Strategic Supplier Account Manager

At AQA, we’re committed to advancing education and we’re committed to our people. As the largest provider of academic qualifications in the UK, we mark over 10 million exam papers each year and it’s our people who make this happen.

Strategic Supplier Account Manager

Permanent

Manchester or Milton Keynes

Manchester £66,300 - £74,600 / Milton Keynes £69,000 - £77,600

Working arrangements: Hybrid (2 days per week in the office)

Introduction

You're stepping into a key role at a pivotal moment for AQA as we strengthen how we work with our most important technology partners. As we embark on significant long-term supplier relationships, you'll help shape how these partnerships operate, evolve and deliver value to the organisation. This is an opportunity to influence how AQA collaborates with multi million-pound technology suppliers, ensuring we deliver the best possible experience for colleagues, stakeholders and ultimately the learners who rely on our work.

Purpose of the role

You'll play a central role in ensuring AQA gets the best out of its strategic supplier partnerships. This includes maintaining a clear view of contractual commitments, performance expectations and long-term supplier roadmaps. You'll act as the expert link between technology teams, procurement and supplier partners, helping ensure strong commercial outcomes, effective governance and a joined-up approach across the organisation. This role provides the chance to influence how AQA's supplier landscape evolves over time, guiding how these multi million-pound partnerships deliver value and support our long-term technology strategy.

Key responsibilities

In this role, you'll be responsible for:

•            Managing multi-million-pound strategic supplier relationships and ensuring delivery against contractual commitments.

•            Providing insight, challenge and guidance to ensure suppliers meet expected service levels, KPIs and long-term roadmaps.

•            Maintaining strong alignment across Enterprise Technology, Assessment Technology and wider leadership teams.

What we are looking for

You’ll thrive in this role if you bring a confident, collaborative and commercially focused approach.

•            Proven contractual management experience within complex or technology-led organisations.

•            Strong track record managing multi-million-pound supplier partnerships.

•            Ability to build trusted external relationships and work confidently with executive stakeholders.

•            Strong commercial acumen with the ability to identify value and risk.

•            Experience shaping supplier strategy roadmaps and long-term technology partnerships.

What’s in it for you

This is a newly created role with the autonomy to shape how AQA manages its most critical technology suppliers.

•            Play a leading role in shaping multi million-pound technology supplier partnerships.

•            25 days’ annual leave, rising to 30 with service, plus bank holidays and extra closure days at Christmas

•            a 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

Diversity and inclusion statement

At AQA, we are committed to fostering a workplace that celebrates diversity and promotes equity and inclusion. We believe that a diverse team brings richer perspectives and drives better outcomes. Our ED&I strategy ensures that everyone—regardless of religion, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, age, disability, sexual orientation or background—is valued, respected and empowered to thrive. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and lived experiences.

Application process

To apply, please submit your CV and cover letter. The application deadline is 8 February 2026. First stage interviews will take place on 19 February via Microsoft Teams, followed by second stage interviews on 25 February in Manchester or 27 February in Milton Keynes.

Recruitment Agencies

We have a preferred supplier list (PSL) in place.

Unsolicited CVs will be treated as a gift. We will not be subject to or liable under your terms and conditions for agency fees.

Full Job Description

Summary

Purpose:
This role is accountable for ensuring the successful management and assurance of a number of key technology suppliers underpinning the execution of daily operations or transformational change activities that are operated from the technology functions (Enterprise and Assessment Technology) within AQA Education.
You will maintain an enterprise-wide view of key supplier deliveries enabling AQA to determine operational benefit, delivery against performance and quality metrics and overall value for money against agreed standards and industry benchmarks ensuring AQA continues to benefit from its investments with 3rd party partnerships.Landscape:
The Enterprise Technology Division sits within the Group Corporate Services Division enabling the centralised delivery of core corporate services.  In addition, Enterprise Technology operates in close partnership with Assessment Technology and Programme Management collectively delivering the full IT service portfolio of current operations to future change programmes.
This is a standalone role that reports to the Director of Enterprise Technology with a dotted reporting line to Chief Assessment Technology officer representing Assessment Technology.
The technology suppliers you will be engaged with represent multi-million per annum engagements covering managed services, development services and core technology commodity provisions.
Due to this role and function accountabilities, regular stakeholder engagement across all levels and all AQA UK locations is required with infrequent international travel where required.
Key relationships
Key internal AQA Education relationships:
AQA Divisional Heads / Cx Levels
Enterprise Technology functions
AQA Assessment Technology & Programme Management Leadership / Functions
AQA Commercial services teams
Procurement and finance teams
Key external relationships:
Third party technology providers - incorporating strategic, account and operational levels.
Activities:
Proactive management of key 3rd party strategic technology suppliers, ensuring delivery of services to required level of quality and achievement against defined SLA’s, KPIs and other captured supplier responsibilities / obligations
Define operational performance standards and monitor and report on the performance and quality of service provision to internal stakeholders, proactively managing identified issues and risks to service performance
Active stakeholder management to collaboratively engage and also challenge stakeholders/ suppliers of all levels, both internal and 3rd party
Active internal stakeholder management, incorporating supplier performance reporting to ensure internal AQA visibility and alignment to supplier performance realities, providing balanced analysis highlighting areas for concern or exceeding performance
Act as escalation point for supplier issues, including any major incidents if the need arises
Support the embedding of continuous service improvements, balanced scorecards, risk / reward approaches to further strengthen supplier partnerships where feasible / advised
Oversight of strategic supplier service delivery against technology strategy and defined outcomes incorporating service levels and technology roadmap execution, to determine supplier quality and value for money on behalf of both Assessment technology, and Enterprise Technology functions
In partnership with Procurement teams, input to sourcing activities, RFI / RFP projects,  contracts,  supplier agreements and Technology Category planning to deliver AQA with products and services to agreed timescales, quality and standards
Managing supplier accounts effectively ensuring that objectives are delivered and inform the budget process, whilst enabling effective review of return on investment
Establish strong partnership links with suppliers to ensure continued operational success and overall benefit for AQA
Perform assurance reviews to contractual performance, including benchmarking activities to ensure continued supplier competitiveness and value for money
Advise and shape the optimum supplier strategy, landscape and roadmap, optimising technology outcomes via a mix of internal and supplier based capabilities
Advise and guide technology teams and leaders to optimal or recommended actions to supplier related challenges as the need arise, increasing the overall supplier mgmt. maturity across both Enterprise and Assessment technology divisions.
To be successful in this role, you will need to demonstrate:
Essential Criteria
Strong and proven expertise of supplier relationship / account management and working with 3rd party delivery partners to ensure optimal outcomes
Proven expertise in managing technology suppliers including the appreciation of technology centric commercial agreements
Excellent communication and negotiation skills, able to challenge, negotiate with and influence stakeholders at all levels to achieve desired outcomes
Able to resolve issues proactively and pragmatically through cross organisational working
Strong Financial analysis and budgeting
Business case management incorporating, creation, sponsoring and lobbying
Strong Contract management, oversight and reporting
Responsive to short-term challenges/priorities whilst holding to clear strategy and direction
Organises and plans effectively whilst retaining focus on the bigger picture
Proven expertise in identifying and improving high level processes and ways of working
Aptitude for sharing and embedding best practice
Excellent delivery credentials, with a flexible, pragmatic “can do” attitude
Desirable Criteria
Knowledge of AQA suite of products, customer and market influences, and the environment in which AQA operates