Job Description
Job Title: Academic Programmes and Quality Manager
Posting Start Date: 17/12/2025
Job Id: 2033
School/Department: Student & Academic Services
Work Arrangement: Full Time (Hybrid)
Contract Type: Permanent
Salary per annum (£): £48, £58,225.00
Closing Date: 11/01/2026
The University of Sheffield is a remarkable place to work. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Their diverse backgrounds, abilities and beliefs make Sheffield a world-class university.
We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more.
Overview
This post provides an exciting opportunity for someone with excellent communication, sophisticated stakeholder management, and a commitment to providing high quality services to join our team. As the Academic Programmes and Quality Manager, leading a team, you will be responsible for the strategic leadership and operational delivery of the University's academic quality framework ensuring compliance with both internal regulations and the external UK higher education (HE) landscape.
Main duties and responsibilities
* Team Leadership and Management: Lead, manage, and motivate the Academic Programmes and Quality Team and the Curriculum Data Team, including setting objectives, managing performance, and promoting staff development to meet service standards.
* Strategic Compliance and Guidance: Lead the service to ensure academic programmes align with the University's Education strategy and are compliant with external requirements, including the Office for Students (OfS), consumer legislation, and professional bodies.
* Process Improvement and Change Management: Lead, design, and drive process improvements across internal quality management, adopting best practice approaches, and ensuring systems and practice remain fit for purpose and aligned with regulatory conditions.
* Curriculum Data and Systems Ownership: Act as the product manager for Curriculum Manager (SITS module management tool), ensuring the system operates effectively to meet business needs and is developed to adapt to new requirements.
* Data-Informed Quality Assurance: Work across the University to ensure internal and external performance measures and curriculum data are accurately used to inform quality assurance, enhancement activities, and education governance.
* Policy and Communication Expertise: Provide effective communication and expert advice to Faculties, Schools, and professional services on education policies, processes, and the implications of the regulatory requirements.
* Service Enhancement: Continuously improve the quality and accessibility of services, processes, and systems that academic teams require to design, develop, deliver, and review academic programmes.
* Education Governance: Provide professional, high-level secretariat support to key university committees (e.g sub-committees of Senate Education Committee) responsible for academic standards and quality, including the preparation of detailed papers and timely follow-up of actions.
* As a member of staff you will be encouraged to make ethical decisions in your role, embedding the University sustainability strategy into your working activities wherever possible.
* Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit of the post
Person Specification
Our diverse community of staff and students recognises the unique abilities, backgrounds, and beliefs of all. We foster a culture where everyone feels they belong and is respected. Even if your past experience doesn't match perfectly with this role's criteria, your contribution is valuable, and we encourage you to apply. Please ensure that you reference the application criteria in the application statement when you apply.
Criteria
Essential or desirable
Stage(s) assessed at
A strong personal service-orientated mindset and the ability to develop it in others.
Essential
Application/
interview
Ability to lead change and to identify and drive process improvements
Essential
Application/
interview
Experience of leading, reviewing and motivating a team of staff to deliver specific goals and to meet and exceed service standards.
Essential
Application/
interview
Ability to analyse and solve complex problems utilising creative approaches where solutions are not obvious.
Essential
Application/
interview
Ability to oversee data, processes and systems to meet service and stakeholder needs.
Essential
Application/
interview
Experience of using data, expertise and judgement to make sound assessment of issues and provide subsequent professional advice to stakeholders.
Essential
Application/
interview
A good understanding of how the external regulatory environment relates to education policies, academic programmes and quality assurance.
Essential
Application/
interview
Experience of developing and maintaining a network of contacts throughout own work area.
Essential
Application/
interview
Experience of adapting own skills to new circumstances.
Essential
Application/
interview
Further Information
Grade
8
Salary
£48,822 - £58,225 per annum
Work arrangement
Full-time
Line manager
Head of the Academic Programmes Office
Direct reports
Academic Programmes and Quality Advisers, Curriculum Data Adviser
Our website
For informal enquiries about this job contact Andrea Bath, Head of the Academic Programmes Office: on Andrea Bath
Next steps in the recruitment process
It is anticipated that the selection process will take place on 27 January 2026. This will consist of an interview and presentation. We plan to let candidates know if they have progressed to the selection stage on the week commencing 19 January 2026. If you need any support, equipment or adjustments to enable you to participate in any element of the recruitment process you can contact
Our vision and strategic plan
We are the University of Sheffield. This is our vision: ().
What we offer
* A minimum of 41days annual leave including bank holiday and closure days (pro rata) with the ability to purchase more.
* Flexible working opportunities, including hybrid working for some roles.
* Generous pension scheme.
* A wide range of discounts and rewards on shopping, eating out and travel.
* A variety of staff networks, providing opportunities for social interaction, peer support and personal development (for example, Race Equality, LGBT+, Women's and Parent's networks).
* Recognition Awards to reward staff who go above and beyond in their role.
* A commitment to your development access to learning and mentoring schemes; integrated with our Professional Services Shared Skills Framework
* A range of generous family-friendly policies
* paid time off for parenting and caring emergencies
* support for those going through the menopause
* paid time off and support for fertility treatment
* and more
We are a Disability Confident Employer. If you have a disability and meet the essential criteria for this job you will be invited to take part in the next stage of the selection process.
Closing Date : 11/01/2026
We are a research university with a global reputation for excellence. Our ideas and expertise change the world for the better, making a real difference to society. We know that when people come together with different views, approaches and insights it can lead to richer, more creative and innovative teaching and research and the highest levels of student experience. Our University Vision ) outlines our commitment to building a diverse community of staff and students that recognises and values the abilities, backgrounds, beliefs and ways of living for everyone.