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.
Subject Lead – Design & Technology, Engineering and Food Preparation & Nutrition
Manchester: £47,895 – £55,000
London, Milton Keynes, Guildford: £49,900 – £57,200
Hybrid: one day in the office per week plus extensive national travel including overnight stays
If you're driven by bringing out the best in people and leading teams through meaningful change, this role lets you influence how D&T is delivered to thousands of learners across the country.
Be part of a subject area that’s expected to be at the forefront of curriculum reform, where your passion for Design & Technology, Engineering and Food Preparation & Nutrition can shape how over 85,000 GCSE and 6,000 A-level students experience the subject, and help AQA maintain its leading position in the GCSE and A Level market.
About the role
As our Subject Support Lead for Design & Technology, Engineering, and Food Preparation & Nutrition team you’ll work alongside 3 STEM Leads in a key leadership position. You’ll shape and drive our customer engagement strategy, providing direction across these subject areas and lead a high performing team.
This is an opportunity at a time of growth to join our expanding Subject Support function, so if you're ready to take your people leadership and subject expertise in Design & Technology, Engineering and Food Preparation & Nutrition beyond the classroom and influence how thousands of students experience the subject, this is your opportunity to make a national impact.
These roles are ideal for senior leaders who are looking to broaden their impact, or for those who have moved beyond classroom teaching, perhaps into EdTech, CPD, or other education-focused sectors, and now want to influence education more broadly through AQA.
Purpose
Working in a wider Subject Support team of 50 that is continuing to grow, you’ll support teachers in delivering qualifications across Design & Technology, Engineering, and Food Preparation & Nutrition.
Drawing on your assessment and curriculum knowledge, you’ll help shape how our qualifications are delivered in classrooms. You’ll play a key part in assessment reform and influencing national education beyond individual schools.
What's in it for you
- the chance to make a meaningful impact on education while growing your career.
- A real sense of purpose where your work will influence national education.
- Opportunities for growth and professional development.
- Being a part of AQA’s inclusive and values-led culture.
- A benefits package including up to 11.5 percent pension contribution, BUPA healthcare support, wellbeing programmes and volunteering opportunities.
- 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, increasing with service, along with discretionary Christmas closure days.
In this role, you'll be responsible for:
- Representing AQA and delivering key subject messages to external audiences.
- Leading and developing a small team of subject specialists to build capability, foster collaboration and drive continuous improvement.
- Supporting schools, centres, and teachers with subject-related queries, and planning and delivering our Design & Technology, Engineering, and Food Preparation & Nutrition specifications.
- Engaging with teachers both face-to-face and online to support continuous improvement and subject confidence.
- Building meaningful relationships with subject stakeholders and using insights to shape future developments.
- Gathering and analysing data and customer feedback using relevant tools to inform decisions and improve delivery.
- Collaboration with internal teams such as Product Management, Marketing, Sales, and Events to ensure alignment and smooth delivery.
You'll thrive in this role if you have:
- A clear and confident understanding of one or more of the subject areas, their specifications, and current pedagogy.
- Proven people leadership experience, including coaching and building team capability at scale.
- Understanding of GCSE and/or A Level assessment and awareness of the wider education landscape.
- Current or former teaching experience and ability to demonstrate credibility with teachers.
- Experience that shows you’ve already extended your influence beyond your own classroom, for example through subject networks, CPD delivery, EdTech projects or other outward facing responsibilities.
- The ability to use data effectively to inform delivery and understand customer impact.
- Clear and empathetic communication skills, including presenting to teachers, parents and students and responding to questions or challenges.
- The ability to explain AQA’s offer in a clear and accessible way.
- Flexibility to travel extensively, including occasional overnight stays.
Diversity and inclusion statement
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.
Application process
Please attach your CV and a covering letter, outlining your transferable skills and motivation for this role.
