Software Delivery Manager

Software Delivery Manager Permanent Manchester

£65,000 - £75,000 Hybrid (2 days a week in the office)

Introduction

You’ll play a key role in shaping the future of AQA’s assessment technology. This is your chance to lead impactful software delivery that supports millions of learners every year. At AQA, you’ll join the assessment technology group in Manchester. This team manages the systems that deliver over 3 million GCSE and A-level results every year. You’ll oversee changes to a software product suite that supports the full lifecycle of exams, from entries through to post‑results services, as well as an integration product built on Azure Integration Services that keeps data secure and reliable across all AQA systems and third parties.

Purpose of the Role

You’ll lead the delivery of change for software products within AQA’s Assessment Technology portfolio. Your work will ensure our systems remain reliable, innovative, and aligned with our mission to deliver world‑class assessments. Working with internal teams and trusted suppliers, you’ll make sure change is delivered on time, to a high standard, and with continuous improvement at the heart of how you work.

Key Responsibilities

• Leading delivery teams to develop and support strategically aligned software products, driving agile and lean practices, to agreed metrics.
• Facilitating PI planning and Scrum of Scrums to ensure alignment and optimise workflow.
• Managing risks, escalating impediments, and driving continuous improvement across delivery processes.

What We Are Looking For

• Strong experience in software delivery within agile and scaled agile environments.
• Technical knowledge to assess and innovate across diverse software technologies.
• Ability to lead teams through complex, time‑sensitive challenges.
• Experience delivering in high‑stakes, regulated environments.
• A passion for continuous improvement, innovative problem‑solving and embracing AI within the SDLC.

What’s in it for you

At AQA we value your contribution and we’ll make sure you feel supported and rewarded. You’ll get:

• 25 days’ annual leave, rising to 30 with service, plus bank holidays and extra closure days at Christmas
• 35‑hour working week with flexible working arrangements
• An excellent contributory pension scheme (6%–11.5% depending on your contribution)
• Life assurance, BUPA PMI, and health cash plan
• Enhanced maternity and paternity schemes
• Access to professional and personal development whenever you need it

Diversity and Inclusion

At AQA, we're committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels they belong and can do their best work. We value the different perspectives, experiences and backgrounds our people bring, knowing they strengthen our culture, decision‑making and impact. We foster an inclusive environment where everyone is treated with respect, has access to opportunities to grow and contribute, and feels able to be themselves. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and lived experiences.

Full Job Description Summary

This role is accountable for leading the delivery of change for software products within the AQA Assessment Technology portfolio, both planned and as a result of production support, using internal and 3rd party software development teams. Inspiring a culture of trust, learning, innovation and continuous improvement, this role will promote collective ownership and delivery excellence.

This role reports to the Head of Software Delivery – EP&I (HoSD – EP&I).

Landscape: The Assessment Technology group reports directly into the Chief Executive Officer. The group operates in close partnership with the Enterprise Technology and Central Hubs departments. The Assessment Technology group is responsible for the operational systems that deliver over 3 million GCSE and A-level results annually.

Team: Whilst this role may not provide direct line management, through matrix management the Software Delivery Manager will work closely with business analysts, developers, test analysts, and other roles, both internally and from suppliers, who are responsible for the delivery of planned change and software support for the strategic and mission‑critical systems that underpin AQA’s core assessment proposition.

Key relationships: Regular stakeholder engagement across all levels and all locations is required, with national and international travel where necessary.

Activities

Software Delivery – Leading delivery teams to develop and support strategically aligned software products, reducing time to market, and increasing quality through continuous improvement of processes, driving agile / lean good practice, people, through modelling leadership behaviours, coaching, and technology, ensuring systems reflect good practice.

Provide progress and performance reporting against agreed targets for all delivery areas to the HoSD – EP&I and other relevant stakeholders. Work with other members of the leadership team to develop consistent processes and standards between teams.

Facilitating Product Increment (PI) planning to ensure that the near‑term roadmap is clearly defined. Driving PI execution, managing performance, tracking and communicating progress. Driving Scrum of Scrums meetings to ensure all product delivery teams are aligned. Optimising the flow of work, to maximise value to the organisation. Escalating impediments, managing risk, and driving delivery improvement. Agreeing scope and frequency of releases. Deliver software in accordance with relevant standards such as ISO9001 / ISO27001, regulatory requirements and AQA policies.

Stakeholders

Provide confidence to customers and stakeholders through; consistent, timely, high quality delivery, excellent communication, and wider services. Work close with Product Managers and Product Owners who own and prioritise the product backlog. Manage 3rd party delivery contracts when required.

Other Responsibilities

• Financial management – working with the HoSD – EP&I and other stakeholders to prepare business cases for ongoing product resourcing and change activities.
• Risk management – participating in the identification, assessment, planning and management of threats and opportunities.
• Business continuity and incident management – participating in identification, assessment, planning, testing and implementation of incident management processes to support recovery of key business processes.
• Information security – taking an active part in the preservation of security, confidentiality, availability and integrity of information assets.
• Continuous professional development – responsible for ensuring own ongoing professional development to meet existing and future organisational needs.

Need to know

• Excellent experience of software delivery in a variety of agile / lean and scaled agile delivery structures, with an outcome‑focussed approach.
• Demonstrable technical knowledge to be able to create, drive, innovate and assess technical solutions across a wide range of software technologies, processes and platforms.
• Structured thinking approach, able to lead groups of people to break down and resolve complex and ambiguous problems in time‑pressured environments, recognising and balancing technical against operational and commercial factors.
• Significant experience delivering in high‑stakes and regulated environments.
• High level of curiosity, with a genuine passion for finding and implementing innovative solutions for business problems through technology.
• Passion for continuous improvement in practice, to increase delivery quality, reliability, and dependability.

AQA Independent Charity

AQA is an independent charity that sets and marks over half of all GCSEs and A-levels in the UK every year. Our purpose is to advance education by helping students and teachers to realise their potential. As part of AQA, you’ll very quickly appreciate the determination and unwavering passion to deliver this goal in everything we do. To help drive these ambitions, AQA invests in the development of its people by offering a range of professional development and learning opportunities leading to over 50% of our permanent roles being filled internally.