Director of Product

Candidate Pack
Director of Product
WJEC CBAC

Contents

Welcome from CEO, Ian Morgan ........................................................................... 3

About WJEC ........................................................................................................... 4

The Organisation ................................................................................................. 4

Market Context ................................................................................................... 7

Executive Leadership Team (ELT) .................................................................... 12

Board of Directors ............................................................................................ 12

Job Description and Person Specification ........................................................... 13

Main purpose of Job: ......................................................................................... 13

Principal Duties and Responsibilities: .............................................................. 13

Person Specification ......................................................................................... 16

Terms and Conditions ...................................................................................... 17

How to Apply .................................................................................................... 17

Welcome from CEO, Ian Morgan

Thank you for your interest in WJEC.

I am delighted you are considering applying for the new role of
Director of Product at WJEC. As one of the leading awarding
organisations in the UK, WJEC develops and delivers high quality,
innovative qualifications to schools and colleges across the UK.
We also support our education communities by providing a broad
range of specialist support, providing our learners the opportunity
to reach their full potential.

WJEC is expanding its offering through the creation of new
Vocational Qualifications and the development of a reformed suite
of GCSEs and related qualifications. It is strengthening its
Qualifications and Assessment team through the introduction of a
new Director of Product to strategically lead on product
performance, product portfolio management, and market
intelligence.

As our Director of Product, you will own the product strategy for all our qualifications.

This is an exciting time to join WJEC as we continue to develop new qualifications to support ‘Qualified for
the Future in Wales’ and embark on qualification reform in England, including supporting our ambition to
further expand our offering into the vocational and technical markets.

We are committed to supporting our staff and have recently won the Employee of the Year award (Silver
Category) at the prestigious Investment in People (IIP) awards in London, so if you have the drive and
determination to contribute to the ongoing success of WJEC and the technical knowledge, skills and
experience for the role, we are keen to hear from you.

Ian Morgan
CEO

About WJEC

The Organisation

WJEC is a leading awarding organisation which has its origins in the former Welsh Joint Education
Committee, established in 1948. With over 75 years' experience in delivering qualifications, WJEC is the
largest provider of general and vocational qualifications in Wales and a leading provider in England and
Northern Ireland through the Eduqas brand. The organisation has a turnover of c£65m.

WJEC employs approximately 519 staff supported by freelance assessors and examiners and has a
dedicated Educational Resources Team that develops bespoke resources through Welsh and English
medium. Each year, WJEC CBAC Limited awards around 85,000 A Levels, 50,000 AS awards, and over
700,000 GCSE subject awards. WJEC is also a major provider of vocational and applied technical
qualifications, awarding 50,000 Level 3 Applied General qualification grades, and over 55,000 Level 1/2
Technical Awards.

WJEC also offers a significant programme of face-to-face professional learning events each autumn and
spring, which are supplemented by online events. Nearly 16,000 delegates are reached annually through
the professional learning programme.

As an innovative and dynamic organisation, WJEC is committed to the adoption of hybrid working, providing
flexibility to the workforce, whilst also ensuring business priorities are continued to be delivered to the
highest standard.

WJEC CBAC Limited is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee, under the control of 22
local authorities in Wales and managed by a Board of Directors. The organisation also has a subsidiary
company, WJEC CBAC (Services) Limited, which provides specialist printing and distribution services in
support of the Group’s core functions.

CEO

Head of Governance

Executive Director:
Qualifications &
Assessment (RO)

Executive Director:
Operations

Executive Director:
Digital &
Transformation

Executive Director:
Commercial
Development

Executive Director:
Finance &
Procurement

Executive Director:
People &
Organisation

Head of Welsh
Language Services

Director of
Assessment

Director of Product

Assistant Director:
Operational Delivery

Assistant Director: IT

Head of Marketing &
Communications

Head of Financial
Reporting

Head of HR
Operations

Assistant Director:
GQ Qualification
Development

Assistant Director:
Operations

Assistant Director:
Digital Resources

Head of Business
Development

Head of Management
Accounting

Head of Organisation
Development

Assistant Director:
VTQ & Skills
Qualification
Development

Assistant Director:
Assessment
Materials, Quality &
Design

Head of IT Services

Head of Procurement

Head of Portfolio
Management

Head of Customer
Excellence

Head of Project
Management Office

Head of Transactions
Processes

Market Intelligence
Manager

E-Assessment
Development
Manager

Assistant Director:
Research, Awarding
& Standards

Assistant Director:
Policy & Regulation

Key Facts

The responsibilities and output of WJEC relate to three principal areas:

