Skills and Apprenticeships Systems Lead

Operational Compliance Manager (Skills & Apprenticeships)

Location

Multi-site

Sunday 23 August 2026

£32,942 to £36,977 per annum (for exceptional performers, there is scope for further progression up to £42,523.55 per annum)

Onsite
This role will be based on site, primarily in the named location.

We have one simple promise - to make a positive impact. Through our ground-breaking research, teaching excellence and commitment to sustainable living, we are changing lives for the better.

The University of Derby is a modern university with a modern outlook. Everything we do is driven by delivering excellence and opportunities for our students, our staff and our region.

We have some of the best university facilities in the UK and achieve outstanding results for our teaching and research and have been awarded Gold in the prestigious Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023 - making it one of the top universities in the country recognised for its outstanding student experience and student outcomes.

Financially strong and seriously ambitious we offer our employees an inclusive culture that centres itself around staff wellbeing, where you can be confident you will receive all the help and encouragement you need to build a rewarding career with lots of opportunities to enhance your skills.

The Registry support all aspects of the student journey, right from initial enquiry and application, all the way through to final award and student completion. We strive to provide an outstanding service to all our users and to be thought leaders in our fields of expertise, developing research informed practise. Registry teams work collaboratively with stakeholders to deliver a high-performance culture that promotes wellbeing, diversity and opportunity for all, supporting excellent student experience.

About the Skills and Apprenticeships team

The Skills and Apprenticeships team plays a critical role in supporting the delivery of the University's Further Education, Skills and Apprenticeship provision. The team is responsible for ensuring the integrity of learner records, compliance with funding and regulatory requirements, management information reporting, and the effective operation of specialist FE and Skills systems.

Working closely with academic departments, curriculum teams, employers, external agencies and Digital Solutions & Services (DS&S), the team supports the University's commitment to delivering a high-quality, compliant and data-driven apprenticeship and skills service. As the University continues to grow and transform its Skills and Apprenticeship provision, the team is increasingly focused on improving systems, enhancing data quality, streamlining processes and maximising the value of digital technologies.

This is an exciting opportunity to take a leading role in the management and development of the University's FE and Skills systems landscape.

As Skills and Apprenticeships Systems Lead, you will act as the a business owner for FE and Skills systems, providing oversight of systems, processes, data quality and compliance. You will work closely with Digital Solutions & Services (DS&S) and key stakeholders across the University to ensure systems are fit for purpose, support regulatory and funding requirements and deliver high-quality management information.

Key responsibilities in this role include leading the strategic development, enhancement and continuous improvement of the University's FE and Skills systems to ensure they remain effective, efficient and aligned with organisational priorities. The postholder will oversee data integrity, quality assurance and compliance, ensuring that systems support accurate reporting and meet all regulatory and funding requirements. Acting as the key business lead for system changes, integrations and developments, you will work closely with stakeholders to identify opportunities for improvement and deliver impactful solutions.

The role will also involve leading business impact assessments and supporting the successful implementation of change initiatives, helping teams adapt to new processes and technologies. You will drive process improvement, standardisation and automation to enhance operational efficiency and service delivery, while coordinating activities linked to critical regulatory and operational cycles. In addition, you will provide functional leadership and direction across FE and Skills systems support activities, ensuring a high-quality, responsive and customer-focused systems environment.

This role offers an excellent opportunity to influence the future direction of a critical area of University operations, helping to deliver transformation, improve efficiency and ensure the continued success of Skills and Apprenticeships provision.

Anticipated interview date:Wednesday 2nd September 2026

This role can be primarily based at either our Buxton campus or Derby campus.

If you are successful, you will be required to undertake a Basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. However, should you choose to be based at our Buxton site, the role will be subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Any information you provide will be treated in confidence and only used when considering your suitability for the post.

To enable us to process your DBS check please ensure you are able to supply the documentation listed on the DBS website at interview stage.

We are seeking an experienced systems, data or service professional with a strong understanding of FE, Skills or Apprenticeship administration and a proven appreciation of the importance of regulatory compliance, data integrity and effective business processes. You will be confident working with complex systems and datasets, translating operational requirements into practical solutions and driving continuous service improvement.

You will be an effective collaborator, able to build strong relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, providing expert advice, influencing decision making and constructively challenging existing ways of working to deliver positive change. With significant experience of FE, Skills or student record systems, you will bring a strong understanding of data quality, governance and compliance requirements, alongside experience of developing and improving processes, reporting and management information.

The successful candidate will possess excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to assess risk, balance priorities and understand wider business impacts. You will be confident working independently, taking the initiative to lead service enhancements and support organisational transformation. A degree, or equivalent relevant professional experience, is essential.

FE Systems Business Ownership & Assurance

• Act as the Registry's senior business owner for FE & Skills systems as a connected service landscape.
• Ensure systems and processes support regulatory, funding and operational requirements.
• Own business risk related to system use, data quality and process design.

Data Integrity, Compliance & Reporting

• Provide oversight of data quality, integrity and assurance across FE & Skills systems.
• Interpret regulatory and funding requirements (e.g. ILR) and ensure systems are used appropriately to meet them.
• Design, specify and assure management information and reporting outputs.

Stakeholder & Service Leadership

• Act as the primary escalation point for complex or high risk system and data issues.
• Work with Registry, curriculum, apprenticeships and other stakeholders to translate business needs into system and process requirements.
• Provide professional advice and guidance on FE & Skills systems capability and limitations.

Coordination with Digital Solutions & Services

• Act as the senior business interface with DS&S on: incidents; system changes; integrations; and release impacts.
• Lead business impact assessment and readiness for technical changes.
• Ensure business sign off and communication around system developments.
• Identify opportunities to simplify, standardise or automate processes.
• Reduce reliance on manual, person dependent activities.
• Ensure key processes are documented, owned and resilient.
• Plan and coordinate Registry activity around annual and peak cycles (e.g. enrolment, compliance windows).

Leadership & Oversight

• Provide functional oversight and direction to FE & Skills systems support roles.
• Set priorities, standards and expectations for operational delivery.
• Contribute to service planning and development.

General

• Promote good governance, data protection and University values.
• Undertake duties appropriate to the seniority and accountability of the role.
• Tocomply withthe requirements of Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults, Prevent, Health and Safety, Quality and other University policies including Equal Opportunities, Risk Management and Equality and Diversity.
• Undergraduate degree or equivalent work based experience

Experience

• Significant experience of working with FE, Skills, Apprenticeship or Student Records systems within a Higher Education, Further Education or Skills environment
• Experience of managing or leading activities relating to data quality, compliance, regulatory reporting or systems governance
• Experience managing, developing or improving complex business systems
• Experience designing or overseeing processes and reporting

Skills, knowledge & abilities

. click apply for full job details