Qualifications Product Development Manager

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.

Qualifications Product Development Manager – Portfolio

7-month Fixed Term Contract (Parental Leave Cover)
Manchester: £47,500 – £54,000
London/Guildford: £49,000 – £56,500
Hybrid working: typically, two days per week in the office, with flexible arrangements considered

Shape the Future of Education with AQA

Want to make a real difference to teachers and learners? Join AQA as a Qualifications Product Development Manager and help us develop qualifications and services that shape the future of education.

Purpose of the Role

Working in a wider team of 15 you'll lead the development and delivery of product plans for a defined portfolio, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, customer needs, and AQA's strategic objectives. This role is critical to maintaining qualification development processes and preparing for upcoming assessment reform, including digital exams.

You'll work closely with subject experts and stakeholders across AQA to ensure our products meet the needs of teachers and learners, while influencing decisions at a national level. Using project management tools such as AirTable, although prior experience of these is not a pre-requisite.

What You'll Do

• Own and improve AQA's product development process and toolkit.

• Use data and insights to inform decisions and deliver strategic projects on time and within budget.

• Scope and contribute to digital exam product development and roadmap.

• Build strong, trust-based relationships across AQA and with external partners.

• Represent AQA at events and conferences where needed.

What We're Looking For

• Knowledge of product management and marketing, and awareness or involvement in qualification development.

• Demonstrable commercial awareness with experience in strategic planning and delivery.

• Excellent influencing and negotiation skills, with the ability to balance competing priorities.

• Confidence in interpreting data and navigating complexity in a collaborative environment.

Why Join Us

• A chance to shape the future of qualifications and services at a national level.

• Exposure to strategic projects, including assessment reform and digital exams.

• Ongoing professional development, including product and leadership training.

• Competitive pension (up to 11.5% employer contribution).

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays (pro-rated), additional closure days at Christmas, and volunteering leave.

Diversity and Inclusion

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.

If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know.

Additional Information

Please note that an Enhanced DBS check will be required for the successful candidate.

How to Apply

Please submit a CV and cover letter outlining your skills and motivation.
We'll keep you updated on timelines and next steps throughout the process.

Application deadline: Sunday 9th November :59
In Person Interviews: Expected to take place middle of November 2025 with offers expected end of November 2025.

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Recruitment Agencies

We have a preferred supplier list (PSL) in place.

Unsolicited CVs will be treated as a gift. We will not be subject to or liable under your terms and conditions for agency fees.

Full Job Description

Summary

Lead the development of an assigned portfolio or product within AQA, including prioritisation and oversight of activity for that portfolio or product.The post holder will oversee, under the guidance of a Head of Product or Head of Product Portfolio, the development and delivery, on time and budget, of a set of annual and medium-term product plans for their portfolio/product to support AQA's strategic objectives, ensuring an appropriate balance of quality, customer, commercial and stakeholder considerations.

Activities:

Customer (external or internal)
Lead and act as the face of AQA's product(s) both internally and externally.
Define the strategy and roadmap for a defined area of responsibility, work with teams across AQA to generate ideas for improvements to the design and delivery of products and supporting services. Collate and prioritise these and ensure that the approach enhances the end-to-end customer experience and meets stakeholder needs.
Use subject knowledge and expertise to ensure the product and support services are meeting customer needs and align with pedagogical approaches at all stages of the product life cycle (for Science, English & maths only).
Work collaboratively with the wider Customer & Product teams to drive continuous improvement of AQA's customer value proposition, ensuring customer insight is at the heart of the proposition
Contribute to planning of customer engagement campaigns, events and activities, to ensure that they have the maximum impact within the resource available.
Manage and deliver strategic projects relevant to product development, management or withdrawal.
Develop an understanding of actionable insights into what our customers (teachers/schools and government) want and need and an understanding of AQA's competitive position and customer reputation in the market and use this to contribute to the development of a Product Growth Strategy for AQA.

Cash (finances)
Ensuring sound financial management
Have a robust understanding of the profitability of the product and the factors affecting it, and optimise the performance of the product, balancing the need to achieve financial targets with customer, quality and stakeholder interests. Be the commercial champion of the assigned product/s within AQA, defining commercial priorities in line with the overall Product Growth Strategy and communicate these to internal and external stakeholders.
Work with colleagues to recommend, gain agreement to and annually update, the product's financial targets with Finance and proactively manage activity across AQA to ensure delivery of those targets.
Contribute to the collective development of AQA's pricing policy and advise on pricing decisions in relation to the assigned product.
Produce evidence-based proposals and financial business cases for new and enhanced products and services in line with AQA's strategy.

Product and internal processes
Delivering quality products and outcomes – as recognised by the customer
Work with colleagues to recommend, gain agreement to and update quarterly, annual and medium-term product plans for products, balancing evidence from functions across AQA, prioritising options and overseeing their delivery to time and budget.
Act as the focal point for activity across AQA for the assigned product, when monitoring operational performance and delivery.
Analyse and interpret data and information to inform sound strategic and operational decisions and priorities.
Manage the bringing together of expertise from across AQA to collaborate in producing and delivering budgeted annual plans to support delivery of product targets and AQA's strategic objectives.

People and culture
Ensuring we have great people achieving their potential
Demonstrate commercial flexibility by undertaking other responsibilities which are of a commensurate level outside the terms of this role profile as business needs change.
Comply with all AQA's policies and other legislative requirements, including but not limited to HSE, Equal Opportunities and ISMS.
Work with colleagues in the team to create and embed good practice in product management within the team.
Utilise the available range of digital tools for communication, content creation and information processing in order to work effectively and efficiently. Maintain digital skills to meet business need.

Technology
Delivering demonstrably secure, reliable, agile and cost-effective systems
Apply business analytics to transform data from research and understanding of the customer environment into customer, market and policy insights and use this to influence stakeholders.

Government and external
Providing timely, valued insight and evidence that inform policy
Ensure that all product related regulatory and compliance activities, records and risk management processes are maintained and managed.

To be successful in this role, you will need to know:

Knowledge
In-depth subject knowledge (for Science, English & maths only)
Knowledge of Product Management and Marketing
An understanding of the educational landscape and AQA's products, customers and the market in which it operates
Qualification
Educated to degree level or equivalent professional experience
Relevant subject related qualifications (for Science, English & maths only)

Skills
Commercially astute with proven strategic planning and operational delivery expertise
Strong interpersonal and communication skills, able to influence and build rapport with a diverse range of stakeholders internally and externally and role model partnership based matrix style of working
Ability to think strategically and understand the commercial context in which AQA operates and the likely impact of stakeholders on product design and management at a national level
Ability to communicate commercial information to people without commercial expertise
Ability to see the big picture and understand how different services, materials and activities relate to the delivery of a quality whole
Ability to think creatively to find solutions to complex and intangible problems
Ability to make prioritisation decisions in the face of varied and potentially contradictory evidence
Ability to negotiate effectively and balance competing priorities
Ability to understand and synthesise complex, diverse and incomplete information
Ability and willingness to constructively challenge the thinking of others
Ability to interpret quantitative and qualitative information to support sound decision making

Experience
Experience of teaching (for Science, English & maths only)
Experience of successfully working in a complex environment utilising matrix management

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