•  Qualifications: WJEC provides internationally recognised GCSE, AS, A level and vocational and

skills qualifications, mainly to students aged 14–19 years. WJEC qualifications delivered in Wales
are regulated by Qualifications Wales, those delivered in England are regulated by Ofqual and
those delivered in Northern Ireland are regulated by CCEA (Council for the Curriculum,
Examinations & Assessment). Through its Eduqas brand in England, WJEC offers general and
vocational qualifications to schools and colleges, representing approximately 50% of their
qualifications activity.

•  Educational Resources: WJEC’s educational resources team develops high quality online

resources to support its qualifications. These bilingual resources are freely available from WJEC's
resources website http://resources.wjec.co.uk/ and Eduqas resources website
http://resources.eduqas.co.uk/. WJEC also works closely with Welsh Government and external
publishers to ensure suitable Welsh-medium resources are available.

•  Professional Development and Support: WJEC offers a comprehensive Professional Learning
package to all teachers delivering its specifications. This includes face-to-face training courses
and webinars led by subject specialists and the provision of useful tools such as Online Exam
Review, Question Bank and Exams Results Analysis.

Dynamic workforce

WJEC is made up of a strong and dynamic workforce who are committed to its customers and to the growth
and development of WJEC as a leading qualifications provider. The subject teams are led by Subject
Officers, many of whom are former teachers/lecturers with extensive classroom experience. They lead the
delivery of the qualifications and are supported by Subject Support Officers. Teachers and lecturers have
direct contact with the subject teams and can rely on the timely and tailored advice and guidance provided
by the teams.

The Policy and Regulation, and Operational
Teams also provide front line support to our
schools and colleges. They manage a
variety of tasks from entries to guidance on
appeals.

Internally, all staff benefit from specialist
support from a variety of knowledgeable
teams including IT, HR, Finance and
Marketing; ensuring WJEC continues to
provide centres with up-to-date sector
leading support and service.

The organisation has an established and proud reputation, with particularly positive customer feedback and
an appreciation of the resources and support provided.

Look to the future – Our Vision

WJEC is committed to a transformational vision, to maintain its central role within the UK education
landscape. The ultimate goal is to support the education communities by providing trusted qualifications
and specialist support, to allow learners the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Market Context

WJEC operates in a complex educational landscape where change
is a constant theme. This is particularly evident in the diverging
policies for qualifications for 14-19 year olds that have and
continue to take effect across Wales, England and Northern
Ireland. In the previous programme of general qualification reform,
WJEC provided different specifications and assessments to meet
the distinctive policies, whereas previously, in most subjects, a
single specification met all three country requirements.
Differences in each jurisdiction have added to the complexity of
the environments in which we are operating, and today, WJEC is
operating in three countries and answerable to three regulators.

Qualifications reform in England is about to begin in earnest, following the publication of the Curriculum &
Assessment Review and the Government’s response, as well as the Post-16 Education & Skills White Paper.
Combined, these reforms will have a profound impact on the qualifications market, and WJEC is well
placed to respond to this.

The level of regulation has also increased to ensure valid and reliable qualifications and the maintenance of
standards within and across all awarding bodies. WJEC works closely with Ofqual, Qualifications Wales and
CCEA throughout the lifecycle of qualifications, engaging with auditing and monitoring requirements, and
providing defined information and annual statements of compliance to ensure qualifications remain fit for
purpose. WJEC frequently consults with its regulators on new qualifications, policies and updated

procedures, and on specific focus areas based on research and exam series experiences. Some of the
engagement with regulators is through the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), a sector association of
which WJEC is a member alongside the six other largest awarding bodies in the UK. WJEC’s Chief Executive
is a member of the Board of JCQ.

