Head of Professional Training and Qualifications

We are pleased to advertise a vacancy for a Head of Professional Training and Qualifications.

This role is responsible for all aspects of the NAO’s professional qualification training, including our accountancy training schemes for graduates and apprentices. Approximately 85 trainees join the office each year with around 220 trainees on the scheme at any one time. We also support smaller cohorts of apprentices to undertake professional qualifications in a range of subjects.

Our accountancy trainees are an integral part of the NAO’s workforce and form our main pipeline to more senior grades. Ensuring that we have a high quality, well run programme in which trainees receive support, advice and guidance to progress through their ACA exams and achieve ICAEW membership is a key strategic priority for the NAO. This is a high profile, exciting role with the opportunity to work with multiple stakeholders and make a real difference to trainees as they start their career with us.

Reports to: Director responsible for Professional Training
Internal relationships: The post holder will work closely with a range of internal colleagues, including the NAO’s QPRT, the Trainee Experience Programme manager, the wider HR team, Learning and Development; service line leadership, including Executive Directors, trainees, and performance coaches.
External relationships: The post holder will also work closely with external partners including our college provider and the ICAEW.
Staff resources managed: Supervising 2 junior colleagues.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage all strategic and operational elements of the NAO’s graduate and school leaver training schemes.
• Design and implement developments to enhance the training scheme, ensuring it remains an operationally excellent, comprehensive programme and that trainees receive support and training to put them in the best position to pass their exams and achieve their ICAEW qualification.
• Ensure that NAO trainees receive high quality support from the training team and that all elements of the scheme, including college bookings, processing exam results and responding to queries are completed quickly and accurately and with an emphasis on customer service.
• Manage communication and engagement with trainees including running forums and drop in sessions and responding to staff survey feedback.
• Ensure HR Business Partners have the information they need to implement workplace adjustments and amended exam pathways for trainees.
• Keep abreast of external developments in the accountancy training and apprenticeship landscape to enable the NAO to anticipant and respond to changes.
• Commission and where appropriate undertake analysis of data (including exam pass rates and campaign data) to identify trends and put forward recommendations for action.
• Communicate and liaise with Performance Coaches regarding the trainees training pathways as and when required.
• Liaison, and consultation, with leadership regarding any changes in curricula or introduction of new/amended programmes and provide updates to colleagues, including senior management, on elements of the training scheme, including pass rates, college timetables, and trainee engagement.
• Sit on the trainee steering group to provide advice and insight into that committee.
• Liaise and work in collaboration with the internal Learning & Development team to ensure co-ordination between internal learning and college learning.
• Manage relationships with external bodies, including our college provider and the ICAEW to ensure we get early consultation and input into changes and developments that will affect our training schemes.
• Build and maintain an external network of other training firms and suppliers to get insights into developments and best practice that the NAO could look to implement.
• Contract management of suppliers including retendering for contracts when due; managing service level agreements and budget management.
• Manage the administration of the NAO’s levy fund, including setting up new arrangements for any smaller apprenticeship courses the NAO chooses to support.
• Manage all team budgets.
• Manage and develop two junior colleagues.

Skills required

Successful candidates will be able to demonstrate: -
• Experience of managing a professional training scheme of a similar size and scope to the NAO’s programme.
• A strong focus on customer service and the ability to lead and motivate a team.
• Communicates clearly and succinctly. Is credible and assured in meetings and able to influence a wider spectrum of key stakeholders, from individual trainees through to the Trade Union Side and the Executive Team
• Close attention to detail with a focus on identifying and addressing risks to delivery.
• Plans, prioritises and delivers high quality services and advice in a timely and efficient way to meet business needs.
• Strong project management skills, including budgetary management and user engagement.
• Strengths in data reporting and analysis, with the ability to identify trends and key risks.
• Proactive in identifying improvements in how we do things and opportunities to add value.
• Manages performance and development of others to get the best from the team, delegating work appropriately and supporting others to deliver.
• A strong focus on continuous professional development