Director of Quality, Compliance and Funding
Location: United Kingdom Multi-site across Unibridge Group institutions
Contract: Full-time, Permanent
Working Hours: Monday to Friday, 37.5 hours per week
Salary: £60,000 – £70,000 per annum
eports to: Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Unibridge Group Ltd
Company Description
The Unibridge Group Ltd is a UK-based education group established in 2023 with a mission to expand access to higher education, vocational training, and professional development. Through a network of colleges, academies, and accreditation organisations, the group creates pathways that support students and professionals in advancing their careers.
Organisations within the group include UK Management College, Chequers Academy, Glasgow Academy of Musical Theatre Arts, and ASIQUAL, operating across sectors such as higher education, healthcare training, creative arts, and professional certification. As the group continues to grow both nationally and internationally, it remains committed to maintaining high standards of quality, compliance, and educational excellence.
Job Description
The Director of Quality, Compliance and Funding is a senior leadership role responsible for overseeing academic quality assurance, regulatory compliance, audit readiness, and funding strategy across all organisations within the Unibridge Group.
The role ensures that institutional practices align with regulatory expectations including OfS conditions of registration, QAA standards, awarding body requirements, and partner university frameworks. The Director will lead strategic initiatives that strengthen quality governance, improve student outcomes, and support sustainable institutional growth.
Working closely with the CEO, COO, academic leadership, and operational teams, the Director will also identify and develop multiple funding streams to support the growth and financial sustainability of the group’s education provision.
Key Responsibilities
Quality Assurance & Academic Governance
* Develop and implement a strategic quality framework aligned with regulatory requirements and institutional goals across the Unibridge Group.
* Lead the Academic Quality and Compliance team to ensure excellence across teaching, learning, assessment, and institutional services.
* Oversee the design, implementation, and review of policies and procedures governing academic and operational quality.
* Ensure that programmes meet or exceed QAA Quality Code, partner university expectations, and awarding body requirements.
* Maintain effective academic governance structures, ensuring high-quality committee servicing, reporting, and oversight.
Regulatory Compliance & Audit
* Ensure organisational compliance with Office for Students (OfS), awarding bodies, professional regulators, and partner university requirements.
* Lead preparations for external reviews, audits, and regulatory inspections.
* Maintain oversight of institutional compliance frameworks, ensuring alignment across academic, administrative, and operational departments.
* Monitor and review regulatory developments and ensure institutional readiness to respond to new requirements.
Quality Monitoring & Data Analysis
* Oversee annual monitoring processes, including programme reviews, external examiner reports, and academic performance evaluations.
* Analyse key student outcome data including continuation, retention, achievement, non-submission, academic misconduct trends, and exceptional circumstances.
* Produce quality assurance reports and performance dashboards for senior leadership, partner institutions, and regulatory bodies.
* Use data insights to inform strategic improvements in programme design, delivery, and student support.
Policy Development & Implementation
* Lead the development and regular review of institutional policies and quality frameworks.
* Ensure policies are effectively communicated and embedded across academic and support departments.
* Promote staff understanding of policies through training, guidance, and institutional communications.
* Support departments to implement policy changes effectively and consistently.
Partnerships & Stakeholder Engagement
* Liaise with partner universities, awarding bodies, and accreditation organisations to ensure quality alignment in programme delivery and assessment.
* Represent the Unibridge Group in relevant sector networks, professional forums, and regulatory engagements.
* Build strong collaborative relationships across group institutions to ensure consistent quality standards.
Funding Strategy & Institutional Sustainability
* Conduct research and identify diverse funding opportunities, including public funding, grants, partnerships, and alternative income streams.
* Support the development of funding strategies across all organisations within the Unibridge Group.
* Work with leadership teams to align funding opportunities with institutional priorities and programme development.
* Provide strategic advice to senior leadership on funding models and sustainability planning.
Leadership & Staff Development
* Provide leadership and direction to the Quality, Compliance, and Audit functions across the group.
* Support staff development through training programmes, guidance, and best-practice sharing.
* Foster a culture of continuous improvement, compliance awareness, and academic excellence.
Person Specification
Skills & Competencies
* Strong understanding of UK higher-education quality assurance frameworks.
* Excellent analytical and strategic planning abilities.
* Ability to interpret complex regulatory requirements and translate them into institutional practice.
* Strong leadership and team management skills.
* Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to produce high-level reports and documentation.
* Ability to influence senior stakeholders and drive organisational change.
Knowledge & Experience
* Significant experience in quality assurance, compliance, or academic governance within higher education.
* Demonstrable experience working with OfS regulations, QAA Quality Code, and external quality review processes.
* Experience leading institutional audits, quality reviews, or regulatory compliance activities.
* Experience working with partner universities, awarding bodies, or accreditation organisations.
* Experience in developing funding strategies or managing education funding streams is desirable.