Qualifications

WJEC offers a wide range of general and vocational
qualifications. Each qualification is developed in
accordance with strict regulatory requirements and is
subject to rigorous quality assurance processes. The
development is led by our dedicated Qualification
Development team, who work with our Subject
Officers and multiple stakeholders to ensure that each
qualification covers sufficient topics, will engage
learners and equip these learners with the desired
skillset. They have extensive experience of creating
and managing qualifications which meet customer and
regulatory expectations.

General qualifications

WJEC offers a comprehensive package of GCSE and AS/A level qualifications to centres across the UK.
Each qualification meets the regulatory requirements of their respective jurisdiction, and their delivery is
supported by a package of support including direct access to subject specialists, professional learning and
free digital resources.

Our portfolio of qualifications continues to grow, in line with regulatory but also market needs and interests.
In addition, we continuously review our assessments and qualification content to ensure that they remain
relevant and equip learners with the necessary skills and knowledge for them to progress.

Vocational qualifications

In addition to a package of GCSE and AS/A level qualifications, WJEC also offers a strong suite of vocational
qualifications from Entry Level to Level 3. In September 2022, WJEC launched new Level 1/2 Vocational
Awards covering a variety of topics including Business, Construction and Performing Arts. A new suite of
Level 3 qualifications, including Business, Engineering, Sport and Tourism was launched in September
2023. WJEC also holds a contract to deliver the T Level in Building Services Engineering from September
2025, a major step towards broadening our product portfolio into vocational and technical qualifications.

Wales

In Wales, WJEC is now the sole provider of most GCSEs and A levels, as well as the Advanced Skills
Baccalaureate Wales. Sector reviews in the vocational space has created opportunities to develop novel
GCSEs such as Construction. Becoming the sole provider in Wales has changed the way in which WJEC is
perceived by Welsh Government, regional consortia, local authorities, schools and colleges; it is imperative
that WJEC continues to demonstrate that it provides value for money and high levels of customer service.

Central to WJEC’s contribution in Wales is its support of Wales’ commitment to a bilingual education
system. This is a critical requirement and a continuous area of development for the organisation. WJEC
continues to work with publishers of resources, the Welsh Language Commissioner and Qualifications
Wales to encourage and promote the Welsh language. WJEC recognises the impact of financial constraints
facing partners within the education sector, whilst preparing for further changes in qualifications derived
from curriculum reforms.

The principles underpinning the reformed qualifications stem from the “Successful Futures” report
(February 2015): an independent review of curriculum and assessment arrangements in Wales. The review
proposed six areas of learning from the expressive arts to science and technology, seamless learning and
digital competency. Changes to assessment for the Curriculum for Wales and other new opportunities in
Wales around reformed vocational qualifications provide a key opportunities for WJEC to work strategically
as a provider of choice. This is reflected in WJEC’s new range of Made-for-Wales GCSEs, which have now
been approved for first teaching in two waves – September 2025 and September 2026.

We are currently developing National 14-16 Qualifications, including vocationally-focused VCSEs and
Work-related Foundation qualifications, General Foundation qualifications, Personal Projects and Skills
qualifications. For these qualifications, there is an open market, and therefore WJEC is offering these
qualifications in competition with other providers.

England

In England, WJEC operates in a highly competitive market and has introduced its Eduqas brand to ensure a
clear distinction between its reformed qualifications for England and Wales. It is one of the four main exam
boards vying for market share across general qualifications, and has a small team in the field to promote

awareness of qualifications and related support services. WJEC’s current market share varies across
subject areas and the strategic approach taken to increase this is critical. WJEC delivers a separate
programme of events for teachers in England and works with publishers who wish to produce textbooks for
Eduqas qualifications and has a programme of investment in supportive digital teaching and learning
resources. WJEC works alongside the three England-based awarding bodies in its engagement with the
regulator and Government in England.

Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland, WJEC and Eduqas qualifications can be delivered by centres, although some
restrictions apply across certain subject areas.

