Lead Stakeholder Engagement Manager

Lead Stakeholder Engagement Manager 

Permanent  

London - £57,200 - £68,600 

Manchester: £54,900 - £65,900 

Hybrid - 2 x days per week in the office 

AQA is at a pivotal moment. Major reform across vocational qualifications, apprenticeships and the wider post-16 landscape is reshaping the education and skills system, at the same time as reform to GCSEs and A levels gathers pace. As AQA Group grows its vocational offer and strengthens its presence across this evolving landscape, how we engage with stakeholders has never been more important. This role sits at the heart of that challenge and opportunity. 

As Lead Stakeholder Engagement Manager, you will play a key role in shaping how AQA engages with people and organisations across vocational education, skills and employment. With a particular focus on vocational qualifications and post-16 reform, you will use your expertise in stakeholder engagement to develop and embed engagement approaches across the organisation.  

This is not just about managing relationships, it’s about developing ways of working to ensure stakeholder engagement is strategic and joined up, and that insight meaningfully informs decision-making, qualification design and delivery. You will bring strong experience of stakeholder engagement and be motivated to use that experience to design and improve how engagement happens across a complex organisation. 

You will work across AQA Group, collaborating with teams leading strategy, vocational, external affairs, and general qualifications reform. This includes working closely with vocational organisations in AQA Group such as Training Qualifications UK (TQUK).  

What you’ll be doing: 

• Developing strategic stakeholder engagement approaches that strengthen AQA’s presence and influence in the vocational landscape. 

• Developing and embedding effective ways of working, processes and tools that improve how AQA plans, delivers and learns from stakeholder engagement. 

• Building and maintaining relationships across the education, skills and employment sectors to support vocational qualification and assessment reform. 

• Supporting the development and delivery of approaches and plans for events, strategic communications and partnerships to increase the profile, reach and influence of AQA Group’s vocational work. 

You’ll thrive in this role if you have: 

• Strong understanding of the education and skills policy and the sector, and how it shapes qualifications and assessment. 

• Confidence engaging and influencing stakeholders internally and externally. 

• Experience developing and delivering strategic stakeholder engagement approaches and plans in complex environments. 

• Experience of developing and embedding effective ways of working, processes and tools for stakeholder engagement and management within complex contexts. 

• A collaborative mindset, strong communication skills and the ability to work flexibly in changing contexts. 

What’s in it for you?  

This is an opportunity to develop AQA’s influence and reach across a highprofile, fastmoving vocational reform landscape. You’ll join an organisation which is growing it’s vocational work and get to collaborate with organisations across AQA Group. 

You'll also benefit from a strong, clearly defined package, including: 

• 25 days’ annual leave, rising to 30 with service, plus bank holidays and extra closure days at Christmas 

• A 35-hour working week with flexible working arrangements 

• Excellent contributory pension scheme (6%–11.5% depending on your contribution) 

• Life assurance, BUPA PMI, and health cash plan 

• Enhanced maternity and paternity schemes 

Application process 

Applications close on Wednesday, 22nd April.  

• First stage interviews will take place on 30th April or 1st May via Microsoft Teams. 

• Candidates progressing to the second stage will be invited to a face-to-face interview on 11th or 12th May in AQA’s London or Manchester offices. 

All candidates will be notified of outcomes at each stage, and any preparation materials will be shared in advance. 

To apply, please follow the link and complete the application form. Applications close on Wednesday, 22nd April. 

At AQA, we are committed to fostering a workplace that celebrates diversity and promotes equity and inclusion. We believe that a diverse team brings richer perspectives and drives better outcomes. Our ED&I strategy ensures that everyone—regardless of religion, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, age, disability, sexual orientation or background—is valued, respected and empowered to thrive. 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.