Qualifications Scotland
Chief Accreditation Officer
Qualifications Scotland marks a fresh chapter for Scotland’s qualifications system. As a newly established, arm’s-length body, we represent an opportunity to rethink and reimagine how qualifications are designed, accredited, and trusted. At the heart of this transformation is the appointment of our first Chief Accreditation Officer, a role that offers rare scope to shape the future from the ground up.
As Chief Accreditation Officer, you will set the vision and strategy for accreditation in Scotland, developing policy and practice that reflect the needs of learners, educators, and employers. You will lead a directorate of 20, operating with distinct governance autonomy, and bring fresh thinking to how qualifications are accredited and assured. You will be the principal adviser to Ministers and to the Accreditation Committee, ensuring that the voices of learners and educators are central to decision-making.
With oversight of 35 awarding bodies, 720 regulated qualifications, and a £1m budget, you will have both the resources and the mandate to deliver meaningful change. You will represent Scotland internationally as a thought leader in accreditation and play a pivotal role in building the frameworks and systems that will serve future generations of learners.
We are seeking an experienced leader with senior regulatory expertise, proven stakeholder engagement skills, and a track record of delivering change. You will bring the vision, authority, and commitment to learner outcomes needed to establish trust and confidence in this new national body.
This is an outstanding opportunity to help shape Scotland’s new qualifications system, ensuring it is world-class, future-focused, and designed to enable every learner to achieve their potential.
Saxton Bampfylde Ltd is acting as an employment agency advisor to Qualifications Scotland on this appointment. For further information about the role, including details about how to apply, please visit www.saxbam.com/appointments using reference DBWQA. Alternatively, email Belinda.beck@saxbam.com. Applications should be received by noon on Monday 27th October.
We will place learners’ and educators’ voices at the very heart of decision-making, while ensuring qualifications are closely aligned with the skills Scotland’s economy needs to grow and thrive.