Associate Academic Manager

Licensed sponsor Manchester Full-time Posted 5 days ago

Company: Elizabeth School of London

Job Title: Associate Academic Manager

Location: ONSITE, Manchester, UK (on-site)

Salary: £38,500 – £43,500 per annum (dependent on experience)

Hours: Full Time, Monday to Friday 9:00am - 5:00 pm

Reports to: City Academic Manager

Job Overview

Elizabeth School of London is seeking an experienced, proactive and confident Associate Academic Manager (AAM) to join our growing Manchester campus.

This is a key leadership position, acting as the second-in-command to the City Academic Manager (CAM), with responsibility for the day-to-day management of academic operations, academic quality and staff performance.

Working closely with the CAM, the successful candidate will help ensure the smooth running of the campus, support academic delivery, maintain high teaching standards and lead the academic team.

In the absence of the CAM, the AAM will act as the designated Duty Manager on site, overseeing wider campus operations, coordinating departments and responding to operational challenges.

The role requires a strong academic background, including the ability to conduct teaching observations, improve teaching quality, support lecturer development and meet university partner requirements. We are looking for someone who combines academic knowledge with confident leadership and operational management skills.

Key Responsibilities

1. Campus Operations and Duty Management

Oversee day-to-day academic operations across the Manchester campus.
Act as designated Duty Manager in the CAM’s absence, overseeing wider campus operations and serving as the senior point of contact on site.
Provide operational guidance to academic and professional services teams and coordinate across departments.
Respond to operational challenges, make informed decisions and take appropriate action.
Coordinate teaching activities, staff availability, classrooms and academic resources to minimise disruption.
Support the management of incidents, emergencies and safeguarding concerns in line with procedures.
Work with Reception, Student Support, Facilities, IT and other teams to maintain a safe and organised campus.
Identify operational risks and escalate significant matters to the CAM or senior leadership as appropriate.

2. Academic Quality and Teaching Standards

Plan, coordinate and undertake formal and informal teaching observations, providing constructive feedback.
Monitor teaching quality and support effective, inclusive teaching practices.
Support lecturers with lesson planning, assessment practices, student engagement and teaching methods.
Work with Partnership Academic Managers, Link Tutors and university partners to maintain academic standards.
Ensure observations, lecturer development plans and quality documentation are completed and recorded.
Support academic reviews, audits, monitoring visits and quality assurance activities.
Identify improvements to teaching and learning and work with lecturers to implement them.

3. Academic Management and Programme Delivery

Oversee programme delivery in line with ESL and university partner requirements.
Support timetabling, teaching allocations, staff availability and new-cohort preparation.
Monitor compliance with attendance recording, assessment deadlines and teaching responsibilities.
Oversee marking, moderation and grade reporting, ensuring deadlines are met.
Maintain accurate academic records, documentation and reports.
Support staff and student inductions and communicate academic expectations clearly.
Work with departments and university partners to address delivery concerns.
Support academic policies, quality assurance and compliance requirements.

4. Team Leadership and Staff Management

Provide line management, leadership and support to the Academic Coordinator and relevant teaching staff.
Manage performance through regular meetings, feedback, reviews and development planning.
Build a positive, supportive team environment with clear expectations and accountability.
Support recruitment, onboarding and induction of academic staff.
Identify training and development needs and arrange appropriate support.
Address staff concerns and performance issues professionally.
Delegate responsibilities and manage workloads across the academic team.
Maintain effective communication with lecturers and wider campus departments.

5. Performance Monitoring and Student Experience

Monitor attendance, retention, progression, achievement and academic standards.
Analyse performance data to identify trends, concerns and opportunities for improvement.
Prepare academic performance reports for the CAM and senior academic leadership.
Work with departments on action plans to improve academic outcomes and engagement.
Support prompt, professional resolution of student academic concerns.
Collaborate with Student Support, Attendance and Intervention and other teams to improve the student experience.
Identify opportunities to improve academic processes and student satisfaction.

Person Specification

Essential Qualifications and Experience

A degree in Education, Business, Management or a related discipline.
Previous teaching experience within higher education, with an understanding of effective teaching and learning.
Experience in academic management, leadership or supervision within education.
Experience conducting teaching observations, evaluating teaching quality and providing feedback.
Knowledge of academic quality assurance, assessment practices and higher education standards.
Experience managing staff performance and supporting professional development.
Strong operational management, organisation and communication skills.

Desirable Qualifications and Experience

A master’s degree in education, Business, Management or a related discipline.
A recognised teaching qualification (such as a PGCE) or Fellowship of Advance HE.
Experience in widening participation higher education.
Experience with university partnerships and multiple awarding institutions.
Experience supporting academic audits, monitoring visits and quality assurance reviews.
Experience managing academic operations in a large or multi-site educational environment.

Key Skills and Attributes

Confident, approachable leader able to make decisions independently.
Strong people management skills and ability to develop staff.
Proactive problem-solving and effective prioritisation and delegation.
Strong academic judgement and commitment to teaching quality.
Clear communication and effective collaboration across departments.
Ability to remain calm and professional under pressure.
Commitment to safeguarding, equality, diversity and inclusion.

Benefits

Annual leave (7.2 weeks)
Workplace pension scheme.
Company Sick Pay.
Statutory maternity and paternity pay.
Employee Assistance Programme (HA Wisdom Wellbeing)
Virtual GP access (Livi)
'Speak Up Service' - confidential support service to report any workplace concerns
Specialist physical and mental wellbeing support services with 24/7 confidential counselling support (Wisdom)
Specialist menopause support, including online CBT (Wisdom)
Financial, legal and medical advice services provided (Wisdom)
Life & Leadership coaching (Wisdom)
Financial coaching (MUNNY)
Discounts and perks, offering savings on shopping, activities and more (Bright Exchange)
Self-development and Self-taught trainings

Why Join Us?

Our Manchester campus is a busy and growing higher education environment, bringing together academic and professional services teams to support a diverse student community. As Associate Academic Manager, you will help manage campus operations, support the academic team and maintain high standards of teaching and learning. This is an opportunity to take ownership and make a meaningful contribution to the student and staff experience.