WJEC’s Mission & Values

WJEC exists to support our education communities by providing trusted qualifications and specialist
support, to allow our learners the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Strategy & Core Values

WJEC’s organisation strategy sets an agenda that is predicated on the backdrop and achievements of the
organisation over the last 5 years. It provides clarity on the key areas of development for the organisation as
well as setting an agenda for change that will ensure the ongoing sustainability of WJEC.

The Strategy has 3 key strands which are focussed on providing:

•  Strand 1 - A high-quality product portfolio, offering appropriate choice to learners
•  Strand 2 - Best in class customer experience
•  Strand 3 - A resilient and sustainable foundation to support commercial and organisational growth

To deliver against those strands the strategy has been split into two phases:

•  2025 - 2027 Consolidation and Capacity Building
•  2027 – 2030 Growth phase

The strategy defines the key areas of focus for WJEC as it seeks to further enhance its position as a key
provider of qualifications in our core markets in Wales and England and beyond in Northern Ireland. It is set
in the context of a demanding market environment in relation to product, service and financial challenge.

Core Values
WJEC also has an agreed set of core values which outline what the organisation stands for. These provide a
foundation for maintaining and enhancing WJEC’s professional reputation, and help guide decision making:

•  Commitment to the customer
•  Fairness
•
Innovation
•
Team working
•  Valuing people

Charitable Status

WJEC is a charity which is governed by its charitable objects, which are:

•

•
•

to maintain, develop and deliver appropriate systems for the assessment and examination of
students of all ages and of all disciplines at schools, colleges and other institutions in Wales
and elsewhere
to provide training and curriculum and management support for schools and colleges
to promote, support and advance the development of the Welsh language and culture in
Wales and elsewhere, including through the provision of educational resources and
professional development activities for teachers and lecturers.

WJEC’s Future Ambitions

WJEC's future ambition aims to embrace the divergent challenges within education, to become the provider
of choice in order to consistently enhance the quantity and quality of provision in Wales, England and
Northern Ireland.

In order to realise its ambitions and meet corporate objectives, WJEC is embarking on a period of
transformation that will also capitalise on the beneficial changes and opportunities brought about by its
response to the coronavirus pandemic. Introducing commercial expertise that complements the existing
culture within WJEC and that can lead change within that culture and its regulatory environment will be a
key component of its success.

Executive Leadership Team (ELT)

Ian Morgan, Chief Executive Officer

•
•  Richard Harry, Executive Director: Qualifications and Assessment (Responsible Officer)
•  Abigail Williams, Executive Director: Finance and Procurement
•
•  Beverley Green, Executive Director: People and Organisation
•  Ben Newby, Executive Director: Digital and Transformation
•  Steffan Edwards, Executive Director: Commercial Development

Ian Edwards, Executive Director: Operations

Board of Directors

Jessica Leigh Jones, Chair

•
•  Richard Pendlebury
•  Mandy James
•  Cemlyn Williams
•  Kevin O’Leary
•  Martyn Groucutt
•  Gaynor Lewis
•
Leo Mackenzie
•  Andy Carter
•  David Shaw

Further Information about WJEC’s work and Eduqas can be accessed here:

http://www.wjec.co.uk/  http://www.eduqas.co.uk/

Job Description and Person Specification

Main purpose of Job:

The Director of Product is accountable for the development, quality and commercial performance of our
general, vocational, technical and skills qualifications – through the lifecycle from inception through to
withdrawal.

Reporting to the Executive Director for Qualifications & Assessment, they will be accountable for all
qualification development, product performance, product portfolio management, and market intelligence.
Leading the teams responsible for delivering these functions, they will ensure we have the culture and
capabilities in place to create a high-quality product portfolio that drives organisation performance and
offers appropriate choice to learners.

The Director will own the development of product strategy for all of our qualifications and ensure that we
conduct regular reviews of product performance and ensure that action plans are implemented to ensure
our qualifications remain fit-for-purpose and perform well commercially.

