Subject Lead - Design & Technology, Food and Engineering
- locations
- Manchester
- Milton Keynes
- London
- Guildford
- time type
- Full time
- posted on
- Posted Today
- time left to apply
- End Date: October 20, 2025 (10 days left to apply)
- job requisition id
- R7107
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 - D&T, Food Preparation & Nutrition, and Engineering
6 months Fixed Term Contract
Manchester £46,500–£55,500
Milton Keynes or Guildford: £48,000–£55,500
Working Arrangements: Hybrid – one day in the office per week plus extensive national travel including overnight stays
We’re looking for someone to join us on a 6-month basis to cover an internal secondment.
This is a great opportunity to bring your subject expertise to a national stage and make a real impact. While we can’t guarantee anything beyond the initial contract, there may be potential for future opportunities as curriculum reform progresses.
You’ll be passionate about shaping the future of D&T, Food Preparation & Nutrition, and Engineering education. At AQA, you’ll use your insight and experience to support teachers, influence national conversations, and help learners of all abilities succeed.
Purpose
As Subject Lead you are there to support teachers in preparing students for success and to grow AQA’s market share in D&T, Engineering, and Food Preparation & Nutrition. You’ll use your subject expertise to influence education nationally and provide high-quality support to a large and engaged customer base.
In this role, you'll be responsible for:
- Leading the planning, delivery, and continuous improvement of qualifications and support, ensuring they meet customer needs.
- Representing AQA nationally through centre visits, stakeholder engagement, and Curriculum Connects meetings.
- Using your subject expertise to respond to queries, support customers, and shape national education policy and reform.
- Collaborating with internal teams to ensure alignment with strategic goals and customer expectations.
- Monitoring qualification performance and using data insights to drive improvements.
- Collaborating with colleagues across the STEM portfolio (11-person team).”
- Advocating for AQA’s brand and values across the education sector.
You’ll thrive in this role if you:
- Have taught GCSE/A level D&T, Food Preparation & Nutrition, or Engineering.
- Have a deep understanding of subject content, pedagogy, and specifications.
- Demonstrate inclusive leadership and effective stakeholder engagement.
- Communicate clearly and confidently, both verbally and in writing, with strong presentation and training delivery skills
- Have a continuous improvement mindset and can interpret data to inform decisions.
- Are willing to travel nationally and stay overnight when needed.
What’s in It for You
- This role offers the chance to make a meaningful impact on education while growing your career.
- Exposure to impactful work influencing national education.
- Opportunities for growth and professional development.
- Freedom to take annual leave outside of school term times.
- A 35-hour working week with 25 days annual leave, rising with service, plus bank holidays and extra closure days around Christmas
- AQA's inclusive and values-led culture.
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
The deadline for applications is 11:59pm on Sunday 19 October 2025.
To apply, please submit your CV, a cover letter, and respond to three short application questions.
To support timely decision-making around teacher resignation dates, we’ve combined the first and second stage interviews into a single face-to-face interview with a presentation, which will take place on Friday 24 October at our Manchester office. (For those not looking to be based from Manchester, but one of our other locations – train travel may be reimbursed by prior agreement)
Offers will be timed to align with the October half-term resignation period.
Please note that an Enhanced DBS will be required for the successful candidate.
#PRO22
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
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 stakeholdersLandscape:
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)
About Us
AQA is an independent charity that sets and marks over half of all GCSEs and A-levels in the UK every year. Our purpose is to advance education by helping students and teachers to realise their potential. As part of AQA, you’ll very quickly appreciate the determination and unwavering passion to deliver this goal in everything we do. To help drive these ambitions, AQA invests in the development of its people by offering a range of professional development and learning opportunities leading to over 50% of our permanent roles being filled internally.
Reasonable Adjustments
If you have any requirements for reasonable adjustments in relation to the application, interview or the prospective job, please contact Faye Harrison (she/her) at fharrison@aqa.org.uk or on
07813 724161. We are asking for this information to make the process as equitable as possible for each candidate. Please note that Faye will not be able to assist you with enquiries regarding Temporary vacancies or non-recruitment enquiries. If you have query regarding Temporary vacancies, please contact:
Smart Working
We’re operating a smart working model. This allows for our colleagues to work from two days a week in one of our offices across England.
Equality, diversity and inclusion
AQA is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace where everyone - regardless of religion, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, age, disability, sexual orientation, or background - is valued, respected, and supported to thrive.
Conflict of Interest
Please note that due to the confidential nature of our work, we are unable to employ people for our temporary roles who are currently a candidate for Key Stage 4 and 5 public examinations.
Safeguarding
AQA is committed to the safeguarding of children and adults at risk. We’re dedicated to reducing the risk of employing or contracting any person intent on abusing their position of trust, along with identifying and responding to any incident of alleged abuse from its employees or associates fairly and swiftly.
For more information on safeguarding at AQA please visit the AQA website here.
Contact
Temporary roles: temprecruit@aqa.org.uk
Permanent and Fixed Term roles: opportunities@aqa.org.uk