ASDAN is an education charity and awarding organisation providing regulated qualifications, accredited curriculum programmes and a range of short courses to engage, elevate and empower young people aged 11 to 25 years in greatest need. They are recruiting for a new Head of Quality and Qualifications to ensure the integrity of their qualifications, oversee the evolution of their qualifications offer, and maintain their relationships with regulators.
About the role
As the Head of Quality and Qualifications, you will be responsible for leading ASDAN’s compliance with regulatory bodies such as Ofqual, Qualifications Wales and CCEA, taking on the role of Responsible Officer with a supporting development plan.
You will oversee the team responsible for qualification compliance and management, ensuring that ASDAN qualifications meet not only regulatory standards but also our organisational standards — which are so important in ensuring we can hold the achievements of all our learners in high esteem.
This role also oversees our centre support team, responsible for the administration of tasks such as moderation and certificate production, as well as being the first port of call for our members and those interested in delivering ASDAN courses.
The Head of Quality and Qualifications role will liaise with centres including mainstream secondary schools, special schools and alternative provision settings, community and informal learning organisations as well as FE colleges with post-16 provision.
You and your team will oversee the external moderation process, including the recruitment and retention of skilled PQAs and EQAs, centre approval and centre audit processes, whilst also overseeing and ensuring the satisfactory resolution of complaints, enquiries and appeals relating to ASDAN’s qualifications.
Leading a team of 11 staff, you will look to continue to develop the skills within long-standing colleagues as well as train and empower newer members, supporting all through the exciting period of change ASDAN is undertaking to facilitate growth.
As a key member of the leadership team, you will support the implementation the new education strategy due to go live in early 2024, which will include working in partnership with colleagues to develop new qualifications and ensure they are fit for purpose and ready to launch from 2025.
“I am proud to deliver meaningful awards and qualifications that are relevant to prepare our young adults for independence. I love these programmes so much! I work in a mainstream school with students with disabilities and I use ASDAN for these students to achieve success.”
Who we are looking for
As the Head of Quality and Qualifications, you will have proven experience within a management role at an awarding organisation, either acting as or working closely with the Responsible Officer.
You will have an in-depth knowledge and understanding of UK regulatory conditions and proven expertise and experience in ensuring quality assurance of qualifications and assessments — ideally including being involved in key processes such as the annual statement of compliance, self-assessments and audits to ensure an awarding organisation’s regulatory requirements are met.
Preferably, you will have comprehensive knowledge of vocational education and qualifications in the UK including an awareness of the current policy landscape and upcoming potential risks and challenges the awarding and vocational sectors may face.
We require our new Head of Quality and Qualifications to build relationships with customers and stakeholders including ASDAN’s centres in membership and regulators. You will also manage relationships with customers to oversee complaints, appeals and enquiries in a regulatory context.
You will have experience in managing, building, and motivating a multi-functional team with a diverse skillset and levels of experience to deliver operational plans.
You will also be able to show how you have developed and delivered operational plans to achieve strategic objectives including contributing to decision making and the achievement of organisational priorities alongside colleagues.
Finally, as the Head of Quality and Qualifications, you will be able to collect, analyse, evaluate, and report on complex data to senior internal and external stakeholders such as trustees and regulators, whilst also ideally understanding how to construct and deliver against operational budgets.
This is an exciting opportunity to take on a key, high-profile role within a values-driven awarding organisation. If you are interested in becoming ASDAN’s Head of Quality and Qualifications and making a real impact on those young people that ASDAN seeks to engage, elevate, and empower, then get in touch today.
“When many of our learners have found it hard to engage, interact and belong, ASDAN has allowed them to do so…pupils that have struggled throughout school and cannot pass exams, can finally achieve a course…courses are designed to suit our young people and accommodate all levels of ability.”
Click on the links below to find out more about the incredible work of ASDAN.
For further information about the role, or to arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultant at Peridot Partners:
Kristina Preston | kristina@peridotpartners.co.uk
About ASDAN
ASDAN is an education charity and awarding organisation providing regulated qualifications, accredited curriculum programmes, and a range of short courses to engage, elevate and empower young people aged 11 to 25 years in greatest need.
We define young people in greatest need as those living in poverty, without support for their emotional and social needs, those with a special educational need or disability, those not engaged or succeeding in their education, who miss an English and/or Maths pass at 16 or subsequently, and who are at risk of becoming NEET.
We believe that young people should have the opportunity to discover, develop and make use of their abilities to affirm their identities, contribute to society, and challenge educational and social inequalities.
Our goal is to engage them through relevant and motivating courses to achieve meaningful learning outcomes, which elevate them to go on to further education, training and work, and empower them to take control of their lives. We do this by developing courses with an accessible and practical pedagogy for learners; and by working with our partner educators to foster the personal, social and work-related abilities of young people in greatest need.
“ASDAN has a great reputation and adds validity to our mission. I believe with ASDAN’s support, I can offer a diverse, engaging and achievement-led course as an alternative to a GCSE option. For many of our students, these may be the only certificates they achieve on leaving school.”
Learn more about ASDAN
For further information about the role, or to arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultant at Peridot Partners:
Kristina Preston | kristina@peridotpartners.co.uk
Thank you for your interest in this role. Please download the Job Description and Person Specification.
To formally apply, please submit a CV and supporting statement (ideally maximum 2 sides of A4 each) that clearly outlines your suitability for the role against the criteria provided in the person specification, including your interest and motivation in applying for this position.
Please ensure that your application is emailed to response@peridotpartners.co.uk inserting “ASDAN – Head of Quality and Qualifications” into the subject field.
For further information about the role, or to arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultant at Peridot Partners:
Kristina Preston | kristina@peridotpartners.co.uk
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If you have a disability that meets the definition set out in the Equality Act 2010, and you can show that you meet the ‘essential’ criteria described in the person specification, please let us know.
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Recruitment selection processes are based on evidence of competence stated in the person specification and in relation to our values.
Timetable
Closing date: 9 a.m. Tuesday 21st November 2023
Candidates informed of outcome: Wednesday 29th November 2023
First stage interviews: Monday 4th December 2023 (remote)
Second stage interviews: Monday 11th December 2023 (in-person)
Equal Opportunities Monitoring
Peridot and ASDAN are committed to promoting equality and diversity. To help us raise awareness and support a culture that is diverse and recognises and develops the potential of all, we need to appreciate the profile of candidates who apply for positions. We will send you an equality monitoring survey at the point of receiving your application, in the interview phase and at the time of placement. This ensures that our processes remain inclusive and equitable throughout, and provides us with important data to help us showcase our impact. The information will be treated confidentially and anonymously and will help us to support our commitment to fair recruitment practice. All information provided will be held in the strictest confidence and will not be shared with anyone, in line with the new Data Protection Act 2018 launched on 25 May 2018. The information provided does not form part of the decision-making process and will not affect your application.
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