The post-holder will take overall responsibility for a range of policies and procedures to ensure that our
qualifications continue meet regulatory and customer requirements. They will also engage and influence
qualifications and assessment policy.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

Qualifications initiation and development

•  Working with the Assistant Directors for general and VTQ/skills qualification development, you will

lead teams of qualification design experts to implement a ‘right first time’ approach to
development, producing fair, valid and reliable qualifications that meet the needs of learners,
centres and other stakeholders.

•  Develop and own the market intelligence function, ensuring insights directly inform and strengthen
the commercial USPs of our products. Ensuring alignment with our broader strategy and market
positioning, which will appeal to identified groups of learners, centres and providers and ensure a
return on investment via eligibility for funding and other considerations.

•  Prepare new product insights and options ready for commercial appraisal and feed into appraisal

process.

•  Ensure that processes for product initiation and development are robust, efficient, compliant,

evidence-based, and lead to the above.

•  Ensure that qualifications are handed over to delivery teams using established processes which

guarantee onward compliance with regulatory and customer expectations.

•  To work with assessment delivery and assessment materials leaders to develop and maintain

WJEC’s approach to assessment strategies and blueprints.

•  To inform the development of procurement of systems for assessment development and delivery,

to ensure that they are flexible and advanced enough to deliver existing and new forms of products.

Portfolio management

•  Ensure that products and their performance are kept under regular review, so that they continue to

meet stakeholder needs and remain compliant.

•  To ensure that qualification lifecycle and continuous improvement principles are embedded into

product design and delivery, via holistic product performance reviews, and informed by
assessment functioning data, internal and external customer experience and feedback, as well as
the latest research.

•  Ensure that processes for product amendment and withdrawal are robust, efficient, compliant,

evidence-based, and lead to the above.

Product strategy and intelligence

•  Lead, develop and implement our product strategy, collaborating with commercial, qualification
development, and product support teams to gain insights to support overarching product strategy
and design principles for suites of qualifications, encompassing purpose, defined market(s), USP,
parameters for level of product support, parameters for delivery model, commercial expectations
and KPIs.

•  Lead the market intelligence team, responsible for gathering and packaging data and insight to

inform product strategy, positioning and commercial appraisal.

•  Recommend and implement product strategy for all qualifications, including our highest-earning

qualifications, and qualifications that can become high-performing qualifications.

•  Monitor delivery of plans for product strategy to ensure follow-through.

•  Oversee the work of designated product managers, who are responsible for the performance of a

defined set of qualifications, and work with assessment, customer and sales/marketing colleagues
to deliver on opportunities for improving, supporting and marketing the qualifications.

Regulatory compliance

•  To be accountable for WJEC’s ongoing compliance with all regulatory Conditions relating to the
content and delivery of assessments, ensuring that we have clear processes for developing and
delivering assessments and that these are communicated and adhered to. This includes:

o  D1 – Fitness for purpose of qualifications
o  E1 – Qualifications having an objective and support
o  E5 – Assurance that qualifications comply with the conditions
o  E6 – Submitting qualifications to the Register/QiW

Commercial approach

•  To ensure that product teams engage and communicate with our customers, stakeholders and the

wider education community, in an open, timely, transparent and proactive manner.

•  To ensure that assessment teams take a commercial approach to their work, proactively managing
costs, focusing on activities that maximise value, and seeking opportunities for growing market
share.

•  To ensure that research, business intelligence and management information informs the work of

product teams, including reporting against agreed objectives and KPIs.

Corporate Duties

•  You will lead, motivate and inspire the development of staff to enable delivery of business plans;

coaching and mentoring others to nurture talent and grow capabilities.

•  You will be a highly visible and inspirational role model, reinforcing the organisation’s core values.

•  You will be familiar with and adhere to all relevant company policies and procedures, ensuring
team members are briefed and trained on and compliant with all procedures and policies.

•  You will undertake from time-to-time duties of a similar level as may be required, to include

deputising for the Executive Director of Qualifications & Assessment.

Other Duties

•  To represent WJEC at Regulatory and JCQ meetings relating to qualification design, portfolio

management, and related issues.

•  To respond to complaints from centres and other interested parties regarding qualification design

and other issues.

