Organisational Curriculum Quality Assurance Manager

Duties & Responsibilities:

Leadership

• To lead the college in ensuring that we are fully compliant in all aspects of our WBL, FE and HE curriculum delivery, meeting or exceeding standards required by ETI, QAA and all awarding bodies (WBL activities will be undertaken with the support of our Centre for Training & Apprenticeships Team, and external specialists as required)
• To provide quality assurance sign off to the Governing Body and the relevant committees
• To inform the Curriculum, Teaching, Learning & Assessment and People Strategies by identifying new practice and benchmarking against leading practice, to ensure the college is at the leading edge of quality practice
• Lead the oversight and risk management for all curriculum standards, including leading investigations into malpractice or other curriculum related concerns, as required for all regulatory and awarding bodies
• To inform the Staff Workforce Development Plan by working with the Organisational Excellence Manager in defining a professional development programme that enhances awareness of quality and curriculum compliance standards, and drives up those standards through a robust quality improvement programme, across the college.
• Maximise all networks, develop thought leadership pieces and deliver strategic and operational workshops/masterclasses to inform college and sector-wide practices.

Strategic Planning & Implementation

• Strategic overview and ownership of both Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement, informing the organisational excellence agenda
• To work with appropriate staff throughout the College e.g. Director of Curriculum, Head of Excellence, Academic Heads of Department, CAMs (Curriculum Area Managers) etc. in identifying and agreeing key objectives for quality standards and quality improvement.
• To design, implement and embed across the existing, and future, curriculum, systems and processes that will ensure the college consistently operates at the highest levels of quality standards practice, and continues to develop to ensure future proofing.
• To research and identify future trends and approaches in the field of quality assurance and improvement, in an ongoing way, and ensure that quality processes are directly aligned to, and support, the Curriculum Strategy.
• Inform the college’s research agenda to ensure baseline indicators are available to satisfy all awarding bodies/DfE requirements.

Quality Assurance & Quality Improvement

• To create and deliver an annual audit schedule to ensure that all FE and HE areas of the curriculum are reviewed and supported through a systematic and thorough approach
• To work with the Centre for Training and Apprenticeships to ensure our quality assurance and quality improvement plans for WBL programmes align and are supported
• To manage the quality calendar, and related scheduled events
• To lead on ETI and QAA inspections for FE and HE across the college, and WBL with the support of CfS&A
• To lead on the production and submission of
  • The annual Whole College Quality Improvement Plan (WCQIP)
  • Annual returns to HE providers
  • Other strategic reports and documentation as required
• To lead, with the Organisational Excellence Manager, the planning process for delivery of quality improvement focused training, education and support interventions across the College curriculum staff.
• To develop, with the Organisational Excellence Manager, methods to assess the impact of curriculum development approaches/interventions on teaching, learning and assessment.
• To ensure a sound understanding of quality approaches and practices across the academic team (in relation to their specific awarding bodies).
• To lead on Validations and Revalidations across the college.
• To drive and manage the self-evaluation process (SER).
• To organise and facilitate the college’s FE and HE Quality Forums.
• To manage the CIT/PGCE teaching programme annually for the college, including being responsible for organising and standardising the related observations.
• To be the primary key liaison with HE partnership managers and fora.
• To provide internal support and consultancy to the academic managers across all schools.
• To support the annual Management Led Observations programme, and the bi-annual appraisals process, as part of the quality management college programme.
• To review QA policies, course handbooks and other relevant documentation annually, or as required, to ensure all documentation is up to date, compliant and fit for purpose.
• To lead on CQA related investigation and disciplinary reports

Creativity and Innovation

• Keep informed of national and international developments and initiatives in education, TEL and online digital delivery in relation to quality methods and approaches.
• To consult, advise and promote innovative models of practice within the curriculum and benchmark the College against recognised international standards and exemplary organisations from both within and outside of the sector in relation to quality standards.
• To work with key partners to establish, promote, and develop further the quality agenda within the college, and across the sector.
• To develop and maintain an online repository of resources, toolkits and online tutorials to provide information on current best practices, innovations and emerging trends in quality assurance and quality improvement relating to our curriculum need.

Communication

• To ensure that all Curriculum Area Managers, Heads of School and course coordinator are kept up to date with relevant changes in the area of quality
• To collaborate with the TEL team and curriculum staff to provide pedagogical support to use available technologies to design, develop and implement online and blended courses, ensuring that these meet quality standards
• To establish effective working relationships with counterparts in other educational establishments that advance the positive and effective use of technology in teaching, learning and assessment

Performance Management

• To ensure that all direct reports are provided with appropriate challenge and support to enable them to deliver and provide effective leadership to their teams.
• To promote and embed a strong performance culture through the setting and monitoring of performance targets
• To promote a culture of continuous improvement within your team and contribute to the wider ethos of continuous improvement in the Department.
• To promote the highest possible standards. Where necessary to challenge underperformance and support improvement through the application of College procedures.
• Take a lead role in the monthly Performance Review process to identify poor practice and propose/implement remedial actions, and in capturing excellent practice.

People Management

• To participate fully in staff appraisal and performance management and to enable reporting staff to effectively carry out their roles
• To ensure that staff are trained and developed and that College policies and procedures, appropriate external professional standards and College Codes of Conduct are consistently followed
• To motivate and communicate effectively with staff, delegate work to others as appropriate and consistently encourage others to contribute to working and learning environments

Resource Management and Financial Responsibility

• To oversee the QA budget, resource planning and staffing to ensure high quality delivery of services in support of teaching, learning and assessment
• To identify necessary resources, prepare bids and business cases to obtain and manage resources effectively and efficiently in line with NIAO guidance.

General

• To promote, implement and ensure compliance with all College policies. In particular to:

• Ensure compliance with all aspects of Risk Management.
• Ensure the effective operation of the College’s Absence Management Policy.
• Ensure the effective application of health and safety procedures for all staff within the Centre.
• To ensure the Centre’s contribution to the achievement of the College’s mission, values and strategic directions
• To represent the College as necessary at national, regional and local level to ensure its effective promotion as an outstanding organization.  Participate actively in relevant regional and professional networks
• To deputise for the Head of Department as required
• To undertake such other relevant duties as may be reasonably expected of the post holder

Further Education is an ever changing service and all staff are expected to participate constructively in College activities and to adopt a flexible approach to their work. 

Note:    No job description can cover every issue that may arise within this post at various times and the post holder is expected to carry out other duties which are broadly consistent with those contained in this document.  The job description will be reviewed and varied periodically by Management in the light of the business needs of the College.