Closing date: 23:59 on Monday 06 April 2026
- If shortlisted, you will have a brief call with a recruiter and invited to a Teams interview on 20 or 21 April 2026.
- Face to face final interviews will be held in AQAs Manchester, Milton Keynes or London offices week commencing 04 May 2026.
Onboarding expectations: The expected start date can align with teacher notice periods or earlier if required.
If applicable, successful candidates will be unable to maintain an Associate role with AQA or any other exam board.
Please note that an Enhanced DBS will be required for the successful candidate.
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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
Supporting customers retaining and growing market share through subject expertise. You will also be responsible for using your subject expertise to provide internal consultancy, providing customer insight plus building and managing relationships with external stakeholders where needed.
In addition to subject expertise, leadership will be a key part of this role. You will be part of the leadership of the Subject Support Team. Your role will be to ensure all activities for your subject(s) are planned, monitored and managed effectively to deliver to customers and achieve Customer and Product and organisational objectives. Where relevant you will line manage the subject delivery support team for your subject area and will be responsible for the performance of this team and ensuring effective deployment of this resource to deliver key priorities.
The role will require extensive national travel to represent AQA, deliver to customers and collaborate with internal and external stakeholders.
Landscape:
- To understand the educational landscape particularly within your subject area.
- To understand and engage with the strategic priorities of AQA and its evolving structure.
Activities:
- Responsible for setting and meeting challenging goals and milestones for delivery of your subject(s).
- Responsible for planning, monitoring and delivering Customer and Product priorities within your subject(s). Eg) Responsible for the creation, monitoring and delivery of subject focused annual plans.
- Where appropriate, be responsible for managing and monitoring performance of a small team e.g. including talent spotting, development opportunities and driving high performance.
- Use relevant systems, reports and dashboards to plan and record delivery for your subject to meet delivery targets.
- Lead and support projects or workstreams within Customer and Product which are of a commensurate level to your role, maximising development opportunities.
- Engage with key stakeholders to support effective planning and delivery of priorities e.g., Product Management, Marketing, Sales, Customer Training and Events and Customer & Product Planning Manager.
- Responsible for effective identification and management of risks and dependencies.
- Ensure your work supports continuous improvement in process and delivery, to drive customer experience and satisfaction levels.
- Responsible for working with other teams to reduce failure demand from customers in your subject(s) e.g improve first contact resolution of customer enquiries.
- Promote customer centricity, be an advocate for the customer across the business and provide subject based customer insight.
- Be a brand advocate for AQA with customers and associates.
- Represent the team, subject(s) and Customer & Product as part of wider organisational projects and priorities.
- Contribute to business wide processes where needed to support customer facing activity eg) incident management and awarding.
- Responsible for the recruitment and management of associates to support delivery to customers within your subject(s) in line with the AQA associate strategy.
- Engage with and influence subject level stakeholders such as subject associations and learned societies to build advocacy and support and to provide both stakeholder and customer insight to inform current and future developments eg, At times of reform.
- Present at stakeholder events in collaboration with the Product Management team, in line with the product growth strategy, in order to influence stakeholder views and decisions to ensure AQA is seen as the board of choice for the subject.
To be successful in this role, you will need to demonstrate:
- An excellent understanding of the subject, specifications and current pedagogy.
- People leadership skills.
- Former teaching experience or ability to demonstrate credibility with teachers.
- Excellent communication, presentation and training skills in line with AQA brand and tone of voice.
- Basic project leadership skills.
- Operational Management skills.
- Stakeholder management and collaborative working.
- Influencing and brand advocacy.
- Organisation, planning and prioritisation skills.
- A continuous improvement mindset.
- A big picture mindset.
- The ability to have robust conversations with customers and stakeholders, own and deliver corporate messages.
- The ability to interpret data to inform decision making, monitor delivery and impact to customers.
- Modelling of organisational leadership habits and values and behaviours.
- An understanding of AQA’s assessment products, processes and practices relevant to your subject(s).
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