Head of Portfolio Manager
Salary: £55,257 - £58,941 per annum (Grade 12)
Contract type: Full-time (36.5 hours per week), Permanent

The challenge
At WJEC, we contribute to our education communities by providing trusted qualifications and
specialist support, to allow our learners the opportunity to reach their full potential. This is a
fantastic chance to be part of an organisation that both encourages and enhances the minds of
tomorrow.

The role
The Head of Portfolio Management oversees all stages of product portfolio management, including
the initiation, development, operationalisation, maintenance, amendment, and withdrawal of
qualifications alongside the review processes and administration. They are responsible for ensuring
the assessment cycle runs efficiently and on time, completing reviews and implementing actions
that enhance the validity, reliability, and fairness of assessments in line with regulatory
requirements.

About you
We’re looking for an experienced manager who is organised, detail-oriented and able to manage
multiple workstreams against tight deadlines. The ideal candidate will be able to interpret complex
data, and use this to inform decision making and/or policy review. They’ll be confident independently
identifying problems and implementing well-considered solutions. They’ll need a good
understanding of the qualifications system across the UK, ideally (but not essentially) from
experience within an Awarding Organisation.

Benefits
At WJEC, we pride in being an inclusive and supportive place to work. We also offer a range of
excellent benefits including: 25 days annual leave per year (in addition to 16 statutory / additional
holidays) adjusted for part-time/compressed working patterns, free Welsh lessons, a generous
pension scheme and numerous family friendly policies. A career with WJEC can be extremely
rewarding and you will be encouraged throughout with great opportunities to develop your
professional and personal skills.

We operate a hybrid working model, enabling the successful candidate to split their time between
WJEC offices and working at home, subject to business need. As such, applications are invited from
individuals across the UK but please note that regular working from our Cardiff offices will be required
– whilst flexibility can be discussed, this team currently attend the office, on average, once a month.

If you would like to know more about this role, or about working at WJEC, please do not hesitate to
contact our HR team (HR@wjec.co.uk), who will be more than happy to help.

Please visit our website to download a copy of the job description and application form.

Closing date: 23:59 Monday 26 January 2026
Interviews are anticipated to be held in person, on Thursday 05 February 2026

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title:

Department:

Section:

Head of Portfolio Management

Qualifications Directorate

Qualification Development

Responsible to:

Assistant Director (Qualifications Development)

Grade:

Location:

Main purpose of Job:

12

Western Avenue

The Head of Portfolio Management is responsible for coordinating all aspects of product portfolio management –
qualification initiation, development and operationalisation, maintenance, amendment and withdrawal –
including the review element of the qualifications lifecycle, and associated administration.

The postholder will ensure the timely and effective running of the assessment cycle, ensuring that reviews are
completed and actions followed through to improve the validity, reliability and fairness of our assessment – in
line with regulatory requirements.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

Portfolio management

•  Manage our Scope of Recognition, and ensuring eligibility for qualifications in each nation is secured.

Qualification development and operationalisation

•  Ensure that qualification development and operationalisation processes are documented in line with

requirements set by senior staff, and followed for all new qualifications.

•  Coordinate and monitor plans for product support to ensure timely delivery of the full product offer.

Qualification amendment
Coordinate the process of monitoring, reviewing and refining existing qualifications, by:

•  Establishing and maintaining detailed amendment process in line with agreed high-level process, with

desk instructions.

•

Tracking of all amendment requests received through to publication – maintain overall log and a detailed
amendment log for each qualification.

•  Establishing and maintain a document storage system, including version control instructions.

•  Working with the Qualifications Operationalising Manager to inform activity relating to the

operationalising of changes to existing qualifications.

•  Review minor qualification amendment requests – signing off minor changes within set parameters and
processes, or passing to the relevant Assistant Director for approval, or escalating to major amendment
process.

Author: Line Manager

Version: January 2026

Present major qualification amendment proposals for internal governance reviews:

•  Ensuring (with the relevant Subject Officer) amendment proposals are aligned with relevant regulations,

Assessment Strategy and any other commitments.

•  Ensuring relevant WJEC teams have been consulted and provided required information.

•  Producing clear communications and action plan.

•

Logging decisions and coordinate follow up actions.

Amendments processing:

•  Overseeing the processing of amendments in documents, including ensuring appropriate sign-off.

•  Ensuring alignment checks with Assessment Strategy, regulations, internal decisions and across

documents have taken place.

Communication with regulator(s):

•  Submitting amendments to the relevant regulator(s)

•  Coordinating responses to regulatory feedback

•

Tracking regulatory communication

Qualification maintenance and product performance reviews
Coordinate the process of product performance reviews, by:

•

Initiating the annual product performance review in line with the process.

•  Ensuring all relevant data (assessment functioning/customer and other stakeholder

feedback/complaints/PL uptake etc) used in the review is consistent and stored centrally.

•  Ensuring improvement plans are created, stored centrally, monitored and implemented.

•  Ensuring timely reporting on the process.

•  Suite level reviews.

Coordinate the process of monitoring, reviewing and refining existing qualifications, by:

•  managing stakeholder surveys and consultations in line with the qualifications monitoring policy.

•  providing information and data to help inform the decisions regarding the review, redevelopment, and

amendment of qualifications.

•

tracking and coordinating the amendment of qualifications and associated actions.

