Job Description

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.

Administrator – Assessment Team

Fixed Term Contract - Maternity Cover until July 2027

Manchester: £24,400 – £26,200

Guildford: £25,000 – £27,300

Hybrid Working (min 2 days in office each week)

Bring your organisation, focus, and calmness under pressure to a role that directly supports the creation of high-quality assessment materials used by learners across the UK and internationally.

If you enjoy structured processes, solving problems, and keeping complex workflows moving, you will find this role both purposeful and rewarding.

Within AQA, we call this role an Assessment Coordinator. You will support the end-to-end development of question papers, mark schemes, and related assessment materials. Your work will help ensure that every assessment produced by AQA is accurate, fair, and reliable, contributing to qualifications that shape learners’ futures. You will play a key part in maintaining quality and consistency across the assessment cycle.

You’ll be responsible for:

• Coordinating assessment material production across a subject area (such as English, Maths, Science, or Humanities), ensuring documents progress smoothly through each stage of the assessment cycle.
• Working closely with Assessment Managers and subject experts to track tasks, resolve queries, and maintain momentum against fixed deadlines.
• Managing documentation and workflow using AQA’s internal systems and Microsoft Office, with experience of tools such as GradeMaker or Airtable an advantage

What we are looking for

• Excellent organisational and time management skills.
• The ability to manage multiple deadlines
• Attention to detail, including grammar, formatting, and document accuracy
• The ability to communicate confidently via teams, email and in person and build effective working relationships across teams.
• Someone who is adaptable, proactive, and comfortable using judgement to resolve issues.

You will thrive in this role if you enjoy structured processes, clear expectations, and work where precision truly matters.

What’s in it for you

You will join a supportive team and gain exposure to meaningful work that directly impacts learners.

• A 35 hour working week.
• 25 days’ annual leave (rising to 30), plus bank holidays and office closure over Christmas.
• Competitive pension scheme (combined contributions up to 18.5%).
• Access to employee network groups, including LGBTQ+, neurodiversity, disability, ethnic diversity, and women’s networks.
• Volunteering opportunities, wellbeing support, and continuous learning resources.

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 most recent CV along with a cover letter outlining how your skills and experience align with the requirements of this role.

The closing date for applications is 23.59 on Sunday 07 June. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so early submission is encouraged.

Interviews will take place in the week commencing 15 June or 22 June at Manchester or Guildford office, depending on your location.

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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

The Assessment Coordinator works closely with Assessment Managers and Assessment Support Managers on the creation and delivery management of assessment materials following a rigid assessment material creation process and schedule. They are responsible for the basic layout and pagination for draft assessment materials and progressing these materials through production systems. They may provide administrative support to the wider team and support with effective running of meetings. They build exceptional relationships with our internal team relating to the creation and management of our assessment materials and work closely with Senior Associates, agreeing actions with them and ensuring these are followed through.Each year over 2000 question papers, assessment artefacts, mark schemes and modified large print papers are papers are created, quality assured and sent to press for domestic and international qualifications by teams across Assessment. These materials are sat by 100,000s of students across three examination series and are pivotal part of their next step in education.
The Assessment Management team sits within Assessment and is accountable for the quality of all assessment materials, ensuring they are error-free, valid, reliable and comply to strict regulatory conditions. They also provide assessment expertise to AQA to support work on redevelopment and reform as well as any external regulatory work and champion assessment quality and best practice. They work closely with internal teams across Assessment and COO as well as the wider business.
Assessment Management is split into 7 subject groups; English, Maths, Science, Social Sciences, Humanities, Arts and Technology and Languages. The Assessment Coordinator role sits within one of these subject areas and reports to either an Assessment Support Manager or Senior Manager of Assessment depending upon which subject they are in.

Activities:
Support the Assessment Manager or Assessment Support Manager in the creation of assessment materials with responsibility for:basic layout and pagination in word documents for draft assessment materials (Word and GradeMaker), including mark schemes and metadata
arranging the despatch of assessment material to and from senior associates involved in the creation process
ensuring actions are completed by senior associates and work progressed to schedule
coordinating comments exchanges, including collation of comments
submitting graphics and copyright requests
conducting quality checks
management of assessment materials in production systems (including GradeMaker), including formatting for papers in Print Prep
attending question paper process meetings (where applicable) and coordinating/updating changes to documentation
preparing assessment material for typesetting
additional administrative activities outside the creation process.

Work collaboratively, engage and communicate effectively with colleagues across Assessment Management, Senior Associates and the wider business to ensure timely creation of assessment material and escalate issues and risks in relation to it.
Contribute to the Assessment team’s successful performance by sharing best practice and ideas for ensuring processes and ways of working are as effective and efficient as possible.
Manage complex administrative tasks with conflicting priorities and deadlines, whilst maintaining a high degree of personal responsibility, judgement and initiative with little close supervision.
Maintain accurate records of progress to allow for effective reporting at team level.
Ensure, as appropriate, the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information being held, accessed or processed within the remit of the post.

To be successful in this role, you will need to:
Have a good working knowledge and understanding of administrative procedures and office IT applications and understanding of process-type activities.
Have a good knowledge of GradeMaker.
Have excellent organisation and planning skills.
Have excellent attention to detail and accuracy.
Have excellent communication skills.
Be able to work with conflicting priorities and have experience of delivering to multiple deadlines.
Be able to use new technology and techniques to enhance quality and to share these with others as best practice.
A good grasp of written English, including grammar and punctuation.
Have a “Step up” mindset - ability to use personal judgement to resolve problems and adapt to change
“Work and learn together” - build positive and proactive relationships with others.
Have experience of supporting the delivery of new processes or new technologies.