Job title
Lead IQA
Reports to
Head of Quality assurance
Location
Hybrid: home-based and London Office, Scale Space
Working hours
37.5 per week
Salary
£45,000
About Accelerate People
Accelerate People are a leading, Ofqual-accredited apprenticeship assessment organisation. We leverage our team's deep industry expertise to craft assessments that accurately reflect the skills employers seek. We put the apprentice at the heart of everything we do, and in collaboration with training providers, employers, and apprentices, we ensure apprentices are prepared for real-world success. Our commitment to utilising technology fosters a seamless and accessible assessment experience, ultimately benefiting both apprentices and businesses.
We are incredibly ambitious – for ourselves, the providers we work with, and the apprentices we assess.
About Blenheim Chalcot
Accelerate People are part of the Blenheim Chalcot portfolio.
Blenheim Chalcot is the UK’s leading digital venture builder. We invest more than just funds, we invest our knowledge and experience, our ideas and infrastructure. Our ventures are at the forefront of a multitude of industries being disrupted digitally, including FinTech, EdTech, GovTech, Media, Sport, Charity and more. Ventures we have built range from Modulr Finance to Agilisys and even the Rajasthan Royals IPL cricket team. All our 20+ portfolio companies have been incubated and launched by us and now have total sales of over £0.5bn and more than 3,000 employees. Our assets under management stand at greater than £1.5bn.
About The Role
The Lead Internal Quality Assurer (IQA) plays a critical role in safeguarding the quality, consistency, and integrity of Accelerate People’s apprenticeship assessment delivery. Reporting to the Head of Internal Quality Assurance, the role is responsible for ensuring that all assessment decisions are valid, reliable, and aligned to both assessment plans and Ofqual regulatory requirements.
Acting as the central point of control for internal quality assurance, the Lead IQA designs and delivers a risk-based sampling strategy, drives assessor standardisation, and provides oversight of quality performance across all programmes. The role combines hands-on quality assurance activity with strategic ownership of quality frameworks, ensuring the organisation remains audit-ready while continuously improving delivery standards.
Working cross-functionally with Delivery, Product, and Compliance teams, the Lead IQA plays a key part in shaping how quality is embedded across the organisation—moving beyond assurance into proactive quality improvement and risk mitigation. This includes supporting assessment reform activity and ensuring quality approaches evolve alongside changes in regulation and delivery models.
The role is well-suited to an individual who is highly detail-oriented, comfortable operating in a regulated environment, and motivated by the opportunity to influence and improve assessment quality at scale within a fast-growing, technology-enabled organisation.
Key Responsibilities
Lead internal quality assurance strategy and deliveryOwn the design and execution of the IQA framework, ensuring all assessment activity meets Ofqual requirements and internal quality standards. Conduct risk-based sampling of assessment decisionsImplement a proportionate, data-led sampling strategy to verify that assessment outcomes are valid, reliable, and consistent across standardsDrive assessor standardisation and consistencyLead regular standardisation activities, ensuring assessors interpret assessment plans consistently and apply marking criteria accurately. Assure compliance with Ofqual and EPA regulationsMonitor assessment delivery against regulatory conditions, identifying and mitigating risks that could impact compliance or public confidence. Provide quality oversight across all programmesMaintain end-to-end visibility of quality performance across standards, identifying trends, risks, and areas requiring intervention. Lead feedback, coaching, and performance improvement for assessorsDeliver structured feedback following sampling activity, supporting assessors to improve judgement accuracy and maintain high-quality delivery. Own IQA reporting and quality insightsProduce clear, data-driven reports on quality performance, highlighting risks, root causes, and actionable improvements for SMT and governance forums. Collaborate with Product, Delivery, and Compliance teamsWork cross-functionally to ensure assessment design, delivery, and quality assurance are fully aligned and continuously improving. Support assessment reform and continuous improvement initiativesPlay a key role in evolving quality assurance approaches in line with regulatory change and the Apex platform roadmap. Maintain audit readiness and support external quality assurance activityEnsure documentation, sampling records, and decision trails are robust, accessible, and audit-ready for EQA and regulatory review.
Essential Requirements
Recent experience as an IQA, Lead Assessor, or Senior Assessor within apprenticeship assessment or regulated assessment. Strong understanding of apprenticeship assessment plans. Strong understanding of grading and standardisation principles. Experience of BRAG risk‑based sampling approachAbility to provide clear, evidence‑based feedback that is both technically accurate and development‑focused. Confident professional judgement and willingness to challenge where necessary. High standards of written communication and record‑keeping. Understanding of the Data Analyst L4 apprenticeship or a higher-level data standard.
Desirable Requirements
Experience of working with apprenticeship providers and apprenticeship assessment organisations. Familiarity with Ofqual terminology and expectations. Experience of supporting or responding to assessors/skills coaches/trainers. Experience across digital/technical apprenticeship standards.
Skills and Attributes
Adaptable and responsive to regulatory changes. Collaborative approach to working with internal teams and external partners. Strong organisational skills. Able to work consistently to agreed standard operating procedures. Commitment to maintaining high standards of assessment integrity and quality.
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