Description
Summary
Purpose: This role leads the planning and implementation of key aspects of qualification regulatory risk, compliance and relationship functions, including managing and overseeing effective and robust annual regulatory assurance plans.
The role will support AQA’s Responsible Officer by handling day-to-day regulatory contacts, correspondence, and requests for information, and coordinating responses from across the organisation.
In collaboration with senior colleagues from across the business, the role will build and maintain excellent professional relationships with all qualifications regulators and key stakeholders along with working with colleagues from across AQA to establish, maintain and enforce compliance with qualifications regulator requirements.Landscape:
This role line manages the Regulatory Relationships Team; a small team of expert coordinators and leads, who manage our interactions with regulators and provide advice internally on regulatory compliance matters.
Key internal relationships:
AQA colleagues across all departments within the business, and its subsidiaries.
Senior managers and senior leadership teams, Responsible Officer.
Key external relationships:
Qualifications regulators, Joint Council for Qualifications.
Other awarding organisations, centres, associates
Activities:
Oversee and deliver a centralised ‘first point of contact service’ for AQA for all qualifications regulatory relations.
Conduct investigations and draft responses to regulatory authorities
Provide proactive support, advice, guidance and assurance, assisting the business in managing regulatory risks and supporting colleagues across the business to deal with audits and other regulatory interventions, modelling professional and proportionate responses, to exemplify AQA’s compliance with regulatory requirements.
Establish and cultivate enhanced professional working relationships with qualifications regulators and other key stakeholders, building trust and credibility and influencing decisions in the commercial interests of the business.
Manage the provision of support to the Responsible Officer by administering their regulatory correspondence.
Interpret and implement diverse and complex qualifications regulatory principles and guidance across products, processes and services. To be the lead subject matter expert providing technical advice and assurance to help the business manage core regulatory risks.
Manage the process for providing the annual statement of regulatory compliance to Ofqual.
Working with appropriate colleagues from across the business, and taking account of their needs, to lead on the preparation of replies and letters to regulatory consultations, legal notices and information requests.
Proactively raise awareness across the organisation of the importance of regulatory compliance and minimising regulatory risks.
Recruit, train, lead and manage a small team of staff to ensure that plans are delivered, ensuring consistently high quality and responsiveness to business needs.
Champion and foster a culture of accountability.
Demonstrate commercial flexibility by undertaking other responsibilities which are of a commensurate level as business needs change.
To be successful in this role, you will need to demonstrate:
Essential Criteria
In-depth understanding of regulatory risk, compliance and assurance functions, frameworks and methodologies
Broad understanding of the political, educational, regulatory and business context within which AQA works, including understanding of industry regulations
Self-motivated and able to successfully manage, motivate and develop individuals and teams, leading by example.
Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with a range of partners and stakeholders.
Proven ability to think creatively and solve complex problems.
Understand and synthesise complex, diverse, incomplete and potentially contradictory information to support sound decisions and priorities, including diverse and complex legislation and regulatory rules, principles and guidance.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills, be able to influence and build a rapport with a range of internal and external stakeholders, and be a role model for a partnership based matrix style of working.
Track record of ability to work under pressure and in a fast-moving environment, fostering a sense of calm and resilience within teams.
Flexible and responsive to changing demands, and willing to challenge the thinking of others and to champion new ways of working.
Desirable Criteria
Understanding of the wider context within which the Regulatory Relationships and AQA operates.
Experience of responding to regulatory requirements on behalf of a business.
Experience of networking, influencing, persuading and engaging with influential external stakeholders to help ensure desired outcomes are delivered.