Head of Quality & Compliance

• Work Experience Significant leadership in apprenticeships, FE, work-based learning or funded skills, including Ofsted preparation, self-assessment, improvement planning and internal audit or funding assurance.
• Country United Kingdom

Job Description

Head of Quality & Compliance

Circa £40,000–£50,000 depending on experience | Permanent, full time | Derbyshire / hybrid

LT Selection is recruiting for an established learning and development provider seeking a senior leader to take strategic and operational ownership of quality assurance, regulatory compliance and continuous improvement across funded and commercial training.

This appointment brings quality and compliance together. You will need credible leadership across both disciplines, confidence working with senior leaders and delivery teams, and evidence that you can turn regulatory expectations into practical improvements for learners and employers.

Location: Derbyshire, with hybrid working. Required office attendance and geographical responsibilities will be confirmed during the recruitment process. Reports to: Senior Leadership Team.

Quality leadership

• Lead the quality strategy across apprenticeships, funded skills and relevant commercial provision.
• Develop robust assurance and continuous-improvement processes covering teaching, learning, assessment and learner experience.
• Lead observations, quality reviews, standardisation, self-assessment and quality-improvement planning.
• Use performance data, learner and employer feedback and management information to identify risks, intervene and measure improvement.
• Support and challenge managers and delivery staff to improve performance and sustain high standards.

Ofsted and inspection readiness

• Maintain readiness against the current Ofsted further education and skills inspection framework, toolkit and expectations.
• Help leaders and delivery teams understand strong practice and maintain evidence of impact, improvement and learner outcomes.
• Lead inspection preparation and play a central role during inspection and regulatory review.

Funding and regulatory compliance

• Oversee compliance across apprenticeship and funded training activity, keeping learner files, evidence, processes and systems aligned with applicable funding and contractual requirements.
• Maintain internal audit and sampling arrangements, identify risks early and implement corrective action.
• Work with operations and finance to ensure funding claims are supported by appropriate evidence.
• Track current government funding rules, regulator guidance and relevant funding-authority requirements, translating changes into policies and practical processes.
• Prepare for external audits and funding assurance activity.

Leadership and continuous improvement

• Act as the senior internal authority on quality and compliance and advise the Senior Leadership Team.
• Build shared ownership across the organisation, coach and constructively challenge managers, and address systemic risks.
• Develop stronger internal capability and sustainable systems that support organisational growth and curriculum development.
• Contribute to wider strategy while keeping learner outcomes and employer experience central to decisions.
• Significant quality leadership experience in apprenticeships, work-based learning, further education or funded skills.
• Strong working knowledge of apprenticeship and/or adult-skills funding compliance, including internal audit, evidence checking or funding assurance.
• Experience preparing an organisation for Ofsted inspection and an up-to-date understanding of the current framework.
• Quality assurance, self-assessment and quality-improvement planning experience, with evidence of improving provision.
• Ability to interpret data, recognise quality and compliance risks, and influence senior leaders and operational teams.
• Credible capability across both quality and compliance.
• Head of Quality, Quality Director, Quality & Compliance Manager or equivalent experience within an independent training provider.
• Direct participation in Ofsted inspection.
• Experience spanning apprenticeships, Skills Bootcamps and/or funded adult-skills programmes.
• Commercial training experience or development of quality systems during organisational growth.

About you

You will be organised, analytical and pragmatic, with the confidence to take ownership, challenge poor practice constructively and turn policy into effective operational processes. You will collaborate with delivery teams while maintaining appropriate professional challenge.

What success looks like

In the first 6–12 months, you will establish clear ownership, assess inspection readiness, address material quality and compliance risks, strengthen audit and assurance, improve the use of performance data and build managers' confidence and capability.

Salary and working arrangements

Anticipated basic salary is circa £40,000–£50,000, depending on experience and breadth of expertise. This is a permanent, full-time appointment. The precise hybrid pattern, office attendance and travel requirements remain to be confirmed.

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