Subject Lead - Design & Technology, Food and Engineering page is loaded
Subject Lead - Design & Technology, Food and Engineering
Apply locations Manchester Milton Keynes London Guildford time type Full time posted on Posted 2 Days Ago time left to apply End Date: July 7, 2025 (9 days left to apply) job requisition id R6793
At AQA, we’re committed to advancing education and we’re committed to our people. As the largest provider of academic qualifications in the UK, we mark over 10 million exam papers each year and it’s our people who make this happen.
Subject Lead – Design & Technology, Engineering and Food Preparation & Nutrition
12 month fixed term contract
Locations: Manchester, Milton Keynes, London or Guildford
South: £48,418 - £55,571
North: £46,500 - £53,370
Smart Hybrid Working
Closing date is 11:59pm on the 6th July 2025.
Are you passionate about D&T, Food and Engineering?
Would you like to work in a role where you will be supporting customers, retaining and growing market share in these subjects?
This is a truly great time to join AQA, the leading provider of accessible qualifications and support services for teachers and students in the UK
The role will require extensive national travel to represent AQA, meet with customers and collaborate with internal and external stakeholders
What’s in it for me?
* A 35-hour working week with 25 days annual leave, rising with service, with bank holidays and extra closure days around Christmas on top
* An excellent contributory pension which could see up to 18.5% combined contribution
* Private Medical Insurance and a Health Care Cash Reward Plan
* A new Electric Vehicle Leasing Scheme
* Up to 5 days for volunteering
* Newly refurbished offices with a variety of individual and collaborative workspaces
What will I be doing?
* Responsible for planning, monitoring and delivering Customer and Product priorities within the D&T subject area
* You will be responsible for setting and meeting challenging goals and milestones
* Use relevant systems, reports and dashboards to plan and record delivery for your subject area to meet delivery targets.
* Engage with and influence subject level stakeholders such as subject associations and learned societies to build advocacy and support and to provide both stakeholder and customer insight to inform current and future developments
* Lead and support projects or workstreams within Customer and Product which are of a commensurate level to your role, maximising development opportunities
* Engage with key stakeholders to support effective planning and delivery of priorities e.g., Product Management, Marketing, Sales, Customer Training and Events and Customer & Product Planning Manager.
* Ensure your work supports continuous improvement in process and delivery, to drive customer experience and satisfaction levels
* Be a brand advocate for AQA with customers and associates.
What will I need to succeed?
* Expertise in the subject area to degree level.
* An excellent understanding of the subject landscape and current pedagogy
* People leadership skills
* Previous or current teaching experience or ability to demonstrate credibility with teachers
* Excellent communication, presentation and training skills in line with AQA brand and tone of voice
* Stakeholder management and collaborative working
* Influencing and brand advocacy
* The ability to interpret data to inform decision making, monitor delivery and impact to customers
* Modelling of organisational leadership habits and values and behaviours
* An understanding of AQA’s assessment products, processes and practices relevant to your subject(s)
How do I apply?
Read the full job description below, then upload your most recent CV with a cover letter explaining how your skills and experience match what we are looking for.
Interviews will be over 2 stages, one on Teams and one face to face.
First stage - 10th July via MS Teams
Second stage - 14th July, face to face
AQA is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community regardless of gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, age, neurodiversity, disability status, citizenship, or any other aspect which makes people unique.
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Recruitment Agencies
We have a preferred supplier list (PSL) in place.
Unsolicited CVs will be treated as a gift. We will not be subject to or liable under your terms and conditions for agency fees.
Full Job Description
Summary
Supporting customers retaining and growing market share through subject expertise. You will also be responsible for using your subject expertise to provide internal consultancy, providing customer insight plus building and managing relationships with external stakeholders where needed.
In addition to subject expertise, leadership will be a key part of this role. You will be part of the leadership of the Subject Support Team. Your role will be to ensure all activities for your subject(s) are planned, monitored and managed effectively to deliver to customers and achieve Customer and Product and organisational objectives. Where relevant you will line manage the subject delivery support team for your subject area and will be responsible for the performance of this team and ensuring effective deployment of this resource to deliver key priorities.
The role will require extensive national travel to represent AQA, deliver to customers and collaborate with internal and external stakeholdersLandscape:
To understand the educational landscape particularly within your subject area.