•  To lead on the response to serious incidents where appropriate.

Other

•  To understand and comply with all WJEC policies and procedures detailed in the Staff Handbook;
in particular, ensuring you understand your role and responsibilities in relation to Safeguarding,
Information Security, GDPR, Confidentiality, Welsh language and Health, Safety and Environment.

•  Participate actively in supporting the principles and practice of equality of opportunity as laid down
in WJEC’s Equality & Diversity Policy, embedding ED&I into all projects, policies and practices.

•  To be a pro-active team-member, contributing positively to meetings and projects in support of

WJEC aims and objectives.

•  To engage in personal and professional development activities relevant to the role.

•  To undertake other duties, as required, which are commensurate with the grade of the post.

Person Specification

Method of Assessment:
A = Application; I = Interview; T = Test/Activity

Skills and Abilities

Highly desirable

•  Strategic leadership and collaboration across the Qualifications and Assessment directorate and

wider organisation (A)

•  Communication and stakeholder engagement (A)

•  Demonstrates strong business acumen with the ability to apply commercial insight to inform

decisions, identify opportunities and drive organisational value. (A)

•  Proactively engage and communicate with key stakeholders and policymakers, demonstrating

effective influencing and negotiating skills. (A)

•  Project management skills, and the ability to manage simultaneous projects (A)

•  Politically astute, with gravitas and professional credibility to inspire confidence and build

successful relationships (I, T)

•  Ability to provide thought leadership and direction on the future of qualifications (I, T)

Desirable
•

The ability to work through the medium of Welsh (A)

Knowledge

Highly desirable

•  A strong understanding of the context and organisation of qualification landscape in Wales and

England. (A)

•  Knowledge of financial management. (A)

•  Comprehensive knowledge of risk management strategies. (A)

•  An understanding of the principles of project management and quality management.  (A)

Desirable

•  Thorough knowledge of assessment principles (A)

•  An understanding of contractual matters. (A)

•  A comprehensive understanding of the systems, processes and timelines of regulators for

Awarding Organisations. (A)

Experience

Highly desirable

•  Experience of successful and impactful leadership and/or management gained within a

qualification product management and/or assessment context. (A, I)

•  Experience of leading and implementing innovative solutions to problems which have had a

strategic impact. (A, I)

•  Experience of managing several simultaneous projects successfully. (A, I)

•  Experience of building and sustaining successful strategic partnerships and relationships which

enabled an organisation’s growth and/or development. (A, I)

Desirable

•  Experience of budget management and business planning. (A, I)

Education, Qualifications & Training

Highly desirable

•  Degree level of education or equivalent at Level 5 and above. (A)

•  Evidence of a commitment to personal and professional development. (A)

Desirable

•  Evidence of relevant Leadership and Management Development (A)

Terms and Conditions

This is a permanent appointment. The main terms are set out below:

•  Location: Hybrid working at WJEC CBAC’s offices in Cardiff, at WJEC CBAC offices in Treforest

and home. For this role, there is an expectation of a minimum of working on-site 1 day per fortnight.

•  Salary: £93,510 - £103,116 per annum

•  Annual leave: 25 days paid leave plus 16 statutory/additional days.

•  Pension scheme: WJEC offers 2 contributory pension schemes, the Local Government Pension
Scheme and the Teachers' Pension Scheme. Admission is in accordance with scheme rules.

How to Apply

To support in the search and appointment of this role, we have exclusively retained Peridot, an Executive
Search consultancy, to whom applications should be sent by the closing date on Tuesday 03 March,
9:00am.

Please visit https://www.peridotpartners.co.uk/jobs/director-of-product-wjec-cbac/?apply

To formally apply, please submit your CV alongside a detailed supporting statement outlining how your
practical application of: 1) your knowledge and experience of the qualification landscape in Wales and
England and 2) your contribution to the management and leadership of your team, department or
organisation (maximum 2 pages), that have led to developments and improvements throughout your career.

Preliminary interviews will be held by Peridot on week commencing 23 March 2026 and Final Panel
interviews will be held in person on week commencing 20 April 2026.