International Assessment Solutions Leader

• locations
• Milton Keynes
• Manchester
• London

• time type
• Full time

• posted on
• Posted Today

• job requisition id
• R7748

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.

International Assessment Solutions Leader

Permanent

Milton Keynes, London or Manchester Offices

£80,000 - £90,000 (Manchester)

£83,000 - £93,500 (Milton Keynes / London)

Hybrid – 2x days a week in the office

*This role will involve international travel

Introduction

You will step into a role where your sales expertise truly shapes outcomes, opening doors across international education markets and allowing you to influence lasting improvements in educational systems. As you build relationships with global clients, you’ll help create assessment solutions that genuinely make a difference. This is your chance to take ownership, make bold decisions and leave a mark in a growing, impactful organisation.

Purpose of the role

AQA Assessment Service Limited (ASL) is a sales arm of AQA and is responsible for taking AQA’s leading assessment technology and consultancy services to national and international markets. In this role, you will drive ASL’s international growth by identifying opportunities across academic and TVET (technical and vocational education and training) markets. You will combine your consultative sales skills with your understanding of assessment needs to shape bespoke solutions for governments, awarding bodies and large organisations. You’ll play a pivotal role in demonstrating how ASL’s assessment technology and services can transform education systems and support learners around the world.

Key responsibilities

• Building and managing a pipeline of opportunities across key regions, including Asia and Africa, with a focus on K–12 and TVET assessment.
• Leading consultative sales engagements that help clients identify their needs, explore assessment reform options and adopt solutions that support meaningful educational improvement.
• Designing, shaping and presenting proposals, including service methodologies and commercial structures that align with ASL’s quality standards and customer requirements.
• Delivering product demonstrations for GradeMaker, e-Marker® and related assessment technologies to showcase ASL’s capabilities and influence buying decisions.
• Preparing and contributing to bids, tenders and strategic proposals, working collaboratively with product, delivery, finance and marketing teams.

What we are looking for

• Experience designing, selling or delivering educational assessment, consultancy or education solutions.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, with confidence engaging senior stakeholders internationally.
• A proactive, strategic mindset that helps you spot opportunities, shape conversations and progress deals effectively.
• Experience working with international clients, particularly governments, awarding bodies or donor-funded programmes.
• The ability to manage complex sales processes with a commercial mindset and a focus on long-term relationships.

What’s in it for you

• The opportunity to influence major education reform at a global scale through meaningful, high-impact work.
• A chance to shape a role with autonomy, creativity and visibility across ASL’s international operations.
• The chance to help define ASL’s international footprint as part of a growing and highly motivated team.
• 25 days’ annual leave, rising to 30 with service, plus bank holidays and extra closure days at Christmas
• A 35-hour working week with flexible working arrangements
• Excellent contributory pension scheme (6%–11.5% depending on your contribution)
• Life assurance, BUPA PMI, and health cash plan
• Enhanced maternity and paternity schemes

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 submit your CV and cover letter by midnight on Wed 6th May. The interview process will include two stages, with interviews expected to take place across weeks commencing 11th May (first stage) and 25th May (final stages).

Contact and further information

If you’ve got questions about the role or just want to get a feel for what it’s like to work at AQA, we’d love to hear from you. Feel free to reach out to one of our recruitment team for an informal chat.

We’re looking forward to hearing from you.

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

AQA Assessment Services Limited (ASL) is pursuing ambitious growth by expanding its educational solutions services into international markets and growing sales of its SaaS assessment products. To succeed, ASL must strengthen its educational leadership in key regions, respond to emerging customer needs, secure new funding, and differentiate its services from global competitors. This includes drawing on AQA’s reputation, proven case studies, and strong local and regional partnerships.

The overall purpose of this role will drive these aims by bringing strong expertise in academic and TVET assessment into the sales process and shaping service offers that reflect best practice and customer needs. This role requires a strong understanding of assessment technology and the ability to position and demonstrate ASL’s assessment technology solutions to UK and international customers. They will be responsible for suggesting alternative solutions to government and AOs, including providing challenge at times regarding their existing processes in assessment tech, as well as advising on reforms and education policy.