To understand and engage with the strategic priorities of AQA and its evolving structure.
Activities:
Responsible for setting and meeting challenging goals and milestones for delivery of your subject(s)
Responsible for planning, monitoring and delivering Customer and Product priorities within your subject(s). Eg) Responsible for the creation, monitoring and delivery of subject focused annual plans
Where appropriate, be responsible for managing and monitoring performance of a small team e.g. including talent spotting, development opportunities and driving high performance.
Use relevant systems, reports and dashboards to plan and record delivery for your subject to meet delivery targets.
Lead and support projects or workstreams within Customer and Product which are of a commensurate level to your role, maximising development opportunities
Engage with key stakeholders to support effective planning and delivery of priorities e.g., Product Management, Marketing, Sales, Customer Training and Events and Customer & Product Planning Manager.
Responsible for effective identification and management of risks and dependencies
Ensure your work supports continuous improvement in process and delivery, to drive customer experience and satisfaction levels
Responsible for working with other teams to reduce failure demand from customers in your subject(s) e.g improve first contact resolution of customer enquiries.
Promote customer centricity, be an advocate for the customer across the business and provide subject based customer insight.
Be a brand advocate for AQA with customers and associates.
Represent the team, subject(s) and Customer & Product as part of wider organisational projects and priorities
Contribute to business wide processes where needed to support customer facing activity eg) incident management and awarding
Responsible for the recruitment and management of associates to support delivery to customers within your subject(s) in line with the AQA associate strategy.
Engage with and influence subject level stakeholders such as subject associations and learned societies to build advocacy and support and to provide both stakeholder and customer insight to inform current and future developments eg, At times of reform
Present at stakeholder events in collaboration with the Product Management team, in line with the product growth strategy, in order to influence stakeholder views and decisions to ensure AQA is seen as the board of choice for the subject.
To be successful in this role, you will need to demonstrate:
An excellent understanding of the subject, specifications and current pedagogy
People leadership skills
Former teaching experience or ability to demonstrate credibility with teachers
Excellent communication, presentation and training skills in line with AQA brand and tone of voice
Basic project leadership skills
Operational Management skills
Stakeholder management and collaborative working
Influencing and brand advocacy
Organisation, planning and prioritisation skills
A continuous improvement mindset
A big picture mindset
The ability to have robust conversations with customers and stakeholders, own and deliver corporate messages
The ability to interpret data to inform decision making, monitor delivery and impact to customers
Modelling of organisational leadership habits and values and behaviours
An understanding of AQA’s assessment products, processes and practices relevant to your subject(s)
About Us
AQA is an independent charity that sets and marks over half of all GCSEs and A-levels in the UK every year. Our purpose is to advance education by helping students and teachers to realise their potential. As part of AQA, you’ll very quickly appreciate the determination and unwavering passion to deliver this goal in everything we do. To help drive these ambitions, AQA invests in the development of its people by offering a range of professional development and learning opportunities leading to over 50% of our permanent roles being filled internally.
Reasonable Adjustments
If you have any requirements for reasonable adjustments in relation to the application, interview or the prospective job, please contact Faye Harrison (she/her) at fharrison@aqa.org.uk or on 07813 724161. We are asking for this information to make the process as equitable as possible for each candidate.Please note that Faye will not be able to assist you with enquiries regarding Temporary vacancies or non-recruitment enquiries.If you have query regarding Temporary vacancies, please contact: temprecruit@aqa.org.uk
Smart Working
We’re operating a smart working model. This allows for our colleagues to work from two days a week in one of our offices across England.
Equality, diversity and inclusion
A QA is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace where everyone - regardless of religion, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, age, disability, sexual orientation, or background - is valued, respected, and supported to thrive.
Conflict of Interest
Please note that due to the confidential nature of our work, we are unable to employ people for our temporary roles who are currently a candidate for Key Stage 4 and 5 public examinations.
Safeguarding
AQA is committed to the safeguarding of children and adults at risk. We’re dedicated to reducing the risk of employing or contracting any person intent on abusing their position of trust, along with identifying and responding to any incident of alleged abuse from its employees or associates fairly and swiftly.
For more information on safeguarding at AQA please visit the AQA website here .
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