Description
Summary
The Resource Lead ensures that the GQ Reform portfolio has the right skills and capacity available at the right time to deliver agreed outcomes with confidence. The role provides a single, integrated, cross-organisational view of resource demand, capacity, capability constraints and delivery options, enabling informed prioritisation, sequencing and investment decisions across Reform delivery.
Operating at portfolio level, the role is accountable for providing decision ready insight on what can be delivered, when, and at what cost or trade-off. By strengthening forward looking resource planning and scenario modelling, the Resource Lead improves delivery confidence and supports senior leaders to make timely, evidence-based decisions in a complex and evolving Reform environment.The role sits within the Reform Delivery function and works closely across Product, Qualification Development & Accreditation, Assessment & Operations, Finance and HR.
It is a specialist, non-people lead role that operates at portfolio level, bringing authoritative insight into business planning, prioritisation and governance forums. The Resource Lead acts as a trusted adviser to senior leaders, providing constructive challenge and clear advice on resourcing feasibility, trade-offs, risks and delivery implications across the Reform portfolio.
Activities:
Develop and maintain a single, integrated, portfolio‑level view of Reform resource demand across projects, programmes, products and enabling activities.
Analyse capacity, capability, critical skill dependencies and constraints, translating complexity into clear, decision‑ready insight for senior stakeholders.
Model alternative resource and delivery scenarios to inform prioritisation, sequencing, affordability and investment decisions.
Provide evidence‑based recommendations and constructive challenge where demand is unaligned, unrealistic or unaffordable within current constraints.
Work closely with HR and Finance partners to shape and secure resourcing options across permanent, contingent and prioritised deployment models.
Establish and embed consistent standards and approaches for capturing, maintaining and forecasting resource requirements across the Reform portfolio.
Support business planning, prioritisation and portfolio governance cycles by preparing forward‑looking resourcing insight for formal planning, assurance and decision forums.
Identify, monitor and escalate resourcing and capability risks, clearly articulating impacts on delivery timelines, quality, outcomes and confidence.
Drive continuous improvement in forward‑looking resource data quality, forecasting accuracy, tooling adoption and management information, ensuring insight supports decision‑making rather than status reporting.
Contribute to the ongoing evolution of Reform Delivery by embedding sustainable, consistent approaches to portfolio‑level resource planning.
Support and strengthen existing PMO resource management processes and approaches, while enhancing forward‑looking portfolio‑level insight.
To be successful in this role, you will need to demonstrate:
Essential Criteria
Proven ability to model and forecast resource demand and capacity across complex delivery environments or portfolios.
Strong analytical skills, with the ability to translate data into clear insights, options and recommendations for senior and executive stakeholders.
Experience influencing, challenging and collaborating across multiple teams and disciplines without direct authority.
Strong communication skills, including the ability to present complex information clearly to senior, non-technical and mixed audiences.
Sound judgement and confidence operating in environments with ambiguity, competing priorities and evolving information.
Alignment with AQA values and behaviours.
Desirable Criteria
Experience working within large, multi‑year portfolios, transformation or Reform programmes.
Experience in education, assessment, or other regulated or complex delivery environments.
Familiarity with portfolio, resource or workforce planning approaches and tools (e.g. capacity modelling, scenario planning, PPM or financial planning systems).
Understanding of AQA’s operating model and delivery landscape.