•  working with the Qualifications Operations Manager to inform activity relating to the operationalising of

changes to existing qualifications.

Qualification withdrawal
Coordinate the withdrawal of qualifications, by:

•  Ensuring withdrawal proposals comply with regulatory requirements.

•  Producing and co-ordinate withdrawal and communication plans.

•  Coordinating internal governance reviews and log decisions.

•  Coordinating lessons learned to feed into future withdrawals.

High level support

•  Provide project management support for specified areas of work identified by senior Qualifications &

Assessment staff.

•  Act as case manager for incidents related to assessments, as directed by Incident Management Group.

Author: Line Manager

Version: January 2026

Management of staff

•  Manage the Qualifications Manager and Qualifications Operations Manager and provide leadership to

their respective teams.

Other duties

•  Represent WJEC in meetings:

internally in relation to qualification development

o
o  deputising for senior Qualifications and Assessment staff as required and in particular on

relevant internal working groups and committees to ensure that decisions are implemented.

•

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.

Author: Line Manager

Version: January 2026

Person Specification

Job Title:

Head of Portfolio Management

Department:

Qualifications Directorate

Highly Desirable criteria are the optimum skills and experience the applicant will ideally have. Desirable criteria
are those which would add value to the job if present, and also include potential for growth and development
into the role.

Skills and Abilities

Highly desirable:

•  Excellent organisational and prioritising skills – able to manage multiple workstreams, and to organise

and prioritise own workload to meet tight deadlines

•  An excellent eye-for detail and ability to apply this to tasks such as quality assurance and progress

monitoring

•  Ability to manipulate and interpret complex data
•  Good computer literacy, with confidence using Microsoft Office (particularly: Teams, Word, Excel and

PowerPoint) and the ability to learn new software with minimal supervision

•  Well-developed communication skills (verbal and written) – able to communicate clearly with a variety

of audiences at all levels

Desirable

•  Welsh language skills

Knowledge

Highly desirable:

•  Knowledge of qualification structures, assessment methods and procedures
•  An awareness of the main features of the qualifications system across Wales, England and Northern

Ireland

Desirable:

•  Knowledge and understanding of assessment principles and their application
•  Knowledge and understanding of qualifications regulation
•  An understanding of project management tools and techniques and their application

Experience

Highly desirable:

•  Experience of establishing and maintaining processes
•  Experience of identifying, analysing and communicating potential problems and suggesting workable

solutions and contingency plans

•  Experience of report writing and preparation of analyses
•  Experience of supervising and/or managing staff, including delegation of workload,

Desirable:

•  Previous experience of working for an awarding organisation
•  Project management experience

Training / Qualifications

Highly desirable:

•  Degree level of education or equivalent

Desirable:

•  Project management qualification
•  A record of continuing professional development.

Author: Line Manager

Version: January 2026

Telerau ac Amodau Gwasanaeth / Terms and Conditions of Service

Teitl y Swydd /
Job Title:

Pennaeth Rheoli Portffolio /
Head of Portfolio Management

Cyflog /
Salary:

£55,257 - £58,941 y flwyddyn (pro-rata lle y bo'n gymwys /
£55,257 - £58,941 per annum (pro-rata where relevant)

Gradd /
Grade:

12

Gwyliau Blynyddol /
Annual Leave:

25 diwrnod (182.5 awr) y flwyddyn. Mae CBAC hefyd yn darparu 16 diwrnod (116.8 awr) i
gyfrif am Wyliau Cyhoeddus a chyfnodau Cau CBAC (gwyliau ychwanegol). Mae'r
lwfansau hyn yn cael eu haddasu ar gyfer staff sy'n gweithio'n rhan-amser neu batrymau
gweithio cywasgedig.
25 days (182.5 hours) per annum. WJEC also provides 16 days (116.8 hours) to account for
Bank Holidays and WJEC Closure periods (Additional leave). These allowances are adjusted for
staff who work part-time or compressed working patterns.

Pensiwn /
Pension:

Mae gofynion y Cynllun Pensiwn Llywodraeth Leol yn berthnasol.
The provision of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) applies.

Math o Gytundeb / Contract Type:

Oriau Gwaith / Working Hours:
☒  Llawn-amser / Full-time

Hyd y Contract / Length of Contract:
☒  Parhaol / Permanent

☐  Rhan-amser / Part-time

☐  Tymor penodol / Fixed-term

Nifer yr oriau yr wythnos /
No. of hrs per week:

36.5

Dyddiad gorffen arfaethedig /
Planned end date:
Rheswm dros y cyfnod penodol /
Reason for fixed-term:

Arall / Other:
Cyfnodau prysur llwyth gwaith /
Workload Peaks:

Amh /
N/A

Dull Ymgeisio / Method of Application:

Dylid anfon ffurflenni wedi’u llenwi ar e-bost at AD@cbac.co.uk erbyn 23:59, dydd Llun 26 Ionawr 2026.
Rhagwelir cynnal cyfweliadau wyneb yn wyneb, ar dydd Iau 05 Chwefror 2026.

Completed forms should be sent by email to HR@wjec.co.uk by 23:59, Monday 26 January 2026.
Interviews are anticipated to be held in person, on Thursday 05 February 2026.

Author: Line Manager

Version: January 2026