Head of Assessment Development

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Job Description

Permanent Full-time

Location: Remote/Agile, UK

Reports to: Director of Product Development

Salary: Circa £65,000

Line management responsibilities: Yes

Overview

About TQUK

Training Qualifications UK, part of the AQA Group, is the fastest-growing Awarding Organisation in the UK and a market-leading Apprenticeship Assessment Organisation. We work with over 500 schools, colleges, universities, and training providers across the world to provide qualification certificates, endorsements, and apprenticeships to over 150,000 learners.

Training Qualifications UK is entering its next phase of growth - and we're investing in top talent to build what comes next. And what comes next is big. Multiple senior roles. Launched together. One shared future. This isn't a backfill. It's a build. We're looking for exceptional people across qualification development, assessment development, people services and marketing & communications to help define what a market-leading organisation in vocational education and FE really looks like.

About the Head of Assessment Development role

The Assessment Pillar is fundamental to ensuring that every learner's achievement is measured fairly, consistently, and in line with regulatory expectations. It safeguards the credibility of our qualifications and apprenticeships, while driving innovation in assessment practice.

We are seeking an experienced and strategic leader to head up our Assessment function. The Head of Assessment Development will be accountable for three key areas: Assessment Production, Assessment Design, and Apprenticeship Assessment. This role will oversee the creation, development, and delivery of high-quality assessments, ensuring they remain valid, reliable, inclusive, and compliant with regulatory requirements. It is a pivotal position in maintaining assessment integrity, supporting organisational growth, and delivering an exceptional experience for learners, employers, and providers.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the three core teams: Assessment Production, Assessment Design, and Apprenticeship Assessment.
• Own and deliver TQUK's assessment strategy, ensuring alignment with organisational objectives, regulatory requirements, and sector reforms.
• Oversee the design, development, and maintenance of apprenticeship assessments, externally set and marked assessments, and assessment products across all qualifications.
• Ensure assessments adhere to Skills England, Ofqual, CCEA, and other regulatory standards, supported by robust evidence and technical evaluation.
• Respond to regulator and approval body feedback on assessment strategies, sample materials, and live assessments.
• Monitor and analyse assessment performance data to identify trends, risks, and opportunities for improvement
• Champion innovation in assessment design and production, ensuring assessments remain valid, reliable, and accessible.
• Manage recruitment, onboarding, and performance of subject matter experts, assessment associates, and team members.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration, and psychological safety across all assessment teams.
• Act as a senior representative of TQUK in regulatory communications, consultations, and sector forums.
• Collaborate with Product Development, Standards, Compliance, and Operations teams to ensure a seamless end-to-end customer journey.
• Manage departmental budgets and resources to deliver projects efficiently and effectively.
• Provide expert advice and authoritative input into complaints, discrepancies, and malpractice investigations.

Cultural and Communication Experience

• Drive and deliver a culture that emphasises continuous improvement, efficiency and value for money, creating psychological safety for others and challenging each other and the status quo.
• Be a cultural architect. Use the non-negotiables to inform all decisions, conversations and actions, influencing others to do the same, holding them to account as required.
• Work closely with other Heads to manage cross-pillar issues, initiatives and incidents, taking full accountability for completion of company objectives.
• Shape strategies and plans which help put into practice and support TQUK's vision and long-term direction taking account of financial and implementation issues.
• Weigh up competing views to generate ways forward which will meet organisational goals.
• Take quick, confident decisions at a strategic level to move things forward.
• Define and integrate clear structures, systems and resources required across the Pillars to promote efficient service delivery, making difficult decisions about allocation of resources as necessary.
• Ensure an in-depth and evolving understanding of the broad range of customer requirements is embedded in TQUK
• Be an excellent, proactive communicator, prepared to have difficult conversations and communicate or defend unpopular messages company-wide.
• Represent TQUK, speaking credibly and authoritatively on behalf of the Executive Team as required
• Remain an expert in your own areas of responsibility.

Essential Skills and Experience

• Proven leadership experience, ideally within an awarding organisation or regulatory environment.
• Strong understanding of assessment principles, design, production, and Ofqual/CCEA regulatory requirements.
• Analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex data and make evidence-based decisions.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to engage diverse stakeholders.
• Experience leading teams through change and fostering innovative, improvement-focused cultures.
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Knowledge of the vocational education landscape and current sector reforms.
• Coordinate customer and employer engagement to validate assessment design and delivery.
• Support organisational equality, diversity, and inclusion objectives through assessment design and delivery.
• Drive stakeholder engagement initiatives to strengthen relationships with providers, employers, and sector bodies.
• Please see the full person specification here.

Key Benefits

• 25 days annual leave plus 8 days Bank Holiday (33 in total).
• A further 3 days holiday awarded after long service.
• An extra day off to celebrate your birthday.
• BUPA Private Medical Insurance.
• BUPA Healthcare Cash Plan.
• Life Insurance.
• Income Protection Insurance.
• Annual Loyalty Bonus.
• NEST pension.
• Employer supported volunteering.

* We are an equal opportunities employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Should you require any additional support during the recruitment process due to a disability, please contact us so we can assist you.