Senior Assessment Design & Principles Manager

Responsibilities

• Drive thought leadership and innovation in assessment design to ensure best possible assessment experience for learners
• Lead and develop a team focused on assessment design principles and quality
• Ensure consistent application of assessment design principles across qualifications
• Work with colleagues across the organisation to shape assessment models and approaches
• Act as a senior point of expertise and escalation on assessment design challenges
• Balance quality, pace, feasibility and risk, making pragmatic decisions where needed
• You'll thrive in this role if you...
• Have strong experience in assessment design , delivery , or research, or related areas
• Can apply principles like validity, reliability and fairness in real-world contexts
• Demonstrable evidence-based, research-informed decision-making
• Are confident leading teams and supporting people through change
• Can balance pace and quality, making clear and well-reasoned decisions
• Are comfortable working across both technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Have an interest in either qualification reform or digital assessment (or both)
• Communicate clearly, even when dealing with complex or ambiguous issues
• Diversity and Inclusion
• We actively promote inclusive language, avoid stereotypes, and strive for representation across all dimensions of diversity. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and lived experiences.
• Application Process
• Upload your most recent CV with a covering lette r explaining your motivation and suitability and highlighting which of the two roles you feel most aligned with - Digital Assessment

Benefits

Additional Information

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. Senior Manager - Assessment Design & Principles Permanent Manchester: £61,100 - £67,400 Guildford: £63,600 - £70,200 Hybrid Working - 2 days per week min in office Drive thought leadership and innovation in assessment design , ensuring the best experience s for the next generation of learners . If you're passionate about quality of assessment design and want your work to shape the experience of thousands of learners, this is a role where you can do exactly that. We're recruiting two Senior Managers in our Assessment Design & Principles team. Each will focus on a different area : G eneral Q ualification (GQ) Reform - leading a team of assessment design experts to ensure reformed qualifications are valid, fair , reliable and fit for purpose . Digital Assessment - lead ing a team of experts to innovate high-quality, digital assessment design to ensure assessments are meaningful, inclusive and fit for the future As part of your application, we'll ask which area you're most interested in. This role gives you the chance to work at scale and shape something that really matters. T he work you do will influence assessment s used by future generations of learners . Whether you choose to focus on GQ reform or digital assessment , you'll be at the centre of significant change . You'll help define how assessment evolves, making sure it stays inclusive , reliable, valid and relevant while also being practical to deliver. You'll work with experienced, thoughtful colleagues across multiple teams, including qualification development, product, research and assessment . Your team will look to you for clarity, direction and support. It's a role where your judgement is valued and your leadership has real impact. Purpose You will lead a team responsible for establishing and embedding the principles that underpin high-quality assessment at AQA. That means making sure everything we design , whether paper or digita l, is valid, reliable, fair and workable in practice. You'll be a trusted voice across the organisation, helping others make well-judged decisions, particularly where quality and change intersect. This is a role where your expertise will be relied on, and your leadership will make a visible difference.

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