The role will span the full sales cycle, including international engagement, needs analysis, solution design, proposal development, and commercial evaluation. Working closely with delivery and finance teams, the post holder will ensure services are viable, strategically aligned, and offer a clear return on investment.Landscape:

The post holder will have an international remit. As ASL’s assessment technology sales lead they will be responsible for driving the development of new business for ASL’s exam authoring and marking platforms in the UK and internationally. As a senior member of the international sales team, a core focus will be in developing business in new markets, particularly Asia and Africa, where the scope of ASL’s educational solutions may broaden into consultancy and capacity-building services in K-12 curriculum, assessment and TVET. There is significant scope for the post holder to adopt an entrepreneurial approach to the role by targeting new territories, sectors, and partnerships that provide viable sales opportunities and contribute to ASL’s growth priorities.

Activities

Market development and sales

Expanding sales of products and services into new customers and territories.

Developing strong customer relationships and managing accounts; proactive in driving specific customer interactions to ensure customer satisfaction, retention and increased sales.

Work closely with governments and AOs to advise on reforms and education policy, suggest solutions, whilst challenging their existing processes regarding assessment technology

Prospecting, engaging, qualifying, pricing and negotiation in the context of a specific customer and environment.

Sales planning in agreed sectors, markets or business areas to achieve annual target.

Researching and actively pursuing new business opportunities through identification of prospective clients, partner institutions, regional consultants, and funding partners.

Meeting prospective customers (online, at conferences and in-person visits) and recording sales activity in the CRM.

Developing new international customer opportunities for GradeMaker, e-Marker® and ASL products through market research, prospect development, delivering demos and presentations.

Managing a pipeline of GradeMaker and e-Marker® sales opportunities, responsible for converting opportunities to contract stage through customer engagement and stakeholder management.

Developing commercial proposals through to completing order forms and contracts.

Routinely checking a defined list of tender portals and feeding back to the team on potential bid opportunities.

Leading on the preparation of bids alongside a bid manager and in consultation with sales and delivery colleagues, coordinating the methodology, winning messages and costing.

Service development

Proposing service methodologies, enabling the international sales team to increase market development activity while responding effectively to tender opportunities.

Applying educational assessment expertise in the sales process; improving the quality of sales proposals, enabling more effective identification of sales opportunities, and sharing best practice.

Leading on needs analyses with prospective clients to inform proposals and help shape client procurement activity.

Collaborating with sales, product, finance and delivery colleagues, whilst acting as the voice of the customer, to hone compelling bespoke service offerings that meet margin targets and AQA’s quality standards.

Keeping up to date with assessment methods and tools in order to advise prospective customers effectively and support sales and marketing colleagues.

Representing AQA Global as an education expert in marketing campaign materials.

Financial Management

Supporting the Director of Sales & Marketing in the preparation of the annual sales forecast and then to deliver against that forecast.

Preparing monthly reports on opportunities, updates to the forecast revenue and progress against targets.

To be successful in this role, you will need to demonstrate:

Essential Criteria

In depth experience in scoping, designing, and positioning educational/assessment solutions, with a consultative sales approach and strong account management capability.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to build rapport, influence stakeholders, negotiate effectively, and challenge constructively.

Strong analytical, problemsolving, and decisionmaking skills, with the ability to evaluate options, balance risk and opportunity, and make sound commercial decisions and recommendations which help shape AQA’s strategy

Strategic and entrepreneurial mindset, able to work independently and collaboratively across teams.

Ability to understand client requirements and translate them into compelling service propositions aligned to best practice.

Demonstrated ability to lead bid responses, review tender documentation, identify risks, and shape highquality proposals.

Commercially astute, able to assess profitability and contribute to annual planning and sales target delivery.

Willingness to undertake travel.

Desierable Criteria

A mastery of assessment methodology (eg, Classical/IRT, principles of good assessment design)

Experience working on government or donor-funded projects

A track record in delivering successful assessment projects

Experience working on projects that support employability and sector specific skills or vocational