Defence Awarding Organisation Compliance Manager

The role is primarily responsible for providing Quality Assurance to DAO’s accredited and non-accredited qualifications, including those delivered across all services (Army, RN, RAF) and Defence (STRATCOM). The role is responsible to the SO1 DAO Responsible Officer (RO) for the internal and external quality assurance process, licencing and approval to deliver DAO qualifications accredited to Awarding Centres. The position will also write and implement DAO policy as well as the investigation of all maladministration/malpractice and compliant/appeals as required.

The DAO compliance manager is responsible for one staff member.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week. 

As the Defence Awarding Organisation (DAO) Compliance Manager you report to the DAO Responsible officer, and support the DAO’s delivery of qualifications to Defence, ensuring compliance of DAO policy and Ofqual General Conditions of Recognition. The DAO delivers an efficient assurance and audit framework to over 20+ DAO awarding centres across Defence.

You will act as the business relationship manager and be responsible for liaison between the business and its awarding centres to understand their operational and developmental needs.

You will also responsible for the implementation and compliance of all DAO policies, procedures and practices in accordance with Defence and Ofqual policies.

This role also includes responsibility for one staff member.

You must possess or be working towards Assessor and Quality Assurance qualifications (TAQA – L4 Award in IQA of Assessment Processes or Practice, or equivalent), and have good communication skills (both verbal and written), together with strong organisational and IT skills, including word-processing, PowerPoint, and spreadsheets. This role also requires the ability to prioritise, work under pressure and to meet strict deadlines.

Ideally, you will also have the following qualifications:

• Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) – Level 4
• Assessor (TAQA) – Level 3
• Award in Education & Training – Level 3

It is also desirable that you have accreditation experience or a background in Training and Education, plus familiarity with Joint Services Publication (JSP) 822 and previous compliance experience.

The role includes:

• Line management, mentoring and countersigning tasks as required by the role. This role has 1 direct reportee: DAO Business Coordinator (Compliance) and will deputise in absence of DAO Responsible Officer (RO) as required.
• Continuous professional development and upskilling as required. 
• Managing the DAO External Quality Assurance (EQA) Visit programme, co-ordinating EQAs with awarding centres, ensuring timely and complete reports are submitted, management of EQAs – identifying, supporting the selection of, verifying credentials and maintaining a log of current EQAs to ensure contractual, insurance, Conflict of Interests are up to date.
• Managing the DAO Centre Quality Visit (CQV) programme, co-ordinating DAO staff with awarding centres, ensuring timely and complete CQV reports are submitted in line with Centre Assessment Standards Scrutiny (CASS) Strategy. Liaise with DAO awarding centres, ensuring that issues are dealt with effectively and co-ordinating the return of reports. 
• Write, update, and implement DAO policy to ensure compliance with Defence, Ofqual and Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF). Liaise with key personnel and outside agencies on all matters relevant to DAO compliance to ensure currency and best practice for all DAO policies. 
• Lead on maladministration and malpractice occurrences: reporting/updating to Ofqual via the Awarding Organisation (AO) Portal, instigating initial investigation by centres, reviewing initial investigation evidence and report findings to Team Leader, managing logs, undertaking and co-ordinating DAO investigation, if required.
• Managing and updating the risk register and updating ongoing risks based on findings from quality visits. Develop centre improvement plan and action plan as required, monitoring progress against actions. 
• Lead on annual DAO General Conditions of Recognition (GCoR) Self Evaluation and drafting of Statement of Compliance. Review Ofqual AO Portal; co-ordinate and prepare evidence for Ofqual audits.
• Co-ordinate and investigate any Reasonable Adjustment (RA), Conflict of Interest (CoI), complaints, appeals; set-up complaints and appeals panels, as necessary. 
• Produce analysis of DAO core processes and data quality on the Qualifications Management System (QMS) to help identify trends and instil a proactive corrective action programme opposed to reactive.

Person Specification

Essential:

A candidate for the role must have the following knowledge, skills and experience:

• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Strong organisational skills.
• Strong IT skills, including word-processing, PowerPoint, and spreadsheets.
• Ability to prioritise, work under pressure and to meet strict deadlines.

Applicants must possess or be working towards Assessor and Quality Assurance qualifications (TAQA – L4 Award in IQA of Assessment Processes or Practice, or equivalent).

Desirable:

It is desirable that the you have:

• Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) – Level 4
• Assessor (TAQA) – Level 3
• Award in Education & Training – Level 3.
• has accreditation experience or a background in Training and Education
• Familiarity with Joint Services Publication (JSP) 822.
• Compliance experience would be beneficial for the role.

We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service
• Making Effective Decisions
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Working Together
• Changing and Improving

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service
• Making Effective Decisions

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

The post does not offer relocation expenses. 

External recruits who join the MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period. 

Please Note: Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed. 

Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.  

Any move to MOD from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/. 

The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment however some exemptions are in place, please refer to local guidance. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.  

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Job contact :

• Name : brendan vanner
• Email : brendan.vanner100@mod.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk