Source Mate Ltd
Head of Academic Quality & Standards (OfS Registration Lead)
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Head of Academic Quality & Standards (OfS Registration Lead)
Contract: Fixed-term, 12 months (renewable / convertible to permanent on registration)
Hours: 0.6 FTE (3 days/week)
Location: Remote, (on-site presence required for governance and validation activity)
Reports to: Director
Base salary: £45,000-£60,000 (£75,000-£100,000 full-time equivalent)
Purpose: To own, build and drive the College's application for registration with the Office for Students through to determination
Context
About the Role
We are establishing a new widening participation higher education provider with the ambition of becoming a registered provider with the Office for Students (OfS).
This is a rare opportunity to become the Head of Academic Quality & Standards, building the institution's academic quality and governance framework from the ground up.
As a provider that has not yet delivered higher education, successful registration depends upon demonstrating credible plans, robust governance, strong academic quality arrangements and institutional capacity to meet the OfS Conditions of Registration.
This is not a document-assembly role.
You will be the College's internal owner of the OfS registration programme, leading every aspect of the application from initial planning through to registration determination. Working alongside external consultants and specialist advisers, you will own the strategy, evidence, governance and quality framework that underpins the application.
You will work directly with the Founder, senior leadership, governors, validation partners and external advisers to build a quality function capable of supporting a new higher education institution from registration through to long-term operation.
Key Responsibilities
Lead the OfS Registration Programme
- Act as the College's lead for the OfS registration programme and single point of accountability for the application.
- Interpret the OfS Conditions of Registration and the QAA Quality Code and translate regulatory requirements into institutional policy and practice.
- Produce and own the self-assessment against the Initial Conditions of Registration.
- Develop the credible plans and supporting evidence for Conditions B1, B2, B4, B7 and B8 together with the wider institutional evidence required across all applicable conditions.
- Maintain the overall registration programme plan, evidence library, risk register and submission timetable.
- Coordinate the work of external consultants and specialist advisers while retaining ownership of the application.
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Build the Academic Quality Framework
- Design and implement the College's academic quality assurance framework, including programme approval, validation, annual monitoring, periodic review, assessment regulations and external examining.
- Produce the academic regulations and quality handbook.
- Develop policies relating to academic standards, student complaints, academic appeals, misconduct, assessment and quality assurance.
- Ensure all policies align with regulatory expectations and recognised sector practice.
Establish Academic Governance
- Design and establish the Academic Board, Quality & Standards Committee and supporting committee structure.
- Draft committee terms of reference, membership arrangements and reporting cycles.
- Service governance meetings by preparing agendas, papers, reports and minutes.
- Advise senior leaders and governors on academic quality, regulatory compliance and institutional risk.
Manage Regulatory Relationships
- Lead communication with the OfS throughout the registration process.
- Coordinate responses to regulatory enquiries and requests for further information.
- Prepare the institution for regulatory scrutiny, including interviews and any assessment activity.
- Monitor developments in the regulatory landscape and advise the Board on implications.
Lead Institutional Quality
- Build an institutional culture of continuous quality improvement.
- Work collaboratively with academic, operational and professional service teams to embed quality processes across the College.
- Build internal capability so the quality function is sustainable following registration.
Success in the Role
Within the first 12 months you will have:
- Led submission of the College's OfS registration application.
- Established the institution's academic governance framework.
- Implemented a comprehensive academic quality and standards framework.
- Created the evidence base supporting each applicable OfS condition.
- Successfully coordinated responses to OfS enquiries through to registration determination.
- Positioned the College to operate an effective quality assurance function following registration.
Person specification
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Essential
- A minimum of 5 years' experience working within academic quality, academic registry or higher education regulation in the UK.
- Significant experience leading academic quality, standards or registry functions within a UK higher education provider.
- Extensive working knowledge of the OfS Conditions of Registration and the QAA Quality Code, with the ability to interpret and apply regulatory requirements.
- Demonstrable experience designing or leading academic governance structures.
- Experience establishing or managing programme approval, validation, annual monitoring, external examining and assessment regulations.
- Proven experience leading complex, institution-wide quality or regulatory projects.
- Excellent policy drafting, report writing and regulatory documentation skills.
- Strong project management and organisational skills, with the ability to coordinate multiple workstreams and stakeholders.
- Excellent communication and influencing skills, including experience working with senior leaders, governing bodies and external partners.
- Ability to work independently with minimal supervision while exercising sound professional judgement.
- Degree qualified or equivalent professional experience.
Desirable
- Direct experience leading an OfS registration application through to successful determination.
- Experience supporting Degree Awarding Powers, validation partnerships or institutional reviews.
- Experience within an independent, alternative or start-up higher education provider.
- Experience developing quality assurance systems from the ground up.
- Familiarity with widening participation, adult learners and flexible higher education provision.
- Master's degree or equivalent professional qualification.
Why Join Us?
This is an opportunity to become one of the founding leaders of a new higher education institution.
Rather than maintaining an existing quality system, you will design, build and lead one from inception, playing a pivotal role in securing registration and shaping the institution's future.
Successful registration is expected to lead to appointment as the permanent Head of Academic Quality & Standards, with responsibility for leading the College's quality function as it grows.
Experience:
- quality assurance or academic registry in UK HE: 3 years (required)
Work Location: Remote
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