Head of Regulatory Policy
Newport, Wales (with hybrid working)

About Us

We are Qualifications Wales, the independent organisation responsible for regulating general and vocational qualifications in Wales.

Our strategic priorities over the next five years are:

- To develop a coherent and inclusive range of qualifications for learners aged 14–16
- To build an effective and sustainable qualifications offer
- To modernise assessment approaches
- To support the qualifications system through grants and expertise

We are now looking for a Head of Regulatory Policy to join us on a full-time, permanent basis, working 37 hours per week. Requests for alternative working patterns, including part-time, job share or secondments, may be discussed at interview.

The Benefits

- Salary of £61,098 - £73,057 per annum
- 31 days' annual leave (in addition to public holidays and up to three days’ office closure at Christmas)
- Flexible working arrangements
- Membership of the Civil Service Pension Scheme

The Role

As our Head of Regulatory Policy, you will lead the development and delivery of strategic, evidence-based regulatory policies that underpin the qualifications system in Wales.

Working as part of the senior leadership team, you will shape the overarching regulatory framework and strategy, ensuring alignment with our principal aims and supporting qualification reform activity.

You will engage with stakeholders, experts and internal teams to develop, review and implement policies, while evaluating their impact on learners, awarding bodies and the wider system to inform continuous improvement.

Additionally, you will:

- Manage the Regulatory Policy team
- Evaluate policy impact and oversee regulatory impact assessments
- Support recommendations to the Board on regulatory strategy and development
- Lead horizon scanning and responses to external consultations

About You

To be considered as our Head of Regulatory Policy, you will need:

- Experience developing and writing policy and regulations in an education, training or qualifications-related context
- Experience developing and/or contributing to strategy in an education, training or qualifications-related context
- Experience of stakeholder engagement in a policy context
- Management experience
- Experience working within regulatory and/or quality assurance models
- Experience preparing advice on policy and its implementation, and presenting this to a range of audiences within a complex stakeholder environment

The closing date for this role is 9th April 2026. Interviews will be held on 27th April 2026.

Other organisations may call this role Head of Policy, Head of Regulatory Affairs, Head of Public Policy, Head of Policy and Strategy, Head of Governance and Policy, or Policy Lead.

So, if you’d like to join us as a Head of Regulatory Policy, please apply via the button shown. This vacancy is being advertised by Webrecruit. The services advertised by Webrecruit are those of an Employment Agency.