Associate Business Process Lead page is loaded
Associate Business Process Lead
Apply locations Guildford Manchester time type Full time posted on Posted 5 Days Ago time left to apply End Date: September 3, 2025 (8 days left to apply) job requisition id R6973
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.
Business Process Lead
Fixed Term Contract until 13th October 2026
Manchester: £43,650 - £49,650
Guildford: £45,450 – £51,700
Hybrid Working
Do you thrive on leading projects that drive process improvements and positive change?
Would you like to be part of a dedicated team that sits at the heart of the organisation, ensuring over a million students receive their results each year?
As a Business Process Lead at AQA, reporting to the Head of Associate Experience, you will take charge of maintaining oversight of end-to-end business processes for interaction with our associates. You'll play a critical role in coordinating process changes by effectively engaging with associate-facing teams and projects. Regular reviews and implementations of process improvements will be key in enhancing the overall associate experience. Your exceptional analytical, problem-solving and communication skills will be crucial to achieving our strategic goals.
What’s in it for me?
At AQA we recognise our employees' contribution and in return we are proud to offer an extensive reward and benefit package. This includes:
* Opportunity to work with processes that impact the future of millions of learners.
* You will have access from day one to an incredible pension schemewith employee and employer contributions jointly totalling, up to 18.5%
* 25 days annual leave, rising a day per year for your first five years with Bank Holidays and additional closure days at Christmas.
* AQA work in a smart hybrid way. This team are in the office for a minimum of two days per week or as business dictates - meetings are more productive in person, so you will need to live within a commutable distance of the Manchester office.
* You will also benefit from our newly refurbished Manchester office space, as well as a gym, a games room and a yoga studio and with discounted eateries at our Guildford office.
Landscape:
Each year AQA works with a community of around 39,000 Associates to design, produce, mark and award high-stakes qualifications for more than 1 million young people both in the UK and overseas. The majority of these examiners are qualified teachers and academics; responsible for marking student exam scripts to set mark schemes, enabling us to deliver results including GCSEs and A-Levels. Some use their expertise in curriculum design, assessment writing and pedagogy to design and develop our specifications, our assessments, our CPD offering and supporting our customer.
Our Associate Management team are responsible for the resourcing, contracting, on-boarding and retention of this vital community. Working alongside internal departments such as Assessment Design, Assessment Production, Marking, Preparation, Moderations and Post-Results, our team ensures that requirements are captured, demand is forecasted, resource is made available and that our Associates have a positive experience working with AQA.
Our team comprises of around 30 core colleagues, which increases at times of peak activity, and is part of a wider department of around 50 including colleagues focused on providing services for all associate facing teams which includes Contracting & Fees, Associate Training, Process Development and Associate Experience.
What will I need to succeed?
* Extensive knowledge and proven experience in process improvement, business justification and requirement prioritisation.
* Excellent communication and coordination skills.
* A broad understanding of the context in which AQA operates and its main stakeholder and customer groups
* Strong technical skills in analysing the effectiveness of business processes, creating and editing process documentation.
* Ability to work with colleagues at all levels of the organisation, including the Executive Team, to describe business requirements.
* Good project management skills and financial awareness; able to manage plans and budgets.
What do I do next?
Please upload your most recent CV with a cover letter detailing your skills and experience for this role.
We will be interviewing as applications come in and reserve the right to close the advert early should we find the right person so apply today.
Interviews are due to take place face to face in mid September.
Every application will receive a response.
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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
Purpose: Maintain oversight of the E2E business processes for interaction with associates through demonstrating detailed knowledge of processes from an internal and associate perspective. Coordinate process changes through effective engagement with associate facing teams and projects, undertake regular reviews to define and implement process improvements which in turn improve the associate experience.
Develop and maintain the associate lifecycle change and improvement roadmap, prioritise requirements and manage timelines.Landscape: Each year AQA works with a community of around 39,000 Associates to design, produce, mark and award high-stakes qualifications for more than 1 million young people both in the UK and overseas. The majority of these examiners are qualified teachers and academics; responsible for marking student exam scripts to set mark schemes, enabling us to deliver results including GCSEs and A-Levels. Some use their expertise in curriculum design, assessment writing, and pedagogy to design and develop our specifications, our assessments, our CPD offering, and supporting our customer.
Our Associate Management team are responsible for the resourcing, contracting, on-boarding, and retention of this vital community. Working alongside internal departments such as Assessment Design, Assessment Production, Marking, Preparation, Moderations and Post-Results, our team ensures that requirements are captured, demand is forecasted, resource is made available, and that our Associates have a positive experience working with AQA.
Our team comprises of around 30 core colleagues, (which increases at times of peak activity) and is part of a wider department of around 50 including colleagues focused on providing services for all associate facing teams which includes Contracting & Fees, Associate Training, Process Development, and Associate Experience.
Activities:
Develop and maintain the associate lifecycle model to articulate the vision for the future ways of working
Coordinate the completion and analysis of process maps for all associate led activities
Act as the Associate SME for any technical projects / programme initiatives ensuring that any changes to associate led processes are fully impacted, assessed and approved before changes are implemented.
Identify and evidence associate pain points throughout series delivery and champion associate user requirements through prioritisation as part of our technology roadmap.
Ensure effective engagement with associate facing teams to promote understanding of the overall associate experience and identification of improvement opportunities.
Work collaboratively with the Associate Management team to identify issues and identify workable solutions that ease bulk associate resourcing and onboarding.
Develop and maintain an Associate change roadmap to coordinate and track changes to associate processes.
Work with stakeholders to ensure processes are adhered to by different business areas, supporting them with monitoring and checking.
Measure and report the impact of changes introduced including working with the Nexus development team and as a result of Associate Programme implementation.
Oversee technical vFire requests and issues in regards to the Associate experience and to own them through to resolution
Work with stakeholders such as the Associate Training Managers in order to ensure that any changes that are implemented are accurately represented in our training materials
Need to know (to be successful in this role, you will need to know):
A broad understanding of the context in which AQA operates and its main stakeholder and customer groups
Extensive knowledge and experience of process improvement; business justification and requirement prioritisation.
Strong technical skills in analysing the effectiveness of business processes, creating and editing process documentation.
Ability to work with colleagues at all levels of the organisation, including the Executive Team, to describe business requirements.
Good project management skills and financial awareness, able to manage plans and budgets.
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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