Job Description
Head of Apprenticeship Quality
Location: Manchester (Hybrid - two days per week on campus)
Salary: £58,225 – £67,468 (Grade 10)
Contract: Fixed-term / Contract (with a high likelihood of becoming permanent)
Hours: Full-time
About the Organisation
LT Selection is proud to be recruiting exclusively on behalf of our client. We believe that everyone we connect with an employer positively impacts the further education, skills, and employment sector.
Our client is a large, high-performing UK university with a nationally recognised apprenticeship unit. The organisation has achieved Outstanding outcomes across all inspection categories and continues to demonstrate exceptional employer and apprentice satisfaction.
Working with hundreds of employers across public, private, and SME sectors, the apprenticeship provision delivers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes that are academically rigorous, employer-led, and impact-driven.
This role sits within a senior leadership team responsible for sustaining excellence, managing institutional risk, and future-proofing apprenticeship quality as provision continues to scale.
The Role
The Head of Apprenticeship Quality will provide strategic leadership across all apprenticeship programmes, ensuring outstanding quality, regulatory compliance, and continuous improvement.
This is a senior, trust-based leadership role with responsibility for safeguarding inspection outcomes, strengthening systems and processes, and enabling academic and professional services teams to deliver consistently high-performing provision.
The post holder will act as a key point of assurance for apprenticeship quality, regulatory alignment, and employer confidence.
Key Responsibilities
• Provide strategic leadership for apprenticeship quality in line with the organisation’s Apprenticeship Strategy, Education Strategy, and long-term institutional plan
• Lead and maintain compliance with DfE, Ofsted, OfS, ESFA, and associated regulatory frameworks
• Oversee quality assurance, self-assessment, and continuous improvement planning across apprenticeship provision
• Support and challenge academic teams to deliver high-quality programmes with strong success rates and positive learner outcomes
• Build and sustain effective partnerships with employers, academic faculties, and professional services teams
• Embed robust systems and processes that reduce organisational risk and enhance the apprentice journey
• Prepare the organisation for inspection activity and ongoing regulatory scrutiny
• Lead, motivate, and develop teams responsible for quality, compliance, and assurance
Team Structure and Context
The Apprenticeships Unit consists of approximately 100 staff overall. The quality function currently includes one full-time Quality Manager and an additional Quality Manager working two days per week (equating to 1.4 FTE). The full-time Quality Manager will also line-manage a full-time Quality Administrator. This means the Head of Apprenticeship Quality will oversee two direct reports, with a total quality team of three individuals. The organisation is investing in long-term stability and it is very likely that this position will become permanent over time. The largest curriculum areas by apprentice numbers currently include Digital and Technology Solutions Professional, Chartered Manager, and Social Worker programmes.
About the Candidate
The successful candidate will bring senior-level experience in apprenticeship quality within a complex, regulated training or education environment.
University experience is not essential.
However, strong experience of higher-level apprenticeships and confidence operating at senior and strategic level is critical.
You will be credible with senior stakeholders, comfortable influencing across departments, and confident providing assurance at institutional level. A coaching mindset is essential — this role is about enabling excellence, not simply assessing it.
Essential Experience
• Senior leadership experience within apprenticeships, quality, or compliance
• In-depth knowledge of current Ofsted, DfE, and OfS frameworks
• Proven ability to lead, coach, and develop high-performing teams
• Experience managing quality systems, self-assessment, and improvement planning
• Strong stakeholder management skills across academic, employer, and professional services settings
Desirable
• Experience as an Ofsted Inspector or equivalent
• Recent, hands-on experience of higher-level or degree apprenticeships
• Experience supporting organisations through inspection or regulatory scrutiny
Working Arrangements
The organisation supports flexible and hybrid working arrangements, which can be discussed as part of the recruitment process. Reasonable adjustments are available throughout recruitment and employment.
Safeguarding Statement
This organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of learners and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The role is subject to appropriate pre-employment checks, including eligibility to work in the UK.
Requirements
Apprenticeship quality leadership, higher education apprenticeships, Ofsted frameworks, OfS compliance, DfE compliance, ESFA funding rules, quality assurance systems, self-assessment report SAR, quality improvement plan QIP, inspection readiness, regulatory compliance, apprenticeship governance, employer engagement, academic stakeholder management, curriculum quality assurance, assessment and EPA oversight, learner journey improvement, risk management, safeguarding and prevent duty, continuous improvement, data-driven quality improvement, quality audits, programme assurance, staff performance management, leadership and team development, HE quality frameworks, apprenticeship strategy delivery
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