity, Innovation and Problem Solving

Initiates innovative solutions to problems which have a strategic impact (essential)